Saunders-Roe Princess
| SR.45 Princess | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Saunders-Roe Princess G-ALUN displaying at the Farnborough SBAC Show in September 1953 | |
| Role | Flying boat airliner |
| Manufacturer | Saunders-Roe |
| First flight | 22 August 1952 |
| Number built | 3 (1 flew, others cocooned) |
The Saunders-Roe SR.45 Princess was a British flying boat aircraft built by Saunders-Roe, based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The Princess was the largest all-metal flying boat ever constructed.
The project was cancelled after having produced three examples, only one of which flew. By the mid-1950s, large, commercial flying boats were being overshadowed by land-based jet aircraft. Factors such as runway and airport improvements added to the viability of land-based aircraft, which did not have the weight and drag of the boat hulls on seaplanes nor the issues with seawater corrosion.
The project was delayed by difficulties with the Bristol Proteus engines.
G-ALUN made 47 test flights between 1952 and 1954, including two appearances at the Farnborough SBAC Show. This work was carried out under a development contract for the Ministry of Supply, the intention being that this would lead to a contract for the aircraft from the flag carrier BOAC. Although the initial contract was successful, BOAC decided instead to develop land-based routes using the jet-powered De Havilland Comet.
The three airframes were stored against possible purchase but when an offer was made it was found that corrosion had set in; as a result they were scrapped.
Before World War II Imperial Airways had successfully used large long-range passenger flying boats such as the Short Empire and Short S.26, and after Imperial Airways had become British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in 1940, had also used the Boeing 314 for transatlantic flights. Pre-war, flying boats were preferred for such flights as unlike land planes they were not limited by available runway length - most of which were still grass surfaced - and as a long range aeroplane would be required to carry a large load of fuel, a larger size of the aircraft could be allowed without need to cater for limited runway and airfield sizes. In addition, for services to far-flung parts of the British Empire, the ability to land and take-off from any available area of water was a distinct advantage for services to such places, many of which at the time had no airport facilities at all.
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