Saro P.531

The Saro P.531, also called the Saunders-Roe P.531, was a British all-metal five-seat helicopter designed and built by Saunders-Roe Limited. It was developed from the Skeeter, and the first prototypes were powered by a derated 325 shaft horsepower Blackburn Turbomeca Turmo 600, a free turbine engine that allowed a clutchless transmission. The P.531 first flew on 20 July 1958. The first prototype, registered G-APNU, was followed by three more prototypes with a full-scale tailplane, and one P.531-2 built for evaluation by the Indian government was re-worked to Scout standard for the Army Air Corps after the Indian side lost interest. The type served with the Army Air Corps and the Fleet Air Arm, the second and third prototypes are held by the Fleet Air Arm Museum, and one of the P.531-2 aircraft is on display at the Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare.