A flying boat powered by jets? Saunders-Roe SR.A/1

I have tendency to come across some quite weird and wacky aircraft designs. The focus of this video is no different. The Saunders Roe SR.A/1 was an experimental jet powered flying boat fighter. Design on the type began in 1943, and by mid 1944 a contract for three prototypes had been issued by the Air Ministry. It was designed specifically for the Pacific theatre of war and was to be powered by turbojets, at the time a new and emerging technology. However, the project was never a top priority and coupled with the end of the Second World War in 1945 meant that the first prototype didn't take to the air until mid 1947. By the end of 1948 all three prototypes had taken to the skies, however in 1949 two would be lost, one involving the death of its pilot. Shortly after the program was shelved, and although there was renewed interest in the project with the outbreak of the Korean War, by 1951 the project was discontinued. The sole remaining prototype however was preserved and now resides on display at the Solent Sky Museum.
Links:
Solent Sky Museum: www.solentsky.org/
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Sources:
Books:
Wings on my sleeve by Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown
Websites:
Aviastar: www.aviastar.org/air/england/s...
Hot cars: www.hotcars.com/saunders-roe-...
Military Factory: www.militaryfactory.com/aircr...
New Forest Knowledge: nfknowledge.org/contributions...
Solent Sky Museum: www.solentsky.org/post/our-ex...
#aviation #aviationhistory #ww2aircraft #seaplanes #fighterjet #prototype #ww2 #ww2aircraft #history #britishhistory
0:00 - 1:33 - Background
1:33 - 3:04 - Design
3:04 - 4:23 - Prototypes
4:23 - 5:39 - setbacks
5:39 - 6:35 - The end of the program
6:35 - 6:48 - Final flight
6:48 - 7:22 - Survivor and Conclusion

[@sergeipohkerova7211]

It looks like the kind of make-believe vehicle that would be in a James Bond movie, where Bond is about to confront the main antagonist during the first third of the movie, but the villain (I imagine he'd be called Doomsday or The Archduke) escapes via seaplane fighter jet. Then the climactic scene takes place on a city-sized Zeppelin.

[@user-do5zk6jh1k]

Captain America

[@pickeljarsforhillary102]

Sky Captain

[@AntiqueAirshow]

I hadn't thought of that, but very much agree. It would fit in perfectly. 👍✈️

[@lancerevell5979]

That's a movie I'd like to watch! 👍 And.... Bring back "Pussy Galore" for the bad guy's personal pilot.

[@lanky2610]

My grandad worked for Saunders-Roe at the time, and he did test fly the SRA-1. He liked it, but he told me that there was an incident with the wing floats when he flew it. I think he said that one of them failed to drop as he was coming in to land, so as he landed he had to rush out of the cockpit and sit on the wing with the dropped float to keep it balanced until he was picked up by the shore team. He left to work for Armstrong Whitworth as he had a falling out with Geoffrey Tyson, he always was very blunt in his opinions!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is really interesting to read. Would have been quite the experience, and no doubt a bit hair raising. Thanks for sharing 👍✈️

[@jimramsey8887]

Excellent Video! Thanks! I remember seeing this flying around from Dovercourt Bay, across the river Orwell from the then RAF Felixstowe a Sunderland Coastal Command Station. It was like a spaceship at the time for a 9 year old aviation enthusiast.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️ That would have been a very cool sight to have seen growing up.

[@Cuccos19]

I saw it in the Solent Sky Museum, Southampton. Impressive huge airplane!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That would have been great to see. It looks a very big aircraft

[@mikepowell2776]

The first prototype is the one in Solent Sky museum. It is a big aircraft. Incidentally, back then SBAC stood for Society of British Aircraft Constructors. The name was changed around the end of the 1960s I believe. Also, a 9 degree course alteration would make it ‘divergent from’ rather than’ ‘parallel to.’ Interesting video, though on a type which logically was almost completely unnecessary.

[@brettcoster4781]

Love this video, well done. A very short-lived aircraft which couldn't find a role, but looked so sweet anyway.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you. Indeed, it is a very nice-looking aircraft. There is some great footage of it flying inverted on the internet.

