# Saro Windhover

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1930s flying boat

A.21 Windhover Saunders-Roe Windhover VH-UPB at Launceston, Tasmania General information Type Amphibian Manufacturer Saunders Roe Number built 2[1] History First flight 16 October 1930[1]

The **Saro A.21 Windhover** was a British [amphibious aircraft](/source/Amphibious_aircraft) from the period between [World War I](/source/World_War_I) and [World War II](/source/World_War_II), constructed by [Saunders-Roe](/source/Saunders-Roe), or *Saro*. It was originally advertised as the A.19 [Thermopylae](/source/Thermopylae_(clipper)) after the famous [clipper ship](/source/Clipper_ship), being an enlarged version of the [Saro Cutty Sark](/source/Saro_Cutty_Sark).[1]

## Development

When tests to improve the power of the Saro A.17 Cutty Sark by adding a third [de Havilland Gipsy](/source/De_Havilland_Gipsy) II [engine](/source/Piston_engine) proved impractical (due to the additional weight on the small airframe), Saro designed a larger aircraft on similar lines that could indeed carry three Gipsy II engines. Although a technically successful aircraft and nearly viceless in service, the type had a very limited market and only two were built.[1]

## Production aircraft

- A.21/1, prototype first flown at [Cowes](/source/Cowes) on 16 October 1930, registered ZK-ABW for delivery to [Dominion Airways](/source/Dominion_Airways) of [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand). Sold in September 1931 to [Matthews Aviation](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthews_Aviation&action=edit&redlink=1) of [Melbourne, Victoria](/source/Melbourne%2C_Victoria) and placed on the Australian register as VH-UPB. Between January 1933 and February 1934 operated a regular [Bass Strait](/source/Bass_Strait) passenger service between Melbourne and [Launceston, Tasmania](/source/Launceston%2C_Tasmania) via [King Island](/source/King_Island_(Tasmania)). On 13 May 1936 it was damaged beyond repair when blown ashore at King Island while on a charter to a party of game hunters. The hull was salvaged and ended its days as an instructional airframe in Melbourne during the [Second World War](/source/World_War_II) before being scrapped.[1]

- A.21/2, the only production example, completed July 1931. After the addition of an auxiliary winglet over the engines to improve air flow and lift it was sold to Francis Francis as G-ABJP, who sold it in September to [Gibraltar Airways](/source/Gibraltar_Airways) for the [Gibraltar](/source/Gibraltar)-[Tangier](/source/Tangier) route. In July 1932 it was sold to [Mrs Victor Bruce](/source/Mrs_Victor_Bruce) and named *City of Portsmouth*. The undercarriage was temporarily removed and during August 1932 it was used in three unsuccessful attempts to break the world flight-refuelled endurance record. In May 1935 it was sold to [Jersey Airways](/source/Jersey_Airways), being taken out of service in 1938.[1][2]

## Specifications (A.21/2 Amphibian)

*Data from* Saunders and Saro Aircraft Since 1917[1]

**General characteristics**

- **Crew:** 2

- **Capacity:** 4 or 6 passengers

- **Length:** 41 ft 4 in (12.60 m)

- **Wingspan:** 54 ft 4 in (16.56 m)

- **Height:** 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m)

- **Wing area:** 522 sq ft (48.5 m2) (including winglets)

- **Empty weight:** 4,180 lb (1,896 kg)

- **Gross weight:** 5,700 lb (2,585 kg)

- **Powerplant:** 3 × [de Havilland Gipsy II](/source/De_Havilland_Gipsy_II) 4-cyl. air-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 hp (89 kW) each

- **Propellers:** 2-bladed wooden propellers

**Performance**

- **Maximum speed:** 108 mph (174 km/h, 94 kn)

- **Cruise speed:** 87 mph (140 km/h, 76 kn)

- **Range:** 400 mi (640 km, 350 nmi)

- **Endurance:** 4 hours

- **Service ceiling:** 9,680 ft (2,950 m)

- **Rate of climb:** 510 ft/min (2.6 m/s)

## See also

- [Aviation portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Aviation)

**Related lists**

- [List of flying boats and floatplanes](/source/List_of_flying_boats_and_floatplanes)

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-London_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-London_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-London_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-London_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-London_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-London_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-London_1-6) [London 1988](#CITEREFLondon1988), pp. 125–130

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Lewis (1970)

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Saunders-Roe](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Saunders-Roe).

- Lewis, Peter. 1970. British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. Putnam [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-370-00067-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-370-00067-6)

- London, Peter (1988). *Saunders and Saro Aircraft since 1917*. London: Putnam & Company Ltd. pp. 125–130. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85177-814-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85177-814-3).

- *The Advocate* (newspaper, Burnie Tasmania) 22 September 1931, 14 May 1936, 4 June 1936, 3 August 1942.

v t e Saunders-Roe/Saro aircraft Early aircraft T.1 Kittiwake A-series A.3 Valkyrie A.4 Medina A.7 Severn A.10 A.14 A.17 Cutty Sark A.19 Cloud A.21 Windhover A.22 Segrave Meteor A.24 Mailplane A.27 London A.29 Cloud A.33 A.37 Shrimp SR-series SR.A/1 SR.36 Lerwick SR.44 SR.45 Princess SR.53 SR.177 Helicopters Helicogyre P.531 Skeeter XROE-1 Cancelled projects Duchess (P.131) Queen (P.192)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Saro Windhover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saro_Windhover) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saro_Windhover?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.