In the Beginning...

Hovercraft as we know them today started life as an experimental design to reduce the drag that was placed on boats & ships as they ploughed through the water. The first recorded design for an air cushion vehicle was put forward by Swedish designer and philosopher, Emmanual Swedenborg in 1716. The craft resembled an upturned dinghy with a cockpit in the centre. Apertures on either side of this allowed the operator to raise or lower a pair of oar-like air scoops, which on the downward strokes would force compressed air beneath the hull, thus raising it above the surface. The project was short-lived and it was never built, for Swedenborg soon realised that to operate such a machine required a source of energy far greater that that which could be supplied by a single human occupant.

In the mid 1870s, Sir John Thornycroft built a number of model craft to check the 'air cushion' effects and even filed patents involving air lubricated hulls. From this time both American and European engineers continued work on the problems of designing a practical craft. Not until the early 20th century was a hovercraft practically possible, because only the internal combustion engine had the very high power to weight ratio suitable for hover flight.

In the mid 1950s Christopher Cockerell (later Sir Christopher), a brilliant British radio engineer and French engineer Jean Bertin, worked along similar lines of research, although they used different approaches to the problem of maintaining the air cushion. Cockerell, while running a small boatyard on the Norfolk Broads in the early 1950's, began by exploring the use of air lubrication to reduce hydrodynamic drag, employing first a punt, then a 20 knot ex-Naval launch as a test craft. The limitation of this approach quickly became apparent, and before long he was fired with a far more ambitious idea, one in which a thin layer of lubricating air gave way to a deep air cushion which would raise the craft above the surface, enabling it not only to clear small waves, but also to make the transition from water to land and back again.

To check his own theory Cockerell used little more than a couple of tins, a blower and a pair of scales. By inserting a cat food tin into a coffee tin, and blowing a jet of air through the gap between the walls of the inner and outer tins, he demonstrated the possibility of a machine that could one day travel on a cushion of air. Aimed at the scales, the blower's jet pressure alone was 1lb (0.45kg). The jet coming out of the tin assembly when brought near the scales gave 3lb (1.36kg).

Unlike earlier plenum-type air cushion vehicles, in which air was simply forced by a fan in to a larger chamber beneath the vehicle and allowed to escape, Cockerell's concept was that air would be taken in through a large fan and separated, a percentage being directed to the cushion via a system of slots around the underside perimeter of the craft, with the nozzle aimed downwards and inwards to form a continuous air curtain. This would create a jet of high pressure air that would move under the hull and be retained to a certain extent by the jet line that formed the curtain effect, the balance of the air being ejected through ports at the rear of the craft for propulsion. It was this idea, an air-flow system, that was the key to progress.

1956 / 1957

Christopher Cockerell had a neighbouring boat builder produce a working model hovercraft. His idea worked very well in model form, but as was later found, considerable power was required to maintain the cushion, and also the hard structure clearance was not ideal.

It was the duty of anyone who thought an invention had any military value to contact the Service ministries and give them first refusal. Accordingly, the model hovercraft flew over many Whitehall carpets in front of various government experts. It was promptly taken out of it's inventor's hands and put on the secret list where it languished for over a year, no-one having any idea what to do with it. News gradually filtered in from abroad of similar projects, particularly that of a Swiss engineer, and Britain seemed to be in danger of losing the lead so far held. A member of the Ministry of Supply staff, Mr R A Shaw then took a step which was to have important consequences, by authorising a small contract to the aircraft company Saunders Roe to check the design of the vehicle.

The Saunders Roe report was favourable and Cockerell gained permission to approach the National Research and Development Corporation (NRDC) to see if they might be prepared to give the hovercraft backing if the project could be freed from the secret list. This Corporation was financed by loans from the British Board of Trade to develop and exploit (where the public interest is involved) British inventions to the manufacturing stage.

1958

Cockerell took a film of the model performing various manoeuvres to show the NRDC in April. The next morning they made their offer; they were prepared to put up £1,000 immediately for securing Cockerell's patent rights. In a later article, Cockerell recounted "how hovercraft very, very, very nearly didn't happen" - at the crucial NRDC board meeting it was only the Chairman's casting vote that secured NRDC backing for the hovercraft project. With the eventual object of forming a British Hovercraft industry, NRDC ordered an experimental craft, the SR.N1, from Saunders Roe (Aviation) in the autumn after having eventually got the craft off the secret list. Hovercraft development for civilian use could now go ahead as its value for military purposes had not yet been proven.

