I'm with you Leo. In the golden days of the flying boat there was a certain romance about travel this way. Unfortunately, or fortunately,the masses now have access to air travel can you imagine them all scrambling on to a boat to embark or disembark from such a craft, especially in strong north easterly. You know in a sort of sadistic way I would like to see what Ryanair would make of a flying boat operation!

At the end of the movie "Maltese Falcon",bogart said "It's the stuff that dreams are made of". Remember Newton's second law of thermodynamics. In my dreams, I never do maintenance and repair.

I think that the Princess, ranks along with the Brabazon, and VC7, as one of the great civilian "lost-opportunities" in British aviation history. I was recently talking to a guy who felt that had he the money, he would have used 2 of the aircraft as charter 'planes, and used them to fly those on package holidays to the Med, keeping one as a spares
'plane, as package holidays had taken off around the time they were scrapped. Would have been a nice idea, just turning up to the hotel on the beach, and checking in.

My mum used to work at Saunders Roe in the planning office at the time of the construction of the Princess and took the phone call to say that the princess was airborne even though it was not due to fly by the pilot Mr Tyson who she knew, she shouted out that it was airborne across the office and remembbers everyone running to the windows.She is still with us at the grand age of 84

Does any one know of 3 view drawings both cut away and or deck plans available on line? I find the plane to be most interesting and wounder how it would have done, had it been completed just after the war, before jets became a viable alternitive?

je trouve que cette avion est une mèrveille de la techonologie a cette époque car il est énormme et il pouvait transporter 200 passager.

Given the comments of "t. jones, terencetjon(@)aol.com, 16.07.2008" and the grounds upon which Mr. Jones correctly suggests aircraft like the SR.45 should again be considered and with which others also concur, it is indeed time to do so. Simply, within the concept of the Advanced Hydraulic Engines (AHE) there is now the opportunity to build diesel aviation engines well in excess of the 3,780hp Bristol Proteus' power levels, with overall power weight ratios at least comparable to turbo-prop systems and when fuel load is considered, substantially better. Given these "AHE diesels" would provide better than three times the fuel efficiency of contemporary aviation diesel engines, the reduced fuel load and lack of a need to carry the weight of the undercarriage would result in highly fuel efficient airframes; however, the simple limiting factor remains the commercial practicality, would the flying passenger be willing to travel the great distances of modern aviation 200mph slower than they would do so in a jet, such as a Boeing 747-400? Perhaps many would, for a cheaper fare and the considerably reduced emissions impact of the type. Combined with a high speed rail link from nearby suitable water bodies to target cities, makes for an interesting tranpsortation system. Air-frieght operations could certainly benefit from the return of the large flying boats, with the accompanying reduced fuel costs and very much lower landing/ground fees, the costs of this aspect of aviation would be substantially reduced.
I'm also aware from earlier deiscussions with Indonesian interests, that in many less developed countries, supplies of jet-fuel are limited to a few localities, whereas diesel fuel is readily available almost anywhere.
Sincerely, Nigel Eric Rose

now that we have a mindset towards ever wider bodied transport aircraft and no longer have a surplus of land and more opposition to runways and flights all the reasons for abandoning the princess have evaporated. A reappraisal and redevelopment of this concept is long 0ver overdue.

There is a film on Youtube showing the maiden flight of the "Princess": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV1eUeo27tc

can anyone tell me,what year the two planes was broken up in the isle of wight

I recall seeing the one near Southampton, and then the one in Cowes, when I went on a school trip to the Isle of W in June 1961. I was told They had been coccooned in a layer of rubber to preserve them. I understand they were broken up not long afterwards

A fabulous and advanced flying boat lost without profit.

As a boy of 14 in 1951 I was a member of the Ringwood 2033 ATC squadron, We went on a trip to Cowes with the ATC and were transported to the IOW by RAF air sea rescue launches, we were given a tour of the Princess flying boat under construction, it was a very memorable trip for me, and a wonderful experience for a 14 year old boy and I remember them being stored there all cocooned in storage until they were broken up.
I remember the 4 inboard nacelles having 2 engines driving contra-rotating props and the outboard nacelles had one engine with a fully feathering reversible pitch prop which allowed the aircraft to be spun round on its axis on the water. I also saw this aircraft in flight, it had the most wonderful sound all of its own with the 10 engines.

The SR-45 Princess was, no doubt, a fabulous airplane.

I wonder where one can get more large pictures and draw-ings of it and of other flying boats like, for example, the fanjet powered Berievs, in a free downloadable format.

Thanks in advance for any co-operation.

Charlie

P/S: please indicate me a valid e-mail address for future contact. I'm working in a personal aeronautical divulgat-ion project.

I remember taking the Red Funnel ferry from Southampton several times , and always looked forward to seeing the two flying boats on the ramp at Calshot. The third was pulled up on the slipway at Cowes. Several years later on a train from Southampton to Portsmouth, going along the section which runs by the River Itchen I saw the Princess for the last time, it was minus wings and looking very sad in a slipwar associated with one of the breakers yards that used to work along that part of the river.

A guy I work with used to see the two coccooned aircraft on the ramp at Calshot. does anyone have film footage of the first Princess in flight?