Date:	Sunday 19 September 1920
Time:	day
Type:	Saunders Kittiwake
Owner/operator:	S.E. Saunders Ltd
Registration:	G-EUAD
MSN:	101
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Cowes Harbour, Cowes, Isle of Wight -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Cowes Harbour, Cowes, Isle of Wight
Destination airport:	Cowes Harbour, Cowes, Isle of Wight

Narrative:
S.E. Saunders Kittiwake. Only one manufactured. Registered as G-EAUD (C of R 552) 30.6.20 to S.E. Saunders Ltd, East Cowes, Isle of Wight as a "Saunders Amphibian". Entered in Air Ministry Civil Aeroplane Competition 8.20; and Seaplane Competition 9.20.

The prototype and only Kittiwake, registered G-EAUD, first flew briefly on 19 September 1920 with Norman Macmillan at the controls. Unfortunately, shortly after take-off the leading-edge camber mechanism collapsed almost entirely and the aircraft stalled; on landing it hit a rock and was holed, sinking partially. Following repairs further flights were attempted but the aircraft refused to leave the water. It was found that the port engine was a subcontracted production example delivering only around 150hp, while the starboard engine was of pre-production build, virtually hand-made and giving the promised power. Additional problems were also identified; the ailerons were ineffective at small angles while the undercarriage was found to fail under static load. Six months passed while modifications to G-EAUD were completed.

In March 1921 the Kittiwake flew again, this time piloted by F. Warren Merriam, and it performed desultory trials until the summer when it crashed and was extensively damaged in the hands of an Air Ministry pilot. No orders were received and during July 1921 the Kittiwake was scrapped. The aircraft had cost around £10,000 (roughly £424,000 at 2025 prices) to build.

Registration G-EAUD cancelled 7.7.21 as "withdrawn from use".

Note that - at the time (1920-21) the company was named "S.E.Saunders Ltd". In 1929, after Aliot Verdon Roe and John Lord took a controlling interest in the firm, the name was changed to Saunders-Roe, which in turn was later truncated to "Saro".

1. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-EAUD.pdf
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saunders_Kittiwake
3. Jackson, A. J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919. Vol. 3. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.
4. London, Peter (2003). British Flying Boats. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-2695-3.
5. London, Peter (1988). Saunders and Saro Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam Publishing. ISBN 0-85177-814-
6. "Saunders Kittiwake". Flight: 972–975. 9 September 1920.
7. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/Saunders-Roe_pre-war.pdf
8. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Saunders-Roe:_Kittiwake
9. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/G-EAUD.html
10. http://edcoatescollection.com/ac5/ROW%20Europe/G-EAUD.html
11. https://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-E1.html
12. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1321309831301203/posts/7260446827387444/
13. https://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/threads/the-flying-boat-that-looked-like-a-flying-house-saunders-kittiwake-aircraft-overview-73.50728/
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowes

Saunders Kittiwake G-EAUD at Cowes, Isle of Wight September 1920

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
13-Jul-2025 15:40	Dr. John Smith	Added
19-Jul-2025 06:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Embed code, ]