1959

Saunders Roe threw themselves in to the project with great enthusiasm, with the result that the craft was completed two months ahead of schedule, only eight months from starting work. The Cockerell designed research vessel Saunders Roe Nautical One (SR.N1) appeared in May at East Cowes, Isle of Wight - the first flight taking place on 11th June. The press were present in force and watched with astonishment as the model craft was demonstrated to them on a lawn and over a small 'obstacle course'. It was then the turn of the full-sized craft to demonstrate its capabilities, and this was carried out on the concrete slipway. It was obvious that this was not going to be enough though, so the craft was then towed out in to the East Cowes yacht basin by a launch; a nervous time for its engineers as the craft had not taken to water before. All went well though and that craft performed flawlessly, having photographs taken against the Queen Mary which was passing at the time. A few weeks later it performed in a Combined Operations exercise and won commendations from the very services which had spurned it only a year before. This first skirtless craft could operate only in calm seas up to 1½ft in height and negotiate obstacles of 6 to 9 inches.

Having been shipped to France by tender, the world's first all metal hovercraft crossed the Channel between Calais & Dover in 2 hours 3 minutes on 25th July with Captain Peter Lamb piloting, Mr John Chaplin as navigator and the inventor, Mr. (later Sir) Christopher Cockerell in his own words as 'moveable ballast' on board. Extracts from the N1's 1959 log:

"The following morning at 3.00am there was a flat calm and after a brief look at the sea outside the harbour the Chief Test Pilot decided to make an attempt with as little delay as possible. With Mr C S Cockerell and Mr J Chaplin aboard, the craft cleared the harbour entrance at 4.55am just ahead of the RAF Rescue Launch. The wind, such as it was, outside the harbour was about 5kt from the north east. With the craft above hump speed the pilot decided to make as much northing as possible, for the true track was 294 degrees and any increase of wind, which was to be expected with sunrise, could then be used as a quarter to tail wind in the latter stages.

When the craft was well clear of the Whistle Buoy, marking the approach entrance to Calais, the pilot decreased rpm to 2,700 with the craft still above hump speed (estimated 18-20kt). At this time the loom of the South Foreland light was just visible, but fast disappearing with the approach of daylight. For the next five miles, navigation was made by dead reckoning, with the RAF Rescue Launch, which had previously agreed to maintain a true track from Calais to Dover, well away on the port side.

At approximately 5.30am the white cliffs of Dover, tinged with red in the morning sunrise, were first visible. Up to this time the SR.N1 appeared to have made extremely good progress at a constant setting on 2,700 rpm. However a slight swell was now apparent which retarded the progress of the craft and on several occasions dropped her back below hump speed. When this happened the pilot was forced to accelerate by increasing rpm and altering to a westerly heading to ride above the hump, before resuming the true course with minimum engine power.

In mid-Channel the wind appeared to increase. This was especially noticeable by the drift of the craft when well above the hump. This factor coupled with the larger swell, which appeared to be travelling in the same direction as the wind, produced at times the disconcerting fact of nosing-in with the port propulsion duct. It was at this point that a small boat, over which the SR.N1 had the right of way, appeared on a constant bearing. When it was obvious that a collision would be imminent if both craft persued their present courses, the pilot was forced to alter heading in to wind to starboard. At the same time the small boat, which either had not been keeping a good look-out or had been completely misled by the drift of the SR.N1, altered course to port. With muttered oaths to mariners, the pilot was forced to put the SR.N1 statically on the water and allow this small boat to manoeuvre out of the awkward in which it found itself.

After this incident the SR.N1 took an appreciable time to get above the hump speed: in all probability due to the variable wind and moderate swell. Both Mr Chaplin and Mr Cockerell tried moving their positions with little success. After proceeding for two miles below hump speed, the craft crossed the swell of a large ship proceeding north through the Straits of Dover. An appreciable amount of water was shipped on the port side from this swell and both observers moved to starboard to compensate the trim of the craft and avoid getting washed overboard.

