Saro Windhover
The Saunders -Roe A.21 Windhover was an amphibian of the British manufacturer Saunders Roe from the early 1930s. From the designed for six passengers plane only two were built.
History
Saunders -Roe originally planned a three-engined version of the Cutty Sark. However, it turned out that the construction for the additional engine was not stable enough. Then came an enlarged only slightly modified design.
The first flight of the prototype, A.21 / 1 took place on 16 October 1930. He arrived in 1931 in the possession of the Australian Aviation Mattews and then operated the flight from Melbourne to Tasmania. In 1936, he was severely damaged and will not be used.
From the series version A.21 / 2 only one copy was created. Completed in July 1931 the aircraft was sold to smaller alterations to a private person, and later changed hands several times. The last owner, the Jersey Airways, put it out of service in 1938.
Construction
The A.21 Windhover was an easy flying boat with a metal fuselage and wings made of strung with material wood. It was designed as a cantilever high-wing aircraft. As drive three de Havilland Gipsy served II engines, which were located above the wing and on which an additional short wing was attached. If necessary, a partially retractable landing gear could be mounted on the hull. The Windhover had a closed cockpit for two pilots and a cabin for up to six passengers.