Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 Shrimp

Saunders-Roe · United Kingdom · first flew 1947 · fighter

The Saunders-Roe SR.A/1, known informally as the Shrimp, was the world's first jet-powered flying boat fighter, designed to operate from water without the need for airfields in the Pacific theatre. Three prototypes were built and flight tested.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.18 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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World's first jet-powered flying boat fighter
Jet inlets at wing roots feeding buried engines
Flying boat hull with mid-mounted straight wings

A compact flying boat with a flat-bottomed planing hull, mid-mounted straight wings, and jet air intakes at the wing roots feeding two buried Metrovick Beryl turbojets; retractable wingtip floats are a distinctive recognition feature.

Specifications

The Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 Shrimp has a length of 13.18 m (43 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.24 m (50 ft).
Its maximum speed is 822 km/h (511 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Conceived during World War II for operations across the Pacific, the SR.A/1 first flew in July 1947 but arrived too late for the war it was designed for. Three aircraft were built; two were lost in accidents and the programme was cancelled as land-based jets proved more practical. It remains a unique achievement as the sole jet flying boat fighter to fly.

Variants

Three prototypes (TG263, TG267, TG271); no production variant.

Where you'll see it

Never entered service; used for evaluation and test flying only.

Related aircraft

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