Saro A.33
title: "Saro A.33" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1930s-british-patrol-aircraft", "flying-boats", "saro-aircraft", "four-engined-tractor-aircraft", "parasol-wing-aircraft", "four-engined-piston-aircraft"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saro_A.33" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | A.33 |
| aircraft_type | Flying boat |
| national_origin | United Kingdom |
| manufacturer | Saunders-Roe Limited |
| status | Prototype |
| number_built | 1 |
| first_flight | 14 October 1938 |
| :: |
| name = A.33 | logo = | logo_size = | image = | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Flying boat | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = Saunders-Roe Limited | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = Prototype | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 1 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 14 October 1938 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded =
The Saro A.33 was a British prototype flying boat built by Saunders-Roe Limited in response to a British Air Ministry Specification R.2/33 and in competition with the Short Sunderland.
Design and development
The A.33 was a four-engined flying-boat with a parasol monospar wing, the wing was supported by two angled N-struts which connected the wing to hull-mounted sponsons. Hull-mounted sponsons were used rather than wingtip floats and were also used as fuel tanks. A Saro Cloud was modified with a monospar wing and sponsons to test the design concepts. The prototype A.33 serial number K4773 first flew on 14 October 1938. However, it was written off after structural failure sustained during high-speed taxi trials on 25 October 1938 and development was abandoned. A production contract for eleven aircraft was cancelled.
Specifications
|ref=British Flying Boats |prime units?=imp General characteristics
|crew= |capacity= |length ft=75 |length in=0 |length note= |span ft=95 |span in=0 |span note= |height ft=22 |height in=8+1/2 |height note= |wing area sqft=1194 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight lb=31500 |empty weight note= |gross weight lb=41500 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=4 |eng1 name=Bristol Perseus XII |eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial engines |eng1 hp=830 |eng1 note=
|prop blade number=3 |prop name=variable-pitch propellers |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note= Performance
|max speed mph=200 |max speed note= |cruise speed mph=174 |cruise speed note= |stall speed mph= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed note= |range miles= |range note= |combat range miles= |combat range note= |ferry range miles= |ferry range note= |endurance=12 hours |ceiling ft=14280 |ceiling note= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |wing loading lb/sqft=34.8 |wing loading note= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass= |more performance= Armament
|guns= Machine guns in bow turret, tail turret and two beam positions |bombs= 2000 lb bombs
References
;Notes ;Bibliography
- London, Peter. British Flying Boats. Stroud, UK:Sutton Publishing, 2003. .
References
- [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1989/1989%20-%202349.html ''Flight International'' – 29 July 1989. Flightglobal.com] Retrieved: 15 February 2009
- London 2003, pp. 262–263.
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