What Happened To Giant Flying Boats? Saunders-Roe Princess Story

The rapid development of aircraft in the 1920’s and 1930’s far outpaced the development of aviation infrastructure to support them. Runways, even by the late 1930’s, were rare and often little more than an open grass field, useful only for the smallest and lightest of airplanes. It would be at least another decade until many cities developed suitable airports. But commercial aviation wasn’t going to wait around.

By the 1930’s large, luxurious flying boats were already carrying passengers to far-flung exotic destinations. Requiring only a reasonably calm stretch of water and minimal infrastructure, flying boats kick started an early era of air travel. Destinations that once took weeks to reach by boat could now be reached in just a matter of days. For the lucky few who could afford it, flying boats were simply the most luxurious way to travel. As they were generally larger and more capable than land-based aircraft, many were convinced that the future of long-range air travel belonged to large flying boats.

In 1943, Saunders-Roe, an iconic British aircraft builder, began planning for the future by drafting a design for a truly next-generation flying boat. Larger, heavier, and faster than any flying boat airliner in history. Although 1943 was the middle of the Second World War, Saunders-Roe planned to emerge at the forefront of post-war commercial aviation. But by the time the Princess took its first flight, the world had been completely transformed by the rapid development of runways and advances in land-based aircraft. It would soon become apparent that Saunders-Roe’s flying boat airliner had been designed for a future that never existed.

Select footage courtesy the AP Archive:

Special thanks to Nick Arehart for helping clean up our audio:

Thanks for watching!

[nicholasaudy]

Bring tears to my eyes that this kind of concept failed. Looks like something straight out of an alternate universe

[nathanielw]

"...designed for a future that never existed"
*damn that part hit hard*

[danversnettlefold]

Leaves one feeling nostalgia for a lost future.

[rimRapr]

Flying boats really feel like a successor to blimp traveling. Luxurious, slower paced traveling with extravagant solutions. It's a shame this idea didn't even survive for the rich.

[RegularEarthlingEngineer]

flying boats are epic imagine if there were nuclear powered flying cruise ships.

the 50s/60s vision of the future is the best future

[erode.]

Saunders-Roe: Foldable wingtips

Boeing: *Aight, let's do that*

[porthos]

I can still remember the sound of the "Cattalina" flying boats taking off from their base in Rose Bay in Sydney Harbour. There was about 2 miles of runway markers set out on the water. But just that glorious sound of big prop engines revving, building speed and then slowly trailing off into the distance. Sorry starting to tear up of days gone by. Thanks for the vid.

[mokopaneledwaba]

Made for a future that never existed

Concorde: want a hug?

[CommaV]

'Travel over 9000 kilometers'

You awakened a long forgotten part of my brain with that line

[JP-]

"Made for a future that never existed"

I think I know this feeling.

[shevetlevi]

I've always loved those flying boats of the 1930's like the Boeing 314 in "Raiders of the Lost Ark". They were kind of the aviation equivalent of the Orient Express. Any plane that has multiple levels, bars, restaurants and sleeping cabins is very cool.

[ShelbyAQD]

Flying boats are an oddly nostalgic thing for me. It probably stems from seeing fantastical versions of them in so many shows and games in my childhood. I can't help thinking that right now would be a great time to begin developing a new generation of these aircraft.

They might never be as efficient or cheap as a standard plane, but they offer such whimsy that it definitely seems worth it to me.

[jackturner]

I swear to God this channel is going places. The animation skills and the effort it takes for research etc must be astounding ! We salute you, Sir Mustard!

[jaymaster]

Man this channel is therapeutic, you have vast amounts of knowledge and everything just flows. You keep me glued to my screen the entire video. Animations on point. Keep up the good work.

[Gribbo]

I remember sometime in the early '60s I took a trip to the Isle of White with my parents and the Princesses were still sitting on the Saunders-Roe slipway . It was before the 747 had ever flown and it's size was an impressive site for a young feller. I think we may have been on a pleasure boat trip because I even remember the guide on the boat saying something about "white elephants' as we passed the yard - which I thought was funny having never heard the idiom before.

[timpassmore]

It's a mystery how Saunders Roe lasted as long as it did. Their largest production run was only 31 airplanes, and those delivered to the RAF were only in service a few years.
Worst was the Lerwick that was dangerously unstable.
Another failure was a jet powered fighter that the RAF "...concluded that the design was incapable of matching up to the performance of land-based designs".
Kittiwake 1
A.3 Valkyrie 1
A.4 Medina 1
A.14 1
A.7 Severn 1
A17 Cutty Sark 12 Short service life
A.19 Cloud 22 " "
A.21 Windhover 2
A.27 London 31 Introduced 1936 Retired 1941
A.19 Cloud 22 Last one delivered 1935 Withdrawn 1939
A.33 1
A.36 Lerwick 21 Very unstable 11 lost in accidents
A.37 Shrimp 1 Developmental only
SR.A/1 3 Jet flying boat fighter
SR.45 Princess 1 as described in this video
After this, no further seaplanes left the drawing board.
They did have one land based plane of which 17 were built, but it was designed by someone else.

[akam]

Love hate this channel:


They show something cool, then tell you why it didn't work.

[tristar]

Today is a good day. Eat your heart out Valentine's Day I'm here for Mustard's amazing aviation videos!

[fierfighter]

Boeing 747: im the first double deck plane
Saunders-Roe Princess: am i a joke to you?

[raijinmeister]

It's incredible how back in the 50-60-70s so many designs were concerned with ppassengers' comfort, a clear contrast with what we have nowadays.