--- title: "How the British made a jet-powered, flying boat fighter plane" description: "Flying boats persisted into the jet age. Notably, the first jet-powered water-based aircraft was an attempt at creating a flying jet." date: "2022-04-11" modified: "2023-04-05" authors: - name: "Miguel Ortiz" job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/miguelortiz/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/how-the-british-made-a-jet-powered-flying-boat-fighter-plane/" categories: - "Aircraft" - "History" - "Tactical" --- # How the British made a jet-powered, flying boat fighter plane ![A silver seaplane with the registration TG263 is floating on calm water near a shoreline with buildings. The aircraft has a single cockpit with a person seated inside, and it features British roundels on the wings and fuselage. The tail has a vertical stabilizer with a red, white, and green striped emblem. The seaplane has a sleek, streamlined design with pontoons for water landing.]() When people think of seaplanes, large propeller-driven aircraft are generally what come to mind. Multi-engined planes like the [PBY-5A Catalina]() and the [BV ]()[238]() came to define the class. However, seaplanes also came in the form of fighter aircraft like the OS2U Kingfisher and A6M2-N Rufe based on the A6M Zero. Moreover, flying boats persisted into the jet age with the Navy's [P6M ]()[SeaMaster](). Notably, the first jet-powered water-based aircraft was an attempt at creating a flying boat jet fighter. ![water jet]() **Saunders-Roe was adamant about the superiority of water-based aircraft (Public Domain)** Although their accomplishments are not as widely publicized, seaplane fighters proved to be quite effective during WWII. The Imperial Japanese Navy used them extensively in the Pacific. Able to operate from small coastal bases, seaplane fighters were not dependent on airfields or aircraft carriers. Their operational flexibility came with a performance tradeoff in the form of their bulky floats, but Japanese seaplane fighters were still a deadly threat to allied forces. Looking to advance the seaplane fighter design, British manufacturer Saunders-Roe sought to build a more capable aircraft using jet technology. Without a propeller, the aircraft could sit lower in the water and use a hull-type fuselage. By omitting the floats, a jet-powered seaplane could be both faster and more maneuverable than a conventional land-based propeller-powered fighter. Saunders-Roe, an established seaplane builder, also touted the logistical flexibility of seaplanes which could operate from virtually any body of water. This advantage was magnified with the proposed jet seaplane since early jet aircraft had extremely limited range due to their high fuel consumption. ![SR/A1 flying boat]() **A cutaway of the SR.A/1 (Saunders-Roe)** Although the British Air Ministry had little interest in seaplane fighters during WWII, Saunders-Roe designed a concept designated SR.44 and presented it in mid-1943. Ministry officials were skeptical of the concept's ability to operate at high altitude and [Sauders-Roe]() modified and refined the concept. In April 1944, the Air Ministry issued a specification in response to the modified design and awarded a development contract for three aircraft to Saunders-Roe the next month. The seaplane jet fighter, designated SR.A/1, was intended for use in the Pacific. Japanese resistance continued to hamper Allied progress, so the project was initially given top priority. However, with the end of the war in August 1945, Saunders-Roe refocused its efforts to civilian flying boat projects. As a result, the first SR.A/1 prototype made its maiden flight years on July 16, 1947. The initial flight went so well that, barely two weeks later, the fifth flight was made in front of military officials. These flights revealed that the aircraft had good performance and handling. However, during the testing and evaluation phase, two of the three SR.A/1 prototypes suffered accidents. This caused an interruption in the testing and resulted in modifications to the third aircraft. In an effort to improve safety, the SR.A/1 was fitted with the first production [Martin-Baker]() ejection seat. The seaplane was also equipped with an automatic mooring system that allowed the pilot to moor the aircraft without any external aid or even having to leave the cockpit. Despite the improvements, the need for a seaplane jet fighter simply wasn't there. Aircraft carriers had proved their ability to project air power during the war and escort vessels demonstrated their ability to protect carriers. With the loss of interest from the Air Ministry, Saunders-Roe put the project on hold and the surviving prototype SR.A/1 was placed in storage in early 1950. Later that year, in November, interest in the program was revived. The outbreak of the Korean War brought Britain and the United States to reexamine the seaplane jet fighter. However, it was soon realized that the concept was obsolete when compared with the rapidly advancing jet fighters of the day and the project was finally cancelled. ![tg263 flying boat]() **Serial number TG263 was the only prototype to survive (Public Domain)** In June 1951, the surviving Saunder-Roe SR.A/1 prototype flew for the last time. Today, it is on display at the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton, UK. ## Author Miguel Ortiz is a Senior Contributor for We Are The Mighty covering primarily military news and history with an emphasis on weapons technology. He is a former active duty Army officer and remains a member of the Army IRR. After commissioning through San Diego State University Army ROTC, Miguel served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He has written for We Are The Mighty since 2020, drawing from his passion for the military community and history. Miguel’s work has also been seen on Business Insider and The Blast. He remains an avid shooter, competing in local USPSA matches. Miguel’s other hobbies are traveling and watch collecting. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]()