Saunders-Roe Princess Flying Boats

Britains other white elephant the Princess Flying Boat, another remarkable achievement with no economic use. Collected in newsreels from the 40's and 50's

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  Entertainment

[InfiniteMushroom]

Another outrageous example of Britain destroying its great legacy for the sake of its corrupt financial architecture. These magnificent flying boats should have been purchased by the Royal Navy or bartered to former Crown colonies like Canada or Australia for valuable commodities. It is a moral crime to scrap the labors of skilled workers and destroy a national legacy of industrial expertise to satisfy the petty dictates of the Exchequer.

[johnrcha]

I was an apprentice engineer at Saunders Roe and was involved in the construction of the Princess and saw her fly.Still think she or rather modern flying boats could have their place in aviation today.

[peckerwood57]

I've always wanted to fly in a flying boat. Surely there was someplace that could use them., though the maintenance would be extreme.

[blaster915]

If I'm a billionaire, or have a dedicated mechanics crew, I ask you how much would it be to build one of these now adays? (With amphibious construction obviously...)

[tacfoley]

I agree totally. Have a look at the Port Alberni-based Martin Mars fire-bomber to see how these great airplanes could usefully be employed.

tac

Ottawa Valley GRS

[Kevin Smith]

You wouldn't mind these politicians if they would "in fact" reduce their decision making to "dollars and cents", Instead you get nothing, neither fish nor fowel, just a desperate dash for illusory gains that get us nowhere. Neither fiscal stability or simple pride in a countries own handiwork. But, it's been like that since day one. > : )) Happy new Year!!

[jpatt1000]

The fuselage makes me thing of a KC-97 if it were a flying boat.

[DragonLion13]

It was more a matter of both. Jets coming of age, and large air strips left over from WW2 making cheaper land planes (such as the Connie and DC-7) a lot more useful for getting into places the flying boats couldn't, doomed them.

[einherje71]

Over 100 passengers? Whow. Thats a lot. So sad that nobody bought them.

[6packdan]

Oh yea...the comet. The plane that kept falling out of the sky and killing people.

[TykeLad101]

it was the jet age which doomed her, the Short Empire was one of the most successful aircraft of the entire planes of the 30s

the arrivals of jets killed the Flying Boats

[hilllbilllyjoe]

haha, I love how it progresses from "the worlds largest flying boat" to "the worlds largest tactical passenger carrying flying boat"