Saro Cutty Sark

infobox Aircraft
name = A17 Cutty Sark
type = Amphibian
manufacturer = Saunders-Roe


caption =
designer =
first flight = 1929-07-04
introduction = 1930
retired =
status =
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 12
unit cost =
developed from =
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The A17 Saro Cutty Sark was a British amphibious aircraft from the period between World War I and World War II, built by the British firm Saunders-Roe (also known as "SARO"). The aircraft was named after the ship Cutty Sark, rather than the garment .

Development

In 1928, Sir Alliot Verdon Roe sold Avro. He bought an interest in S. E. Saunders, flying boat manufacturers based at Cowes, Isle of Wight, southern England; the company was renamed Saunders-Roe. The A17 Cutty Sark was the new company's first design. It was a shoulder-winged twin-engined four-seat amphibian monoplane with an all-metal hull and plywood covered wings. The above-wing pylon-mounted engines could easily be changed, and a variety of different engines were used to power Cutty Sarks, including 104 hp Cirrus Hermes Mk 1s and 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy IIs. The Saro A19 Cloud was developed from this design.

Only 12 Cutty Sarks were built, and none lasted long in service, but the type nevertheless saw service with many users in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, China, Japan and the Dominican Republic.

Production aircraft

* A17/1 : The prototype G-AAIP was first flown July 4 1929. Bought by Captain Campbell Shaw and Flight Lieutenant Tommy Rose for Isle of Man Air Services. Returned to Cowes in 1933 after being damaged by floating timber.
* A17/2 : VH-UNV was exported to Australia by Matthews Aviation flying the Bass Strait between Melbourne and Tasmania from May 1930. On 8 November 1931 the aircraft was driven by wind into a pier at St. Kilda, and Mr E. Lloyd, a passenger who attempted to assist, was killed by a propeller. In 1935 it was sold to Pioneer Air Services. In 1937 it was sold to New Zealand World War I fighter ace Keith Caldwell; on 15 October 1937, at the same time as he joined Qantas as a pilot, Caldwell sold VH-UNV for £700 to the airline as a trainer. It was written off after landing on water with the undercarriage extended on 5 April 1938.
* A17/3 : aka "L3". Sold to the RNZAF. It was first flown on 3 March 1930, then shipped to New Zealand aboard the SS "Mataroa" where it was reassembled by 28 May 1930. It operated from Hobsonville, Auckland for the next six years. After 221 hours and 5 minutes flying time it was judged worn out beyond economic repair. L3 made its last flight on 23 November 1936, after which it served as an instructional airframe. It was scrapped in 1939.
* A17/4 : G-AAVX before being sold to Canada as VR-SAA in 1930.
* A17/5 : G-ABBC named "Progress I" operated out of Blackpool to the Isle of Man by British Amphibious Airlines. Attempts to replace it with an A.19 Cloud after 1933 were blocked due to SARO's decision to operate an airline from the Isle of Man.
* A17/6 : Acquired by the Royal Air Force as S1575.
* A17/7 : Sold to Canada as VR-HAY
* A17/8 : Served in the Kwangsi Air Force in China, but was returned to Britain as G-AETI.
* A17/9 : Initially registered G-ABVF then exported to Japan.
* A17/10 : Registered G-ACDP to Air Service Training Ltd., used by No 3 E & RFTS until 1942.
* A17/11 : Registered G-ACDR to Air Service Training Ltd., used by No 3 E & RFTS until 1942.
* A17/12 : Registered G-ADAF. This may be the machine exported to the Dominican Republic in 1935, and written off in 1942.

Military operators

;China as ROC
*Kwangsi Air Force;NZL
*Royal New Zealand Air Force ;UK
*Royal Air Force

pecifications (A17)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=British Aircraft Directory [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=249 British Aircraft Directory]
crew= two pilots
capacity=2 passengers
length main= 34 ft 4 in
length alt=10.46 m
span main= 45 ft 0 in
span alt= 13.72 m
height main= 11 ft 2 in
height alt= 3.40 m
area main= 320 ft²
area alt= 29.7 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,500 lb
empty weight alt= 1,136 kg
loaded weight main= 3,900 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,770 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)= De Havilland Gipsy II
type of prop=
number of props=2
power main=120 hp
power alt=90 kW
power original=
power more=
or Cirrus Hermes (105 hp/78 kW) or Armstrong-Siddeley Genet Major I (135 hp/100 kW)
max speed main= 107 mph
max speed alt= 172 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 300 miles
range alt= 262 nmi, 483 km
ceiling main= 9,500 ft
ceiling alt= 2,900 m
climb rate main= 570 ft/min
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=

lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAF
* List of aircraft of the RNZAF and RNZN
* List of seaplanes and flying boats

see also=

References