[@davidrobertson5700]

What a beautiful aircraft, I want a model of one

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Very much agree. A good video out there of it flying inverted

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Metro-Vickers's design team moved to Armstrong Siddeley after Mero-Vickers sold their jet engine section to this company. There they developed the F.2 series of engines into the Sapphire. A development of the F.2, the F.3, was also the first British turbofan jet engine. Fro this later engine they developed the F.5 with an unducted fan.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

👍✈️

[@matthewmoore5698]

The sea plane had had its day , but what a good looking plane!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Very much agree. 👍✈️

[@richard63]

I don't care if it doesn't have a use . I want one !

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Same here. It is a great looking aircraft

[@jamiebray8532]

That's a really big girl for a fighter. Comparing the canopy to the fuselage. With that said, it is a pretty good looking aircraft. I could see them flying around in the Korean War painted black & white like an Orca. Calling them the Killer Whale Squadron.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It is quite big, much bigger than most fighters. I agree, a very pretty aircraft. That's a very cool idea and would have been interesting to see. 👍✈️

[@strontiumstargazer103]

You can see this aeroplane at Southampton’s Solent Air Museum. A super museum crammed with aircraft. Its shorts Sunderland sticks out of the shed it inhabits. Knowledgeable staff too.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Sounds a very interesting museum. Would love to visit sometime 👍✈️

[@pauldonnelly7949]

Great vid! In Eric Brown's autobiography, he describes being able to access the interior of the fuse and it being like an "engine room" with engines and weapons accessible from inside, certainly unique for a fighter!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️ That sounds like quite an interesting interior to the aircraft. It is interesting reading his thoughts about flying the type and what happened when he tried to land.

[@keithtarrier4558]

Excellent!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you👍✈️

[@stephenwarhurst6615]

The Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 always looks like the result if P-59 Airacomet and Gloster Meteor got drunk and had a baby

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yeah I can see that

[@ianbell5611]

Thank you. Another Great video. Nice looking aircraft

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️ Indeed it is

[@matthewmoore5698]

A fair bit of experience! Understat of the age

[@chriskortan1530]

Good video, you're starting to rival Rex and Ed Nash! I hadn't realized there was a predecessor to Convair's Sea Dart.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thanks👍✈️ Bit by bit the channel grows. I get a lot of enjoyment out of making these videos though. Now the Convair Sea Dart is one interesting aircraft

[@sarcasmo57]

It looks rad.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It sure does 👍✈️

[@laszlokaestner5766]

I live on the Isle of Wight (White) just a couple of miles from where this was built. I knew some of the old boys who worked on it and they were very proud not only of the SR.A/1 but of many of their achievements such as the Princess flying boat (think 747 but on water!). Sadly many of their greatest engineering feats were also technological dead ends. The SR.A/1 was the answer to a question nobody was asking. I still think it looks amazing and it is one of my favourite aircraft. A real "what could have been", Saunders Roe pulled off the near impossible with this one, it worked more or less out of the box and could have been a real asset during Korea or WWII if it had lasted longer, but alas Carriers were already a thing. The building you can see in the background is the Columbine Yard. it sports the largest Union Jack in the world as is the birthplace of many of Britain's technological achievements. Not only the SR.A/1 and Princess but also the worlds first hovercraft and indeed the later massive cross channel hovercraft (also called Princesses) and also the Black Arrow rocket being produced there. These days it is used to build aluminium ships that are exported worldwide with perhaps best known being the latest Thames Clippers and the most recent Red Jet Isle of Wight ferries. Although the building has concrete foundations and a concrete floor throughout you can still feel the tide come and go and indeed the floor move as I can attest myself.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is really fascinating and interesting. The Princess Flying boat is one big aircraft, quite impressive. As you said though it was made at time when flying boats where not the answer. In terms of the SR.A/1 by what I've read it was also quite maneuverable especially for a seaplane. There is a good video on KZbin showing it fly inverted. A lovely looking aircraft indeed. That is quite interesting, and good to hear that it is still utilized today. That would be quite a strange feeling to feel the tide go in and out. 👍✈️

[@davidkermes376]

be careful when talking about dead ends and answers to unasked questions. lockheed is working on a floatplane version of the c-130 hercules for use on pacific islands should china start getting more aggressive about sea power.