After refuelling, the craft was clear of the swell in the lee of St Margaret's Bay, and it proceeded at the best speed it had obtained throughout the whole passage up and through the entrance to Dover Harbour. It was estimated that the craft probably achieved 30kt in the last mad dash. The craft proceeded through the harbour and beached adjacent to the Clock Tower some 2 hours and 3 minutes after getting underway at Calais."."

It was 50 years to the day that Louis Bleriot made the first crossing of the Dover Strait by aeroplane. Although the SR.N1 was the first hovercraft to make the trip successfully, it was plagued with slow performance and the inability to traverse even very small waves easily with a hoverheight of only 23cm. At first it had seemed as if the peripheral jet would provide sufficient clearance height to allow a medium size craft to negotiate coastal waters, at least, without employing more than one half or one quarter of the power required by a conventional aircraft or helicopter of similar capacity. But in practice, the clearance height was only one twentieth or one thirtieth of its beam. This meant that craft 40ft wide and 80ft long would have a clearance between the base of their hardstructure and the surface beneath of only 1 to 2 ft. Had this situation continued, the air-cushion vehicle would not have advanced beyond the stage of an interesting aerodynamic phenomenon, but with very limited practical application.

In December 1959 the Duke of Edinburgh visited Saunders Row at East Cowes and persuaded the chief test-pilot Commander Peter Lamb to allow him to take over the SR.N1's controls. He flew her so fast that he was asked to slow down a little. On examination of the craft afterwards, it was found that she had been dished in the bow due to excessive speed - this damage was never allowed to be repaired, and was affectionately referred to as the 'Royal Dent'.

Further work by another inventor, C H Latimer-Needham, on the flexible skirt produced the breakthrough required to enable the craft to maintain a deep enough air cushion for the negotiation of waves and obstacles. After reading about Cockerell's experiments, he thought about the size of the waves that these craft would likely encounter in the English Channel and the Atlantic, and was convinced that this clearly called for some form of flexible skirt to contain the air cushion and enable vessels to traverse significantly rougher surfaces. On contact with the obstacle, the skirt would tend to collapse, but by reducing the peripheral diameter at the base, either by built-in taper or curvature, there would be a downward component of force tending to keep the skirt extended.

1960 / 1961

In October 1961, Latimer-Needham sold his skirt patents to Westland, the parent company of Saunders Roe Ltd, which built the SR.N1. The earliest Westland skirts were simply extensions of the inner and outer edges of the peripheral air ducts at the base of the hardstructure, made in two sheets of rubberised fabric and feeding air in to the cushion through the gap that separated the skirts at the hemline. Air from the lift fan simply entered between the two walls of the skirt, which then inflated, and was discharged in to the cushion at its base. As the skirt concept was developed, so easily replaceable 'fingers' or loops of material were fastened at the hemline. to reduce water drag and take the wear.

The introduction of the skirt was a vital engineering breakthrough. It meant that the total depth of the air cushion beneath the solid structure was now equal to the depth of the skirt, plus the daylight clearance or hovergap between the skirt hemline. and the ground. Engineers at Westland soon ascertained that, for a given power, the obstacle clearance height was ten times greater. Apart from being subjected to very considerable wear and tear, particularly at high speed over water, it was felt that it would offer few operational problems. It would deflect on coming in to contact with waves, rocks and jetties, and since afterwards it would return promptly to its normal inflated shape, air leakage would be minimal.

1962

The SR.N1 was now fitted with a Rolls Royce Viper jet engine for forward propulsion, and now made 50kt with ease instead of it's earlier piston-engined maximum of 35kt. With a 4ft skirt fitted around the perimeter of the craft, the craft could cope with 6 to 7ft waves, cross marshland with gullies up to 4ft deep and traverse obstacles up to 3ft 6in high. Moreover, the craft was now operating at twice its original weight, with no increase in lift power. With this new configuration, hovercraft developers around the world took note and high performance craft started to appear.

The craft was gradually modified over time both in hull shape and by the addition of a propulsion air intake 'shed' as well as cushion air bleed control ducts. Being of such important historic interest, the SR.N1 is now in the care of the Science Museum in London.

