A.27 London

The Saunders‑Roe A.27 London was a British long‑range flying‑boat patrol aircraft that entered RAF service in 1938. Conceived as a successor to the older Saro S.23, the London combined a high‑mounted gull‑wing, twin‑engine configuration and a hull optimized for rough sea landings. Powered by two 1,300‑hp Bristol Pegasus radial engines, it could reach 190 mph, cruise at 150 mph and cover more than 2,200 km, giving the Coastal Command unprecedented endurance for anti‑submarine and reconnaissance duties. First deliveries went to No. 10 and No. 202 Squadrons, where the type proved valuable during the early months of World War II, spotting German U‑boats and relaying convoy positions. Although only 40 units were built before production shifted to the more capable Short Sunderland, the London introduced several innovations: a fully enclosed cockpit, retractable wing‑tip floats and an advanced electromechanical navigation suite. Its hull design later influenced post‑war civilian amphibians, and the aircraft demonstrated that large, all‑metal flying‑boats could operate effectively in harsh Atlantic conditions. The A.27 London therefore occupies a pivotal transitional role between inter‑war maritime patrol biplanes and the robust monoplane flying‑boats that dominated the latter half of the conflict.