[@TheMDJ2000]

Beautiful aircraft, even if slightly odd.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Agree, indeed it is

[@unclenogbad1509]

Fascinating concept aircraft (which I confess I'd never heard of). Good lines, and looks like it would have flown pretty well had they been able to develop it fully. Hope someone salvages that lost prototype one day. Thanks for the vid.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It is quite fascinating. I also knew nothing about this aircraft either, until I stumbled across a somewhat random Instagram post about it and a week or two later I had this finished. It is quite a pretty aircraft. There is a good video of one of the prototypes flying inverted. Quite interesting to watch. It would be good if it was salvaged. 👍✈️

[@unclenogbad1509]

@@AntiqueAirshow Thanks again. I admit to being an aviation buff, but for me the real interest is in the side projects and almost-weres that show up the development of aviation, rather than the well-known marques that have been done to D by aviation channels. Keep doing what you're doing. Subbed, btw.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@unclenogbad1509 I'm the same. I love exploring the lesser known designs or the cool one offs. Thanks, plenty more videos on the way, and thanks for the sub👍✈

[@unclenogbad1509]

@@AntiqueAirshow Welcome.

[@williamcarrington61]

I'm sure l had this aircraft amongst my ciggie cards in the 1950's.

[@McbrideStudios]

Pretty cool video and an interesting plane I have never heard before. Delivary was a bit stiff but practice makes perfect!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thanks and thanks for the feedback. Yeah I agree, it wasn't my best. But as you say practice makes perfect 👍✈️

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, Ah, point of order, a Seaplane IS a Floatplane..., ie an Aeroplane standing up on Floats atop a forest of drag-inducing Struttery...; whereas a Flying-Boat has it's Fuselage built as strongly and heavily as an ocean going Boat's Hull, and thus only needs Wingtip Floats, or Outrigger Pontoons either side of the Hull - so, less Struttery is involved. Essentially, Seaplanes are analogous with Elbarsoles, and Flying-Boats are virtual Arselbows...; in the sense that it's easy to design an Elbow and it's straightforward to design an Arsehole - but trying to make an Elbow which can also function as an Arsehole - or an Arsehole that works tolerably well as an Elbow INVARIABLY results in something which almost works as both but is actually rather horrible at doing either task..., as compared to single-purpose specialised items for each job. The thing is that on the Water a Flying-Boat/Seaplane behaves as a truly VILE Sailing-Vessel - one which is totally incapable of trimming, adjusting or furling ANY of it's "Sails"..., yet being covered in huge Aerofoils, and having a Stepped Hull, probably a retractable Water-Rudder but no Keel or Centreboard... And meanwhile, as Aeroplanes they're woefully handicapped by having to be built sufficiently strongly as to be able to bounce off the Ocean when dropped into the trough between two waves, from 10 ft up in the air - while travelling two or three times faster than most consumer-grade Speedboats. Therefore, thus, and because..., Flying-Boats and Seaplanes are ALWAYS going to require 30 to 100% more Power to carry the same load at the same speed, burning more fuel - and using enormous amounts of Distance to become airborne or alight....; as compared to a Landplane lofting the same payload. Meanwhile, any time anybody buggars up an Alighting, on Water, they're bloody lucky if they don't drown while still unconsciously strapped into their Seats. And, also meanwhile, Salty Water is really good at corroding the sort of dissimilar Metals employed by Aeroplane Designers for Structures, Skins, and Rivets...; so everything under the Cowling/s is often painted with Cod-Liver Oil to preserve it from corrosion - meaning that the things smell like something which a Dog delights in rolling in, behind the Sand-Dunes where the Fisher-folk throw the heads and guts...(!). Putting a pair of Turbojets in a Flying-Boat Hull and fantasising that it would function a Fighter-'Plane, with which to pursue and chastise the King's Enemies in thymes of Waaauuughhh(!) was always an extremely silly concept... The SRA-1, in my view is an attempt at an Elbarseyeball - a Sailing-Boat which flies up into the Sky on the power of a pair of gutless Zero-Bypass Ratio (horribly inefficient) pure Turbojets... An absolutely CLASSIC example of British Engineering Buffoonery at it's very finest...; possibly the greatest remaining wonder is that they didn't stick with the tried and trusted Biplane layout with which the Walrus and Seagull had successfully (suck cess fully...!) survived WW-2...! Surely, they could've grafted a pair of Jet-Pods off a Meteor onto a Walrus..., and possibly resurrected the infamous COW-Gun, with which Pemberton-Billing was planning to revolutionise Nightfighting. If they'd only TRIED just(ifiably ?) a little bit harder - they could have made the SRA-1 quite a lot funnier ; despite it's actual hilariousness to behold, as a concept. Biggles would have loved a Turbojet Biplane Flying-Boat Fighter...; with a Squadron of such things, maybe Britain's Empire could've Bin-Preserved for another decade, perhaps - before it's inevitable collapse...? (lol...!). Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Ahh yes thank you for that pick up. When writing the "script" for this video I struggled to get a nice flow going. I found it a lot more difficult than it should have been. I distinctly remembering getting confused and slightly jumbled up when trying to find the opposite of a floatplane. I went blank on flying boat and thought seaplane would work as alright substitute. Oh well such it goes. It is an interesting concept the seaplane. Perhaps one that is best left for the most part in the past. Water and aircraft in general are not a good mix. 👍✈️

