Harman Patil (Editor)

Saro Shrimp

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Top speed
  
209 km/h

Length
  
13 m

Retired
  
1949

Manufacturer
  
Saunders-Roe

Wingspan
  
15 m

Introduced
  
1939

First flight
  
October 1939

Saro Shrimp httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Saro shrimp half scale flying prototype


The Saunders Roe A.37 Shrimp was a 1930s British two-seat four-engined experimental flying boat built by Saunders-Roe Limited ("Saro") at Cowes.

Contents

Development

The Shrimp was designed by H Knowler in 1939 as a half-size research aircraft as part of a development programme for the Saunders-Roe S.38 a four-engined patrol flying-boat to Specification R.5/39 - a replacement for the Short Sunderland. The R.5/39 project was cancelled but the Shrimp was completed as a private venture. Registered as G-AFZS, it was first flown at Cowes in October 1939. It was based at Beaumaris, Anglesey where a slipway was built for it. The Ministry of Aircraft Production acquired it in 1944 with the serial TK580 for tests to help the design of the Short Shetland a successor to the R.5/39 project being developed jointly by Saro and Short Brothers. For this its twin rudder tail was swapped for a single fin and the hull was modified to represent that of the Shetland.

The Shrimp was scrapped at Felixstowe in 1949.

Operators

 United Kingdom
  • Air Ministry
  • Saunders Roe

    • Specifications

    Data from Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume 5: Flying Boats

    General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 42 ft 3 1⁄4 in (12.88 m)
  • Wingspan: 50 ft (15.24 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 8 3⁄4 in (3.88 m)
  • Wing area: 340 ft² (31.6 m²)
  • Empty weight: 4,362 lb (1,979 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 5,700 lb (2,586 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 6,200 lb (2,812 kg)
  • Powerplant: 4 × Pobjoy Niagara III radial engine, 95 hp (71 kW) each

    • Performance

  • Maximum speed: 113 knots (130 mph, 209 km/h)
  • Rate of climb: 635 ft/min (3.23 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 16.8 lb/ft² (82 kg/m²)
  • Power/mass: 0.067 hp/lb (0.11 kW/kg)
  • Endurance 3 hours

    • References

    Saro Shrimp Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA