INTERMEDIATE BUILD
In a 1/72 scale first, Xtrakit has released a brand-new tooling of the Saunders-Roe SR.A/1. Chris Jones flexes his modelling muscles to complete it.
Saunders-Roe’s SR.A/1 flying boat was a highly unusual design, built to a wartime requirement for a jet-powered flying boat fighter. Slow progress on the project meant the first prototype – then often referred to as the ‘Squirt’ by engineers – didn’t fly until 1947... and by that time its performance was inferior to contemporary combat aircraft so the RAF decided it was surplus to requirements. Unfortunately, two of the three prototypes were destroyed in accidents, one of them while being flown by legendary test pilot Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown. The sole surviving SR.A/1 now resides in the Solent Sky Museum, a fascinating reminder of a time when many exotic prototypes graced the skies of the UK.
Until now, the Saunders Roe SR.A/1 hasn’t existed as an injection-moulded plastic kit. Recently though, Xtrakit has brought two boxings of this exotic machine to the market. The initial release (XK72017 – built for this article) covers the three prototype aircraft, while the second release (XK72018) contains three ‘what-if?’ decal options for hypothetical service aircraft. A la…