On 20th July, the 12.5 tonne, 24 seater, Vickers VA 3 started the world's first experimental passenger hovercraft service between Moreton (on Leasowe Bay in the Wirral) across the Dee estuary to Rhyl in North Wales. Though the service was extremely popular, landing sites, unreliable 400hp engines and bad weather made it an inauspicious start. 23 of the 59 operational days were cancelled, almost ending with the craft being dashed to pieces against the Rhyl seawall when it broke free from its moorings during a storm. The skirtless VA 3 only had a hoverheight of 20 cm. This experimental two month service was operated by British United Airways.

A passenger service was started from Eastney, Portsmouth to Ryde on weekday mornings from 11th to 24th August using the larger and more robust 48 seat SR.N2 craft. This was operated by Southdown Motor Services and Westland Aircraft, who took over from Saunders Roe in 1959. The continued development of skirts (in which to trap an air cushion beneath the craft) enabled the potential of hovercraft to be exploited commercially.

1963

The 27 tonne SR.N2 was operated on an experimental service across the Bristol Channel between Weston-super-Mare and Penarth, South Wales, by P & A Campbell from 23 July until 30 August. The same year, Westland laid down a production line at its East Cowes factory to produce the SR.N5 and SR.N6 craft which had been designed.

1964

On 11 April the first 20 seater Warden Class SR.N5 was launched. This new 15 to 18 seater craft joined a new company, Hovertransport, on the experimental Ryde to Eastney route starting on 17th June. SR.N2's skirt was deepened from 2ft to 4ft and capacity increased to 52 seats. The craft joined the SR.N5 on the route a few weeks later and 30,000 fare paying passengers were carried in the period to 31st August a date which marked the end of the experimental hovercraft services in the United Kingdom.

The IHTU (Interservice Hovercraft Trials Unit) tested the SR.N3 at their facility at HMS Daedalus near Gosport to ascertain whether hovercraft could have any military potential.

1965

Hovertravel Ltd started their Southsea to Ryde service with Winchester Class, 38 seater SR.N6 hovercraft. A Ryde to Stokes Bay, Gosport service was also started but closed two years later. In the first two years of operation, 500,000 passengers were carried.

During November, Hoverlloyd Ltd (a Swedish company jointly owned by Swedish Lloyd and the Swedish American Line) was formed with the object of pioneering the world's first international hovercraft service between Ramsgate and Calais.

1966

The hovercraft interests of Vickers & Westland were merged to become the British Hovercraft Corporation, a company which then became a wholly owned subsidiary of Westland during 1971. Hoverlloyd's SR.N6 charter was part of a contract with Westland for two of the massive SR.N4s which would be able to carry 254 passengers and 30 cars across the English Channel in 30 minutes, a project which captured the public imagination. The British Government, possibly prompted by the order from the Swedish owned Hoverlloyd, instructed British Rail to set up a hovercraft subsidiary and introduce an Isle of Wight route prior to taking delivery of the first SR.N4 for cross-Channel services in 1968. During March, British Rail Hovercraft Ltd formed Seaspeed and the Southampton to Cowes service started in July with two 36 seat SR.N6 craft (a stretched version of the SR.N5).

Hoverlloyd introduced two SR.N6 craft named Swift and Sure, on to the 28 mile Ramsgate to Calais link. The service commenced at 07.30 on 6th April with 022 craft, Swift. Until Sure (025) was delivered, Hoverlloyd used the unnamed SR.N6 (016). The original termini were in both Ramsgate and Calais harbours.

Townsend Car Ferries (in association with their subsidiary company, P & A Campbell Ltd) were quick to examine the use of hovercraft on cross Channel operations. Their SR.N6 (024) was named Britannia and was delivered on 14th June, running from the North East corner of the Camber in Dover Harbour to Calais.

The orders from Hoverlloyd and Townsend epitomised the optimism of the time although an early casualty was Townsend Car Ferries whose service lasted less than three months before weather and technical problems forced cross-Channel operations to close on 27th July. Thereafter operations were limited to two summer seasons of joy rides from beaches along the South coast of England. Hoverlloyd, though, did complete its cross-Channel schedules during the summers of 1966 and 1967.

