Saunders-Roe A.37 (Shrimp)

History of the Saunders-Roe A.37 (Shrimp)

The Shrimp was designed by H. Knowler as a semi-large research aircraft in 1939 as part of the Saunders-Roe development program S.38, four-engine , Patrol Boat R. 5/39 to Specification - Replaces Short Sunderland. The R. 5/39 project was cancelled, but Shrimp was completed as a private enterprise. Registered as G-AFZS, it flew for the first time in October 1939 at Cowes. It is located in Beaumaris, Anglesey, where a slide was built.

Aircraft Production acquired it in 1944, serial number TK580, for testing to support the design of the Short Shetland, the successor to the R. 5/39 project jointly developed by Saro and the Short Brothers. To this end, its twin rudder sterns were replaced with a fin, and the hull was modified to resemble the Shetland hull.

Shrimp scrapped in Felixstowe in 1949.

Specification

Basics

Year of Service

1939

Origins

UK

Status

retirement

does not work.

Crew

2

Production

1

Manufacturer

Saunders-Roe (SARO) - UK

Operators

UK

Roles

Navigation/Navy

Water mobility capability for a variety of land-based or ship-based maritime missions, supported by Allied Naval Surface Forces.

X-Plane (development, prototyping, tech demos)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

43. 3 feet

(13.19m)

Width/span

50. 0 feet

(15.25m)

Height

12.7 feet

(3.88m)

Cured weight

4,409 lbs

(2,000 kg)

MTOW

6,206 lbs

(2,815 kg)

Wgt Difference

+?1,797

(+815kg)

Performance

Installed:

4 x Pobjoy Niagara III series 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 95 hp each, driving two-blade propeller units.

Maximum speed

130 km/h

(210 km/h | 113 kn)

Maximum

8,202 feet

(2,500 m | 2 km)

Area

391 km

(630 km | 1,167 nautical miles)

rate of climb

635 ft/min

(194 m/min)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Hypersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

Armor

None.

VARIANTS

A.37 ("Shrimp") - Base project name; a single airworthy prototype completed and tested/flyed in 1939-1949, then scrapped.