Saunders-Roe Lerwick
Saunders-Roe (Saro) p. 36 Lerwick | |
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Lerwick at the start |
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Type: | Flying boat |
Design country: | |
Manufacturer: | |
First flight: |
November 1938 |
Commissioning: |
-1941 |
Number of pieces: |
21st |
The Saunders-Roe (Saro) p.36 Lerwick was a British high-wing aircraft - flying boat from 1938, which in the Second World War was used.
The Lerwick replaced the outdated double-decker flying boat Saunders-Roe London . The name derived from the city of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands .
The Lerwick was developed for the RAF Coastal Command . It was to be used as a patrol aircraft against enemy submarines and as escort for ship convoys together with the Short Sunderland . The first flight took place in November 1938.
The aircraft was an all-metal construction and had two Bristol Hercules II engines with 1,375 hp. The Lerwick had three turrets, one in the aircraft nose, one on the fuselage and one in the tail.
The aircraft turned out to be a real bad design. It was unstable both in the air and on takeoff, resulting in several machine losses. Despite several revisions, the Lerwick had to be withdrawn from service in 1941. Many were put into storage and finally scrapped in 1943.
A total of 21 Lerwicks were built.
Units with Lerwicks
- No. 209 Squadron RAF: 1939-1941
- No. 4 (Coastal) OCU: 1941
- No. 422 Squadron RCAF , a Canadian unit under RAF control (used until 1942)
Technical specifications
Parameter | Data Saunders-Roe (Saro) p. 36 Lerwick |
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crew | 6th |
length | 19.4 m |
span | 24.7 m |
Wing area | 78.5 m² |
height | 6.1 m |
drive | two Bristol Hercules II with 1,375 PS (1,030 kW) each |
Top speed | 344 km / h at an altitude of 1,900 m |
Range | 2,478 km |
Service ceiling | 4,270 m |
Empty mass | k. A. |
Takeoff mass | 12,880 kg |
Max. Takeoff mass | 15,060 kg |
Armament | six MGs Browning Model 1919, one MG Vickers K (7.7 mm), 907 kg bombs |