Wet Jets: Sanders Roe SR A/1 and Convair Sea Dart

The Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 was a prototype fighter aircraft tested by the Royal Air Force shortly after World War II. The first prototype flew on July 15, 1947, and while it and its two sisters proved to have good performance and handling, the need for such aircraft had completely evaporated with the end of the war. Furthermore, the success of the aircraft carrier in the Pacific had demonstrated a far more effective way to project airpower over the oceans. In addition, the cockpit canopy was small and heavily framed, giving the pilot a poor view outside the aircraft. The project was finally abandoned in May 1951.

The first prototype, TG263, has been preserved, and is on display at Solent Sky ( previously Southampton Hall of Aviation). Both other aircraft were lost in accidents during the four-year flight test programme.

Although the aircraft never received an official name, it was referred to by company workers as 'Squirt'.

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 50 ft (14.24 m)
Wingspan: 46 ft (14.02 m)
Height: 16 ft 9 in (5.11 m)
Wing area: 415 ft² (38.6 m²)
Empty weight: 11,262 lb (5,108 kg)
Loaded weight: 16,225 lb (7,360 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 19,033 lb (8,633 kg)
Powerplant: 2× Metropolitan-Vickers Beryl MVB.1 turbojets, 6,460 lbf (28.8 kN) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 512 mph (824 km/h)
Range: 1,200 miles (1,920 km)
Rate of climb: 5,800 ft per minute (1,768 m/min)
Wing loading: 39 lb/ft² (190 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.40
Endurance: 2 hrs 24 min
Armament
4x 20 mm Hispano Mk 5
2x 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs or
16x 120 lb (55 kg) rockets


The Sea Dart began as Convair's entry to a 1948 Navy contest for a supersonic interceptor aircraft. There was at the time much skepticism about operating supersonic aircraft from aircraft carrier decks, which explains why the U.S. Navy ordered so many subsonic fighters at that time. The worry had some foundation, since many supersonic designs of the time required long takeoff rolls and had high approach speeds, and were not very stable or easy to control - all factors that were troublesome on a carrier.

Convair's proposal gained an order for two prototypes in late 1951. The aircraft was to be a delta-winged fighter with a watertight hull with twin retractable hydro-skis for takeoff and landing. When stationary or moving slowly in the water, the Sea Dart floated with the trailing edge of the wings touching the water. The skis were not extended until the aircraft reached about 10 mph (16 km/h) during its takeoff run.

Twelve production aircraft were ordered before a prototype had even flown. No armament was ever fitted to any Sea Dart built, but the plan was to arm the production aircraft with four 20 mm cannon and a battery of folding-fin unguided rockets. Four of this order were redesignated as service test vehicles, and an additional eight production aircraft were soon ordered as well.

Power was to be a pair of afterburning Westinghouse XJ46-WE-02 turbojets, fed from intakes mounted high above the wings to avoid ingesting spray. These engines were not ready for the prototypes and twin Westinghouse J34-WE-32 engines of just over half the power were installed. The second prototype was cancelled, so the first service test aircraft was next to build and fly. This one was fitted with the J46 engines, which performed below specification. However, speeds in excess of Mach 1 were attained in a shallow dive with this aircraft, making it the only supersonic seaplane to date. This aircraft disintegrated in mid-air during a demonstration to Navy officials and the press, killing Convair test pilot, Charles E. Richbourg.



General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 52 ft 7 in (16 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft 8 in (10.3 m)
Height: 16 ft 2 in (4.9 m)
Wing area: 568 ft² (53 m²)
Empty weight: 12,625 lb (5,730 kg)
Loaded weight: 16,500 lb (7,480 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 21,500 lb (9,750 kg)
Powerplant: 2× Westinghouse J46-WE-2 {testbed: J43-WE-32 w/ 3,400 lbf each.[3]} turbojets, 6,100.[4] lbf (27 kN) each
Performance (estimated[5])
Maximum speed: 825 mph (1,325 km/h)
Range: 513 mi (446 nm, 826 km)
Service ceiling: 54,800 ft (16,700 m)
Rate of climb: 17,100 ft/min (86.7 m/s)
Wing loading: 29.0 lb/ft² (142 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 1.45
Armament (planned)
Guns: 4× 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon
Rockets: Unguided rockets
Missiles: 2× air-to-air missiles, or

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Sanders
• Roe
• SR
• A/1
• convair
• sea
• dart
• jet
• flying
• boat
• plane
• aviation
• history

[DartDakota]

I remember building a (Revell, Aurora?) plastic kit of the Sea Dart when I was a kid. I reasoned that it always had to be moving on the water, if it stopped, it sank. Was I right?

[Bomberguy]

It would float, but you wouldn't want to make any waves!

[linearskater]

I seem to recall seeing a saunders roe @ Duxford once, is it still there? or am I mixing it up with something else?

[Bomberguy]

It's at the Solent Sky museum in Southhampton

[smurfswacker]

When I was in high school (late 1960s) one of the Sea Darts had been sitting on display for many years at the Sand Point Naval Air Station in Seattle. Wonder what ever happened to it.

[Bomberguy]

There is one at the San Diego Air and Space museum, maybe the same one?

[sablatnic]

@MissDaProach

The struts rotate 90 and the floats rotate 180 degrees. It is done to put the draggy underside of the floats inside the wing.

[MrLesweston]

The SR A1 is beautiful. Saunders-Roe built so many wonderful creations that never got into service, it's a shame really. Along with Shorts they'll go down in history as the manufacturors that were forgotten by the MoD and general Government. Shame :/

[RJWAbrams]

Thanks Bomberguy, the SR A/1 has fascinated me since I saw the survivor at Southampton last year. I spent over half an hour mesmerised by the sheer quality of construction of the airframe and hull. It was an extraordinary era of innovation and experimentation, combined with a highly skilled and practical workforce who could translate drawings into engineering reality.

I'd not been aware of the Convair Sea Dart. That was also a mighty impressive effort by a very innovative planemaker.

[mojofuel62]

@Bomberguy The one in San Diego has been there from as far back as the mid sixties. I've photos of it dating from that year in San Diego.

[MissDaProach]

Not a big deal, but at 2:00 he says the wing tip floats rotated 180 degrees. I think he meant 90 degrees.

[GerbilEssences]

@jacktheripped Yes you are correct, I forgot about him, as did most of the history books ;) Apparently the telephone was invented independantly (and accidentally) by an Italian living in the US, before Mr. Bell decided to put his invention to commercial use.

[jacktheripped]

@GerbilEssences Philo T. Farnsworth, An Idaho native, invented the television.

Now, as to weither he was of Scottish desent I don't know :)

[G777GUN]

@Sqdrn1

Do you think a similar idea can be somwat added to the Tornado jet? Sea Tornado or Vortex. Sounds crazy but i believe it would work.

[GerbilEssences]

The Scots are actually responsible for a very large chunk of British inventions: TV, Telephones, Radar etc.

[nealshireman]

5 stars