 The Saunders Roe (SARO) SR45 "Princess" flying boat was designed, resourced and built by this multi-achieving company by the side of the river Medina, in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. It was intended to fulfil the role as a cross-Atlantic and long-range Flying Boat for passengers, freight and Airmail and was the largest all-metal flying boat ever built.Only three aircraft were built but only one, G-ALUN ever flew, the others - G-ALUO and G-ALUP - were never engined. The aircraft was to use ten of the Bristol Proteus turbine engines and featured a pressurized hull, a first in this type of aircraft. The Princess could be considered as being at the forefront of technical achievement in its day but it never entered into commercial service, the post-war airline industry preferring land-based aircraft.  Alternative military and commercial customers were sought but never came to fruition. The un-engined aircraft were transferred to Calshot and cocooned in the hope of future customers and different powerplants; G-ALUN was cocooned in West Cowes overlooked by its birthplace.Both aircraft at Calshot were broken up during the mid sixties and G-ALUN was towed to Woolston and after a short respite by being used as an office and workshop, finally broken up in the late sixties. Some artefacts remain and some can be seen at the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton. |
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