[@WarblesOnALot]

@@AntiqueAirshow No worries mate. Yeah the only arena in which Aeroplanes and Water really seem to be mixing well is Aerial Firefighting. A Boeing 737 Large Air Tanker costs $20,000,000 to Convert from an Airliner, it carries 13 Tons, and can drop once per Hour or two depending on Ferry-Time and Groundcrew Efficiency... An Air Tractor 803 on Wheels lifts 3 Tons, on Amphibious Floats they lift 2 Tons - same as a Huey, but with 180 Knots Ferry-Speed, and 5 Minute Sortie-Time... So in an Hour an AT-803 F(ireboss) can drop 24 Tons, working from a Lake, River, or Harbour within 20 or 30 Miles - refilling at 70 Knots at 4 ft above the Water-Source on a Scoop and Go. And a Fireboss costs $2,000000 each, to buy. DeHavilland Canada's Twin Turboprop Aerial Firefighting Flying Boat is $34,000,000 to lift 8 Tons but ONLY flies off Water. A Squirrel or Jetranger has a 500 Litre Bucket, Longranger 2 Tons, Blackhawk 3 Tons, and a Chinnook 9 Tons... My son the NSW RFS Group Officer has had a go at Night Firefighting with a Chinnook under his Orders..., and he tells me that NSW has 9 Fire-Boss Air Tractors on Floats as of today, they have a Blackhawk, they have a B-737 LAT...; they're BUYING their own Chinnook, and my son is authoritatively suggesting that the LAT be sold and a FLEET of 30 or so much more EFFECTIVE and EFFICIENT and versatile Fire-Bosses be acquired, as well. He's a bit of a Child Prodigy of a Firie, actually, I started him Night Firefighting in 1994 when he was 5, at 13 he wangled his way, as a Junior Member, onto a Section-44 Campaign Airbase & put in a few hours loading Retardant beside me (!) {wildly illegal !!!), and at 17 he was the youngest Deputy Captain (elected by the Brigade - at the RFS Commissioner's "suggestion" to the Brigade's AGM (!). At 24 they gave him a Red Hat and a 2-Tanker Brigade, plus a slot on the first local Remote Area Firefighting Team, at 30 he drove over a burning Wooden Bridge to reach Wytaliba while it was being burnt over - 60 houses out of 100 destroyed, 70 Civilians burnt a bit, 2 hospitalised for Skin Grafts, 2 others died..., and Matthew extinguished the burning Fire Station (to be rebuilt for $300,000 - rather than a $3million replacement !), helped defend the Community House against the Burnover, then hd and his crew got around in front of the Fire and saved a Dwelling House... The highpoint of 49 Shifts of 12 Hours Firefighting he put in that season (!). As Pennance, at 31 they made him Group Officer, with 6 Brigades, a Command Car full of Radios, and he RUNS the local RAFT... As high as a Volunteer Firie can go ! So DaddyWarbles is immensely proud, and has access to lots of interesting Firefighting minutiae to ponder. For instance, did you hear that the reason the Crookwell-Hill End Fires blacked out a big chunk of the Grid a week ago.. ; was that a RFS Blackhawk pulled it's 3 Ton Bucket THROUGH a High Tension Gonductor and ripped out about 2 KILOMETRES of Wires out of the Grid... But the Blackhawk "failed to crash" - so therefore NUSSINK ! Made the news.... !!! Having Kids is REALLY Satisfying... When one puts in the Effort required to assist one's Offspring to grow up to become a Functional Adult, who stops shit from getting worse, And consistently works to Make Stuff Work BETTER...! So, today he took me to the Coast and back, and Daddywarbles got to debrief him on how SCARY was This Season's Fire Behaviour - and what we can TRY To do, before Winter is over & El Nino comes back to Cook Oz... And all of Us Within... So.... Who Knew ? Amphibious Crop-Dusters Make the BEST Aerial Firefighters - Of all the available Kerosene-Burners So There is indeed, A "Killer-Application" Still, in 2023... For Aeronautical Arselbows and Elbarsoles... And the Russians have a Twin High Bypass-ratio Turbofan Flying-Boat Firebomber...; so there is even an actual Aeronautical ElBarsEyeball, still struggling Out there ; Looking for a Market.... And, if that Jet Flying-Boat Firebomber Were to be Modified (Muddificatered...!) To become AMPHIBIOUS... Then, As a veritable "Twin Jet FireBoss..." That might become the next World-Beating Aerial Firefighter...