1967

March saw Seaspeed's Cowes - Portsmouth Harbour link open using an SR.N6 (the service closed in September 1969). Seaspeed placed an order for the 165 ton Mountbatten class SR.N4 for cross Channel work between Dover and Boulogne.

Townsend's SR.N6 Britannia again offered 'off the beach' joy-rides from Hastings, Greatstone, Folkestone, Margate & Leysdown before being returned to the British Hovercraft Corporation at East Cowes. Townsend refused the option of their own SR.N4 for cross-Channel work.

1968

April saw a third Seaspeed Isle of Wight service start, from Portsmouth to Ryde, using at first an SR.N6 and then the new 65 seater HM 2 sidewall craft powered by marine screws, and therefore unable to leave the water. The craft was not successful and the link was temporarily closed to fast ferries in September 1972.

The former Townsend SR.N6 was chartered to Hoverlloyd for the season where it worked the Ramsgate to Calais service as the second named, Swift (the original being off service for repairs). Thereafter it was passed to Hovertravel for use on their Southsea to Ryde link. Townsend sold the craft in 1969 and two years later it was converted by Hoverwork to become a flat-deck freighter.

The first 165 ton Mountbatten class SR.N4 was launched at East Cowes at 14.07 hours on Sunday 4th February. The craft cost £1.75 million and was fitted with a Mk I skirt - 2.5 metres high which was expected to cope with most conditions in the Channel. It underwent 2 hours 30 minutes of trials, covering a distance of 20 miles and reaching speeds approaching 50 knots - this in winds gusting to force 6. The world's first hovercraft car ferry made its maiden flight from Dover to Boulogne on 11th June, crossing in 35 minutes. Further test runs were undertaken before the Mountbatten class SR.N4 returned to East Cowes for final completion. The outward trip from East Cowes to Dover was made in 2 hours at an average of 56 knots.

The prototype SR.N4, now named Princess Margaret, entered commercial service for Seaspeed on the 26 mile route between Dover (Eastern Docks) and Boulogne at 10.25 on 1st August following two days of press and VIP trips. This route was chosen so that customers could easily be switched to British Rail's ship ferry service if anything went wrong. Officially named by HRH The Princess Margaret on the previous day - both she and Lord Snowdon crossed to Boulogne and back. Three days later the craft was out of service with a damaged skirt and a small oil leak. It returned to service on 8th August although the two month trial period was marked by a lack of reliability.

From 15th August to 30th September six daily return flights were advertised, the first leaving Dover at 08.20 and then every two hours. Wednesday was half-day - with three round trips followed by a period of maintenance. Fares were £3.10s.0d (£3.50) single with a day excursion for £3.00.

Even the moderate wave conditions to which the Board of Trade's initial licence limited the SR.N4 played havoc with the 2.5 metre skirt. It emerged later that a chain linking the inner flaps of the segmented skirt for extra strength was not up to the actual stresses received and when it broke, the loose ends slashed the skirt fabric to ribbons. Changing skirt sections was a lengthy operation and Seaspeed only had maintenance facilities at Dover and no craft in reserve. During November, the Princess Margaret was withdrawn and returned to Cowes for the fitting of the new Mk II skirt which had been developed, as well as some fairly substantial alterations in certain specifications.

On 10th December, Hoverlloyd's first SR.N4 (production number 002) later named Swift was rolled out on to the pad at East Cowes. It was the first craft with the new Mk II skirt which provided both a smoother ride and more protection to the bow.

1969

Hoverlloyd's SR.N4 underwent trials at the Pegwell Bay terminal on 17th January. On 23rd January, the craft was named Swift by Mrs. Mary Wilson, wife of Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

During March, Seaspeed's The Princess Margaret paid a visit to the Pool of London and the new £600,000 Calais Hoverport was opened on 1st April.

Hoverlloyd's new Pegwell Bay service commenced with the SR.N4 Swift on 2nd April. Exactly one month later, the Duke of Edinburgh officially opened the £1 million terminal and flew the Swift across the Goodwin Sands himself. Hoverlloyd's second SR.N4, Sure was named by Mrs. Soames, wife of the British Ambassador to Paris, on 3rd June.

