The Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 was a jet fighter designed to operate from water without a carrier flight deck. Trials indicated that occasional water ingestion did not automatically flame out its engines, answering an obvious concern about a jet flying boat. The idea lacked a service sponsor: the Royal Navy would not fund it, and the Royal Air Force did not need it. A workable water-based jet might have avoided some of the straight-deck limits discussed earlier, but neither service took it forward. The aircraft remained an intriguing branch of development rather than the fleet's answer to jet air defence.
Chapter · 27:36-29:17
Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 explores a carrier-independent jet fighter
The SR.A/1 flying-boat fighter shows how seriously Britain explored unconventional ways to deploy jets at sea.