(?) ! Large Air Tankers Currently appear To be A FAILURE, Hereinat...; Within Australia...! (How very..., Churchkillian... Was that ; Eh, what...!?). Because an Aeroplane designed to cruise fuel-efficienty, shuttling Citybred Consumers across the Atlantic...; turns out to be an absolutely USELESS (Except for generating AeroTechnoPorn images of huge Jet Hairygoplanes dumping Red Shit Across the Landscape... While Low Slow Heavily-loaded In Mechanical Turbulence & Wind-Shear & Oropraphic Downdrafts (Topographic Rotors).... It turns out that a Boeing 737 Does NOT Handle at all well... Compared to a FLEET of 2 or 3 dozen Purpose-designed Crop-Dusters on Amphibious Floats modified for Aerial Firefighting FOR THE SAME MONEY.... Coulsons may be invited to buy the NSW RFS' LAT, to replace the one they pranged in South Oz last December..., apparently as mindlessly as the splatted the Herculese which flew from Sydney to Cooma - where it crashed after flying into a Rotor which ANY halfway-competant Hang Glider Pilot would see and avoid and warn against ; in Weather which they were UNAWARE that both the previous LAT Crew, and their Air-Attack Controller, had both refused to try to fly back into....(!). (Btw...as yet, CASA has yet to release the mandatory Initial Crash Analysis at 30 Days post-Prang...{!}...). If you feel like surfing a Rising Wave...(?), Make a Video About Air Tractors. If you look in either my "Personal Aeroplanology..." or "Solo Hazard Reduction Burn Program..." Playlists, Therein you will find Videos from my Headcamera while setting up an AirBase in a Section -44 ("Statewide Bushfire Emergency") when I noticed, and Duct-Tape Repaired (!) a Structural Skin-Failure on the Right Lower Auxilliary Tailfin (retrofitted when Radials were replaced by lighter Turboprops - 6 ft further forward, neccessitating addititional extra depth of Tailfeathers..., to maintain Yaw-Stability..., Y'see ?) Because the Skin-Damage could dramatically worsen with increasing Airspeed, I had the machine grounded and taped it back together - waited to show the other AT-802 Pilot (who was a LAME) the Video of the Damage and my Repair - which he authorised to fly the rest of the day's Missions, saving several Houses as it did (!). Because the Skin-damage I fixed was to a previous Repair, I passed it all on to CASA... Within a year CASA got a Freedom Of Information Request Which they had to inform me could not Be refused... And last time I watched an Air Tractor Video..., it appears that those Auxilliary Tailfins have been Relocated, outboard, Spanwise on the Stabilisor... As I had suggested To CASA. To prevent the Wheels from Repeatedly Stoning Sheetmetal off the Auxilliary Tailfins..., When 3-Pointing, and stalling, Landing Onto Gravel Airstrips... So..., Apparently..., even my wildest Jury-Rigged Emergency Duct-Taped Airframe Repairs, have had Vindication From "On High..." (!). So I feel rather "Paternal"... About the new little Amphibious AT-802 Fire BOSSES... Because when I Reached up, and Tweaked their Design Via a CitiZen's Snailmail to CASA, Referring them to a KZbin Video shot on a Potato..... AirTractor Modificatered Their Hairygoplanes... In light of Proffered Input from My humble little olde Self...(!). Such is life, Have a good one.... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@WarblesOnALot What your son has achieved is quite amazing and you have every reason to be very proud. It is quite remarkable. The work the volunteer firefighters do is indeed very important and significant. Aerial firefighting is very interesting. It makes a lot of sense why a 737 would struggle at such a task, while amphibious crop-dusters work so well. In a way you need somewhat dedicated designed firefighting aircraft. Its requirements are quite different to that of a normal aircraft. I'll have to check those videos out, seems very interesting. Sometimes the best fixes are those that are simple, do the job and not overly engineered. Well done on your repairs.👍✈