The second Seaspeed SR.N4, The Princess Anne, started operations at Dover on 8th August. The craft was officially named by HRH Princess Anne at Dover on 21st October. The twin Dover craft now achieved 95% reliability. A Seaspeed SR.N4 crossed from Dover to Ostend (the first visit of such a craft to Belgium) on 5th October on charter to the Murat Temple Shrine of Indianapolis, USA and the craft was opened for inspection to members of the public.

On 29th October a propeller flew from one of the Ramsgate craft causing some £50,000 of damage to Pegwell Bay Hoverport. Both craft were grounded, as were Seaspeed's at Dover, for investigation, although Seaspeed resumed services 48 hours later. One of their craft went on charter to the Ministry of Technology for 5 weeks.

During the summer period, Hoverlloyd lost only 4% of their scheduled services, half of those due to weather conditions. Hovercraft now took 7½% of the market share across the Channel.

1970

Hoverlloyd announced that they were looking at the possibility of a service to Ostend. On 7th October, Hoverlloyd's Sure operated a charter flight from London (Tower Pier) to Tilbury. It was announced that if the third London airport was built at Foulness, in the Thames estuary, Hoverlloyd would investigate providing a service in to London.

During the winter period, 1st October to 1st June 1971, Seaspeed ran daily flights to Calais in addition to Boulogne. Up to the end of September, 310,000 passengers and 45,000 cars were carried while Hoverlloyd announced a 65% increase in passenger carryings.

1971

Both Seaspeed SR.N6 craft on the Southampton to Cowes route were stretched by 10ft during the winter of 1971-72 becoming the Mk IS craft Sea Hawk and the Sea Eagle - now capable of carrying 58 passengers.

On the cross-Channel service, Seaspeed were operating 78 weekly flights from Dover to Boulogne while Hoverlloyd operated 88 flights from Pegwell Bay to Calais. British Railways board looked into merging Seaspeed with the British Rail shipping division (later named Sealink).

Vosper Thornycroft's VT1 craft 001 underwent sea trials from Dover from 18th April but nine days later it was towed back in to the harbour by a tug following engine failure.

Seaspeed looked at a charter for relief services during the summer, and their Dover to Calais route, operated experimentally in 1970, resumed on a year-round basis on 1st October. It was announced that the company were only planning a further 4 or 5 years life for the two SR.N4 craft.

On the evening of 17th October, The Princess Margaret was holed in rough seas. Some 30ft of skirt was damaged and the craft was off service for 12 days. In another incident in late November, Hoverlloyd's Swift was stranded at Sangatte, near Calais, with most of the skirt ripped away. The Sure was on overhaul and so service had to be suspended. On Christmas Eve, The Princess Anne made a special trip to the Varne Light Vessel, off Dover, with gifts in recognition of weather reports given to Seaspeed craft.

1972

Hoverlloyd ordered a third SR.N4 costing between £1.75 - 2 million and due to enter service on 1st July. The craft was rolled out at East Cowes in May, was handed over on 5th June, and undertook its delivery flight to Pegwell Bay on 14th June. GH-2008 was named Sir Christopher (after its inventor) on 29th June and it made its maiden commercial flight on 3rd July.

Both Hoverlloyd and Seaspeed predicted profits for 1972; for the latter company it would be the first occasion but only if 750,000 passengers and 115,000 cars were carried. Feasibility studies were carried out into a 600 seater hovercraft.

1973

Hoverlloyd's three SR.N4s were to be converted to Mk II specification with the two inner passenger cabins on the car deck removed to allow greater space for vehicles and main passenger deck extended outwards to edge of the craft's raft superstructure thereby increasing capacity from 250 to 276 passengers and 30 to 36 cars. The first craft, Swift, was flown to East Cowes for conversion in September and was ready by January 1973. The other craft followed thereafter through to 1974.

1974

By the end of 1974 nearly 1½ million people a year were being carried across the Channel by hovercraft which represented 30% of the passenger traffic. The percentage of car traffic carried by hovercraft was growing even faster. Five 200 tonne hovercraft were in competition with fifteen 6,000 tonne ferries of about the same payload capacity, but on average half the hovercraft space was filled compared to about one third of the space on ships.

