Saunders-Roe
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Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight.
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[edit] History
The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe (see Avro) and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S.E. Saunders.
Saunders Roe, commonly abbreviated Saro, concentrated on producing flying-boats, but none were produced in very large quantities - the longest run being 31 Londons. They also produced hulls for the Blackburn Bluebird, and during the Second World War manufactured Supermarine Walrus and de Havilland Sea Otters. In 1952 they flew the prototype Princess, but the age of the flying-boat was over and no more were produced here.
The last fixed-wing aircraft they built was experimental SR53 mixed-power interceptor.
In 1951 Saunders-Roe took over the interests of the Cierva Autogyro Company a helicopter design of which was developed into the Skeeter helicopter. In 1959 it demonstrated the first practical hovercraft built under contract to the National Research and Development Corporation to Christopher Cockerell's design, the (Saunders-Roe Nautical 1). In the same year Saro's helicopter and hovercraft interests were taken over by Westland Aircraft which continued the Skeeter family with the Scout & Wasp. In 1964 all the hovercraft businesses under Westland were merged with Vickers-Supermarine to form the British Hovercraft Corporation. This in turn was taken over by Westland and was renamed Westland Aerospace in 1985, and hovercraft production was reduced to nearly nothing until the advent of the AP1-88. The company produced Britten-Norman aroplanes, composites and component parts for the aircraft industry, especially engine nacelles for many aircraft including the DeHavilland Canada 'Dash 8', the Shorts 330 "Skyvan", the Lockheed Hercules, the British Aerospace Jetstream and parts for the McDonnell-Douglas MD-11. By the mid 1990s, over 60% of the world's production of turboprop nacelles took place in the East Cowes works.
An alliance was formed with Gloster Aircraft in the late 60s/early 70s called Gloster-Saro to utilise both companies' expertise in aluminium forming to produce fire appliances in the Gloster factory at Hucclecote, mostly based on Reynolds-Boughton chassis.
In 1994 Westland was taken over by GKN, and when GKN sold off its shares of Westland to form Agusta-Westland, it retained the East Cowes works, where it continues aircraft component design and production, and more recently manufactures blades for wind turbines.
[edit] Saunders-Roe Designs
[edit] Flying boats
- Saunders Roe Kittiwake
- Saunders Roe A3 Valkerie
- Saunders Roe A4 Medina - 1929.
- Saunders Roe A10 - fighter
- A7 Severn
- A17 Cutty Sark
- A19 Cloud
- A21 Windhover
- A27 London
It should be noted, BMS observes, that Saunders-Roe (Saro) was not formed until 1929 and prior to this (excepting for the Sopwith/Saunders Bat Boat) the products were Saunders, the A4 Medina for example dating from 1926. Details can be found in the hardcover "A Solent Flight" by Ivor J. Hilliker
[edit] Monoplanes
- Saunders Roe A22 Segrave Meteor - Designed by Sir Henry Segrave
- Saunders-Roe A24M (Spartan Cruiser) - Built by Spartan Aircraft Limited - 1932
- Saunders-Roe A24 Mailplane - Designed by Edgar Percival, originally the Saro-Percival Mailplane - 1931
To this list may be added, writes BMS, the 200 mph Saunders A-10 Intercepter (spelt with an e, not an o), a multi-gun biplane fighter started in 1927. Metal-structure, fabric-covered, exhibited at Olympia in 1929 by its makers S.E.Saunders Ltd & first flown in 1928
[edit] Rocket-jet aircraft
[edit] Helicopters
- Skeeter
- P.531
[edit] Hovercraft
- SR-N1 "Saunders Roe Nautical" 1: First modern hovercraft
- SR-N2
- SR-N3
- SR-N4 Large 4 prop ferry
- SR-N5 Also Bell SK-5, PACV used in Vietnam
- SR-N6 Longer SR-N5 38 passengers
[edit] Spacecraft
With the Royal Aircraft Establishment
[edit] Boats
- Built at Beaumaris works
[edit] Hydrofoil
- R-103 - a 17 ton Hydrofoil for Royal Canadian Navy, Known as "Bras d'Or". Built in 1956 by Saunders-Roe (Anglesey)
Ltd.
(This should not be confused with HMCS Bras d'Or (FHE 400), a 240 tonne hydrofoil patrol vessel, which was the result of the tests performed by the R-103)
[edit] Fast Patrol Boat
- "Dark" class of MGB/MTB for the Royal Navy.
[edit] Rescue Boat
- Lifeboats for fitting underneath AvRo (q.v.) 696 Shackleton
maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
[edit] Road Vehicles
- Omnibus bodies were manufactured for installing on Leyland "Leopard" and "Tiger" chassis.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Peter London, Saunders and Saro Aircraft Since 1917, Putnam (Conway Maritime Press), London, 1988
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