Saunders-Roe SR.45 Princess

Saunders-Roe SR.45 Princess

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09/20/2002. Remarks by Ron Dupas: given to me by a highschool friend, Dwight Thomas, who received it from a pen-pal, the young man standing by the fence.

02/11/2003. Remarks by Des Nicholas: "This photograph shows one of the three Saunders Roe Princess Flying Boats cocooned at West Cowes just across the river Medina from where they were built at East Cowes. The other two were stored at Calshot near Southampton waiting for possible buyers. When none were found all three were broken up.

I was lucky enough to see Princess G-ALUN take off on it's first flight in 1952 when I was twelve. My brother and I had gone down to watch what we had been told would be taxiing trials. After a short time taxiing the aircraft swung into wind and took off. At the time the only aircraft of similar size were the Bristol Brabazon and Hughes' 'Spruce Goose'. As kids we were highly impressed, the aircraft made a wonderful noise probably somewhat like a B-36.

My godfather Harold Palmer was one of the flight observers during the tests of G-ALUN, the only Princess to fly.

This photograph brought back many memories: we used to pass this aircraft after crossing from East to West Cowes or back again on the floating bridge. I remember that as we used to pass by, the plane did not appear to look particularly big although at the time it was as big as they got, weighing about 140 tons. The quay that the Princess was stored at had previously been Thetis yard and dry dock that Thomas White, father of John Samuel White, the Cowes shipbuilder, had constructed in 1815 to repair ships up to 800 tons. It had also been used to store Sunderland flying boats and Walrusses. The Sunderland used to test the Princess's flying control system and one of the Saro SRA1 (Squirt) jet flying boats was also there for a while."

04/14/2003. Remarks by Colin Urry: "This picture shows G-ALUN on the slip at West Cowes. One of the reasons that all 3 boats were around for so long was that NASA had indicated an interest in using them on a program to test an airborne nuclear power plant. Imagine that bellying into Heathrow!"

01/28/2005. Remarks by Dave de Bourcier: "On August 22, 1952 I was stationed, as a National Serviceman, at RAF Calshot, learning "a trade" prior to being posted to 1103 Section, Air Sea Rescue, Felixstowe. On that day all of our boats, pinnaces, crash-boats, and fire-boats were stationed along an approximately five mile stretch of the Solent, north of Cowes, in case of misadventure during the first trial-taxi and/or flight of the Princess Flying Boat.

I recall that as the great aircraft made it's run in front of us a Sunderland taxied beneath each great wing right up to the point of take-off. I assume they were collecting technical data about what was taking place. The Princess did successfully take off and did complete one circuit, probably around the coast of the Isle of Wight, and then landed.

I'm not sure if it ever took off again, but within a few short weeks, while I was yet at Calshot, one of the three Princesses that were built (I'm not sure if it was the one that flew) was hauled up on the slip at Calshot. Special winches were installed into the slipway in order to accomplish this. The aircraft was secured on the end of the spit, with one wing right overhanging the old Calshot tower, and there she was mothballed.

When I returned to England, on holiday in 1960, as the m.v. "Italia" steamed up the solent en route to Southampton, the Princess was still sitting there at the end of Calshot Spit. How very sad."


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09/20/2002. Remarks by Ron Dupas: given to me by a highschool friend, Dwight Thomas, who received it from a pen-pal, the young man standing by the fence. 02/11/2003. Remarks by Des Nicholas: "This photograph shows one of the three Saunders Roe Princess Flying Boats cocooned at West Cowes just across the river Medina from where they were built at East Cowes. The other two were stored at Calshot near Southampton waiting for possible buyers. When none were found all three were broken up. I was lucky enough to see Princess G-ALUN take off on it's first flight in 1952 when I was twelve. My brother and I had gone down to watch what we had been told would be taxiing trials. After a short time taxiing the aircraft swung into wind and took off. At the time the only aircraft of similar size were the Bristol Brabazon and Hughes' 'Spruce Goose'. As kids we were highly impressed, the aircraft made a wonderful noise probably somewhat like a B-36. My godfather Harold Palmer was one of the flight observers during the tests of G-ALUN, the only Princess to fly. This photograph brought back many memories: we used to pass this aircraft after crossing from East to West Cowes or back again on the floating bridge. I remember that as we used to pass by, the plane did not appear to look particularly big although at the time it was as big as they got, weighing about 140 tons. The quay that the Princess was stored at had previously been Thetis yard and dry dock that Thomas White, father of John Samuel White, the Cowes shipbuilder, had constructed in 1815 to repair ships up to 800 tons. It had also been used to store Sunderland flying boats and Walrusses. The Sunderland used to test the Princess's flying control system and one of the Saro SRA1 (Squirt) jet flying boats was also there for a while." 04/14/2003. Remarks by Colin Urry: "This picture shows G-ALUN on the slip at West Cowes. One of the reasons that all 3 boats were around for so long was that NASA had indicated an interest in using them on a program to test an airborne nuclear power plant. Imagine that bellying into Heathrow!" 01/28/2005. Remarks by Dave de Bourcier: "On August 22, 1952 I was stationed, as a National Serviceman, at RAF Calshot, learning "a trade" prior to being posted to 1103 Section, Air Sea Rescue, Felixstowe. On that day all of our boats, pinnaces, crash-boats, and fire-boats were stationed along an approximately five mile stretch of the Solent, north of Cowes, in case of misadventure during the first trial-taxi and/or flight of the Princess Flying Boat. I recall that as the great aircraft made it's run in front of us a Sunderland taxied beneath each great wing right up to the point of take-off. I assume they were collecting technical data about what was taking place. The Princess did successfully take off and did complete one circuit, probably around the coast of the Isle of Wight, and then landed. I'm not sure if it ever took off again, but within a few short weeks, while I was yet at Calshot, one of the three Princesses that were built (I'm not sure if it was the one that flew) was hauled up on the slip at Calshot. Special winches were installed into the slipway in order to accomplish this. The aircraft was secured on the end of the spit, with one wing right overhanging the old Calshot tower, and there she was mothballed. When I returned to England, on holiday in 1960, as the m.v. "Italia" steamed up the solent en route to Southampton, the Princess was still sitting there at the end of Calshot Spit. How very sad."