Planet Models 044 Saunders Roe SRA/1

The Saunders-Roe SR.A / 1 was an experimental British Cold War flying boat. A prototype flight took place in 1947, but the machine never entered mass production. The propulsion was provided by two turbojet engines Metropolitan-Vickers Beryl F.2 / 4 Beryl of 17.2 kN each. The machine was 15.24 meters long with a wingspan of 14.02 meters. The on-board armament was to consist of four Hispano Mk. 5 cal. 20 mm. The machine could also carry a load of bombs or rockets weighing up to 910 kilograms.

The Saunders-Roe SR.A / 1 was created as a result of observations made during World War II, and regarding the operation of such Japanese machines as the Nakajima A6M2-N, i.e. hunting machines with a float chassis capable of relatively independent operation at a considerable distance from their own bases. It was assumed that the Saunders-Roe SR.A / 1 would also be a machine with considerable operational independence, and the main area of its operation was perceived in Southeast Asia. However, considerable problems with the engines associated with their production, as well as the limited performance of the machine compared to on-board machines operating from aircraft carriers, meant that the project was abandoned after the creation of three prototypes.