[@WarblesOnALot]

@@AntiqueAirshow Thanks mate ! Yes, Warbledaddy is immensely proud of how the offspring have turned out... I didn't try to teach them what to think..., so much as how to go about thinking stuff through so as to identify - and avoid the Bullshit Ideas...; which are out there, lurking, ready to ambush the unwary... And, yeah, Aerial Firefighting will be a big part of trying to deal with next Spring ; as long as the Boatloads of refined Fuels continue to arrive - and as long as the Ports can unload them and distribute the Magic Motion Lotion. Failing that, then apparently lots of Shit goes all Apocalyptical ; as far as I can make out... And, yeah - as long as the Airflow is pushing the Tape in place, and providing the Tape aligns with the Airflow, and there is as much Tape on both sides of the Leading-Edge - then it can hold torn Sheetmetal Skin in place on the Airframe... Back in about 1984 some nutter built a FAR Part 103 "Ultralight" from Beer-Can guage Aluminium..., and it was too thin to use Rivets ; so he designed and built a stressed-skin Cantilever Wing with Ribs on Tubular Spars, more Aluminium Tubes for Compression-Struts between the Spars, and a Semi-Monocoque Fuselage... And ALL his Aluminium Sheetmetalwork was joined using 3-M Double-Sided Tape... I read an Article in a US Magazine featuring it..., he went to a lot of trouble with Surface Preparation... I figured that if a his whole Airframe held together with Sticky-Tape could cope with a 2-Stroke's Vibration, and there were photo's of him airborne in it ; then Duct Tape could certainly stick a Patch back onto a Turboprop-powered Air-Tractor ! Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@WarblesOnALot 👍. yes, it seems that it may been important, but fingers crossed it isn't too bad. That is very interesting and quite fascinating. That takes a brave man to fly a machine put together with tape. But if it works, it works I guess. 👍✈

[@cathylarkins9949]

My Dad first flew seaplanes during WWII…then he moved onto bombers B-19’s…he said they called those “widow makers”….

[@wbertie2604]

He might have meant B-26 as the B-19 was an experimental design only. The B-26 (not to be confused with the A-26 which was later renamed B-26) had many nicknames including widow maker.

[@jean-francoislemieux5509]

so theres a prototype still in the river?

[@AntiqueAirshow]

As far as I can gather yes it should still be there. Somewhere near Cowes in the Solent. Also I should correct myself. It crashed in a strait not a river

[@chrismccartney8668]

Is it still in the River where ??

[@JohnyG29]

There is no River Where.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

As far as I am aware the wreck of the second prototype was never recovered, so I would presume it is where it crashed. I'm not sure exactly where it crashed, however it was on the Solent not far from Cowes. I'm sure some deep diving on the internet would be able to provide some more details.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

What does 9 degrees parallel mean? Do you mean that he had to land on a heading g that was 9 degrees different to what he took off on?

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It's a little hard to hear, but it is meant to be 90 degrees instead of 9 degrees. That is, he had to land on a heading 90 degrees to that he had taken off from. I've also now realized that "90 degree parallel" doesn't make sense either. Should have just left out "parallel". Sorry for any confusion and thanks for the pick up

[@wbertie2604]

​@@AntiqueAirshow perpendicular is the word you want.

[@lostinpa-dadenduro7555]

I want one.

[@klaus-peterborn1370]

Interesting looking plane, but why the turbines so near to the bottom and not on the back? Must be a big problem that it sucks water.

[@monza1002000]

The front of the aircraft was designed to avoid water entering the engines. If you look from the side the "hull" starts a long way back from the air intake

[@kevanhubbard9673]

Looks like you would end up with water going into the engine.I don't what happens if water gets sucked into a jet but it's unlikely to be good for the engine!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It does, but it seems quite a bit of design work went into the design of aircraft to limit it. No it would not be good at all

[@JohnyG29]

Btw Isle of Wight is pronounced Isle of White.