Saro SR.A/1

Flying-boat Fighter

The SR.A/1 in it's natural environment

Engine:. 2x Metropolitan-Vickers F2/4 "Beryl" turbojets

Wing Span: 46'

Length: 50'

Height: 16' 9''

Weight: Empty 11,262 lb / Loaded 16,225 lb

Maximum Speed: 512 mph

Ceiling: N/A

Endurance: 2.4 hours

Crew: 1

Armament: 4x 20mm cannons / 2x 1,000 lb bombs or 16x 120 lb rockets

History:

The SRA-1 started life in 1943 when Saro proposed the SR.44 a flying-boat fighter (inspired by the Japanese Nakajima A6M2-N"Rufe" and Kawanishi N1K1"Rex" floatplane fighters) which could be used in the Pacific Theatre of war. In May 1944 a contract was awarded under specification E.6/44 to Saro for three prototypes of the SR.44 now called SR.A/1. The first prototype took to the air on the 15/6/1947 some four years after it's proposal! The second and third aircraft followed soon after wards, the SR.A/1's were flown and tested for four years with the second and third planes being lost in accidents. By 1951 the need for a flying-boat fighter had disappeared and the last SA.A/1 was retired in June of that year.

And in the air