Saunders-Roe
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History
Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aircraft manufacturing company based in East Cowes, Isle of Wight.
The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe (see Avro) and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat- and aircraft-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.
In the 1950s Saunders-Roe were manufacturing the Skeeter helicopter, and in 1959 they demonstrated the first practical hovercraft. In the same year Saro was taken over by Westland who continued the Skeeter family with the Scout & Wasp, and in 1956 the hovercraft business merged with Vickers Supermarine to form the British Hovercraft Corporation.
Saunders-Roe Designs
Flying Boats
- A7 Severn
- A17 Cutty Sark
- A19 Cloud
- A21 Windhover
- A27 London
- A29 Cloud
- A33
- A36 Lerwick
- A37 Shrimp
- SR.A/1
- SR45 Princess
Rocket-jet aircraft
Helicopters
Hovercraft
External links
- Hovercraft of Saunders-Roe, Westlands, and BHC (http://members.lycos.co.uk/bartieshover/saunders.htm)
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