Three Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 prototypes (nick named The Squirt) were ordered for the RAF towards the end of 1944 built at Cowes, they were primarily developed for the southern reaches of the then British Empire in line with the continuing war with the Japanese within the arena of the South Pacific and Orient. 

All that was needed to operate was calm coastal waters thus doing away with the need for land airbases.  Hence a fighter flying boat would prove a very powerful weapon and with never having to need to worry too much about its watery strip.

The first prototype flew on July 16th 1947 and was piloted by a Geoffrey Tyson, although having good performance and handling characteristics they however suffered with poor visibility and the original engine manufactures (Metropolitan-Vickers ) were no longer producing the Beryl engine and since this had several teething problems  it proved difficult to resolve these issues with the limited numbers available.  

The last flight of TG 263 was in June 1951; an interesting fact was that two of the prototypes were fitted with the first two production Martin-Baker ejections seats ever built.

The Prototypes

• TG263 –  Now on display at Solent Sky aviation museum in Southampton
   
• TG267 –  Plane and Pilot lost in an accident at Felixstowe 17th September 1949, crashed on impact after flight manoeuvres went wrong.
   
• TG271 –  Lost in an accident on landing after hitting submerged log Pilot Lt Cmdr. Eric "Winkle" Brown was flying and was assisted from the stricken sinking aircraft in the nick of time by Geoffrey Tyson Saro;s test pilot.  The prototype sank in the Medina / Solent Estuary and has never been located.