HOME | DD

Description

The Saunders-Roe Princess was a British flying boat aircraft designed and built by Saunders-Roe at their facility on the Isle of Wight. It has the distinction of being the largest all-metal flying boat to have ever been constructed. The Princess had been developed to serve as a larger and more luxurious successor to the pre-war commercial flying boats, like the Short Empire. It was intended to serve the transatlantic route, carrying up to 100 passengers between Southampton and New York City in luxurious conditions.

Work on the Princess was canceled after having produced three examples, only one of which flew. By the mid-1950s, large commercial flying boats were being overshadowed by land-based jet airliners. Factors like runway and airport improvements had added to the viability of land-based aircraft, which did not have to compromise to accommodate the additional weight and drag of the boat hulls that were necessary on seaplanes.

Description

The Saunders-Roe Princess was a British flying boat aircraft designed and built by Saunders-Roe at their facility on the Isle of Wight. It has the distinction of being the largest all-metal flying boat to have ever been constructed. The Princess had been developed to serve as a larger and more luxurious successor to the pre-war commercial flying boats, like the Short Empire. It was intended to serve the transatlantic route, carrying up to 100 passengers between Southampton and New York City in luxurious conditions.

Work on the Princess was canceled after having produced three examples, only one of which flew. By the mid-1950s, large commercial flying boats were being overshadowed by land-based jet airliners. Factors like runway and airport improvements had added to the viability of land-based aircraft, which did not have to compromise to accommodate the additional weight and drag of the boat hulls that were necessary on seaplanes.