A new entry has been added to Add-Ons Library, category FS 2004 Scenery
Description: Here is another of my EZ scenery /AFCAD creations for fs9;
This time its' the Saunders-Roe 'shadow' works at Fryars Bay , Beaumaris,North Wales.
The site was built in the early 1940's by Saunders Roe (or SARO for the purposes of brevity), as much of their production capacity at Cowes on the Isle of Wight was taken up with the Supermarine Walrus. SARO were given the contract to equip the Catalina flying boats bought from America, and this site was chosen. The Menai Straits provided excellent water for flying boat operations, and was, I suppose, more accessible for the American built aircraft flying in over the Atlantic.
In total 399 Catalinas came through the site. Substantial work was done, including installation of ASV (air to surface vessel) radar, work carried out in strict secrecy.
The Saunders Roe design and development department had also moved to Beaumaris, as work at Cowes was being constantly interrupted by air raids. Two of the company sites at East Cowes were totally destroyed in one air raid in May 1942; this air raid is still remembered locally in East Cowes in part due to the ferocious defence of the town put up by the Polish Navy Destroyer 'Blyskawica', which was docked at the shipyard of J S White & co.
you can read about that here:
https://www.blyskawica-cowes.org.uk/cowes_blitz/ (incidentally both of my Grandads were firefighters that night)
As well as the main effort on the Catalinas, a lot of other design work was done. One example was a wooden hull for the Walrus which was used in the final 191 Walruses produced. The first five of these hulls was made at Beaumaris.
Another undertaking was the wing for the Shetland flying boat, a project shared with Short Brothers who were responsible for the hull.
The flying boats were hauled out on the slipway which remains on the foreshore. Most of the wartime hangars remain on the site, although some have been substantially altered. During this period 2000 people worked on the site, and were bussed in from all over North Wales.
You'll need the MAIW scenery libraries, the UKvfr scenery libraries and Ted Andrew's small RAF buildings library in addition to the little extra's I've used included.
I built this to align with the UK VFR photoscenery which I use, but should also work in stock installations.
To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit
SARO works, Beaumaris
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.
As far as I know none of the other boat factories are available, happy to be proven wrong. Trying to think of the location, can only remember Rochester, Woolston & East Cowes.
