Saro Windhover

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title: "Saro Windhover" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["flying-boats", "1930s-british-airliners", "trimotors", "amphibious-aircraft", "saro-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1930", "sesquiplanes", "aircraft-with-retractable-conventional-landing-gear"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saro_Windhover" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	A.21 Windhover
image	Saro Windhover.jpg
caption	Saunders-Roe Windhover VH-UPB at Launceston, Tasmania
type	Amphibian
manufacturer	Saunders Roe
first_flight	16 October 1930
number_built	2
::

The Saro A.21 Windhover was a British amphibious aircraft from the period between World War I and World War II, constructed by Saunders-Roe, or Saro. It was originally advertised as the A.19 Thermopylae after the famous clipper ship, being an enlarged version of the Saro Cutty Sark.

Development

When tests to improve the power of the Saro A.17 Cutty Sark by adding a third de Havilland Gipsy II engine proved impractical (due to the additional weight on the small airframe), Saro designed a larger aircraft on similar lines that could indeed carry three Gipsy II engines. Although a technically successful aircraft and nearly viceless in service, the type had a very limited market and only two were built.

Production aircraft

A.21/1, prototype first flown at Cowes on 16 October 1930, registered ZK-ABW for delivery to Dominion Airways of New Zealand. Sold in September 1931 to Matthews Aviation of Melbourne, Victoria and placed on the Australian register as VH-UPB. Between January 1933 and February 1934 operated a regular Bass Strait passenger service between Melbourne and Launceston, Tasmania via King Island. On 13 May 1936 it was damaged beyond repair when blown ashore at King Island while on a charter to a party of game hunters. The hull was salvaged and ended its days as an instructional airframe in Melbourne during the Second World War before being scrapped.
A.21/2, the only production example, completed July 1931. After the addition of an auxiliary winglet over the engines to improve air flow and lift it was sold to Francis Francis as G-ABJP, who sold it in September to Gibraltar Airways for the Gibraltar-Tangier route. In July 1932 it was sold to Mrs Victor Bruce and named City of Portsmouth. The undercarriage was temporarily removed and during August 1932 it was used in three unsuccessful attempts to break the world flight-refuelled endurance record. In May 1935 it was sold to Jersey Airways, being taken out of service in 1938.

Specifications (A.21/2 Amphibian)

|ref=Saunders and Saro Aircraft Since 1917 |prime units?=imp met(ric) first for all others. You MUST choose a format, or no specifications will show -- General characteristics

|crew=2 |capacity=4 or 6 passengers |length ft=41 |length in=4 |span ft=54 |span in=4 |height ft=12 |height in=7 |wing area sqft=522 |wing area note= (including winglets) |empty weight lb=4,180 |gross weight lb=5,700 Powerplant

|eng1 number=3 |eng1 name=de Havilland Gipsy II |eng1 type=4-cyl. air-cooled in-line piston engine |eng1 hp=120

|prop blade number=2 |prop name=wooden propellers Performance

Notes

References

Lewis, Peter. 1970. British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. Putnam
The Advocate (newspaper, Burnie Tasmania) 22 September 1931, 14 May 1936, 4 June 1936, 3 August 1942.

References

{{harvnb. London. 1988
Lewis (1970)

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