1975

Seaspeed's SR.N6, Sea Hawk (usually on the Cowes to Southampton service) was chartered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club to operate a service between Carnoustie and St. Andrews, Fife for the duration of the Open Golf Championship. This was repeated in 1978.

1976

Government approval was given for the stretching of Seaspeed's twin SR.N4 craft - GH-2006 The Princess Margaret and GH-2007 The Princess Anne to Mk III status, the first craft due to be ready for the summer of 1977. Lengthening by 55ft increased passenger capacity from 254 to 424 and cars from 30 to 54. With the four Rolls Royce Marine Proteus gas-turbines being uprated to 3,800 shp, larger propellers with a diameter of 21ft (6.4m) were fitted and weight was increased from 190 to 265 tons. The skirt was also deepened to 7.5 metres enabling the craft to cope with 4 metre waves in gale force 9 conditions. The stretched twins and the two new French N500 hovercraft (then under construction near Bordeaux) required a new hoverport within Dover Harbour.

The last of Seaspeed's Isle of Wight services (that from Cowes to Southampton) was transferred to the ownership of Solent Seaspeed (a subsidiary of Hovertravel Ltd and the British Hovercraft Corporation) on 1st May. The first of the three Seaspeed Isle of Wight routes to open was the last to close.

Between 4th - 6th May, Hoverlloyd's GH-2008 Sir Christopher visited Portland for mine countermeasures trials for the Ministry of Defence calling at HMS Daedalus at Gosport, Hampshire en route.

SEDAM in France entered the hovercraft industry in the mid-1960s with their major project being the N500 which was designed to carry 400 passengers and 60 cars. The first of SNCF's two N500 Naviplanes was launched at Pauillac, near Bordeaux, on 15th November and was due in service on 15th May 1977. This craft had an original design of skirt formed of a number of individual cells called 'jupes'.

Gale damage to the new Dover Hoverport put the opening date back some 10 months.

1977

GH-2007 The Princess Anne entered British Hovercraft Corporation's East Cowes yard on 21st February for stretching, the work costing some £6 million.

SEDAM's N500 development programme was dealt a crippling blow in early May when the first of the twin French Naviplanes, Cote d'Argent, was destroyed by fire during maintenance after it had completed only seven hours of running. This craft was scheduled to be in service on 1st June in order to maintain the advertised services and with The Princess Anne still at Cowes for stretching, Seaspeed's summer service was greatly reduced.

Hoverlloyd's fourth SR.N4 The Prince of Wales (GH-2054) entered service between Ramsgate & Calais on 18th June, the craft having more than 120 modifications and improvements on the previous hovercraft, the main difference being the larger, new type of control cabin. It was the first craft built as a Mk II from the outset.

The second of the SEDAM N500 craft, Ingenieur Jean Bertin, (named after the craft's designer and due in service in July) was scheduled to start trials in September and commence Dover - Boulogne flights in the spring of 1978. A decision was still awaited on whether or not a further craft should be constructed. The Ingenieur Jean Bertin finally arrived at Boulogne on 30th November, its capacity was 385 passengers and 45 cars, substantially lower than predicted. The craft weighed 240 tonnes and had a top speed of 76 knots. Unusually it was a twin deck craft with the passenger seating area above the car deck giving it extra headroom for Continental coaches and freight. The craft was also more fuel efficient than its British counterparts. Although of an advanced design, there was concern that it was untried.

The two companies were now carrying over 1.6 million passengers and 260,000 vehicles a year.

1978

The new Dover Hoverport at the Western Docks was 'topped-out' on 24th February and ready for service on 4th July, the cost having risen from £8 million to £14 million. The French Naviplane Ingenieur Jean Bertin, tested the pad on 9th March.

The stretched SR.N4 (now designated Mk III or Super 4), The Princess Anne was re-launched at Cowes on 6th April. On 22nd April, the craft visited the Naval Hovercraft Trials Unit at HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-Solent where it was visited by Lord Louis Mountbatten who paid 10p for the first 'Super 4' passenger flight ! The craft eventually arrived at Dover from Cowes on 26th April but manning problems delayed its re-entry into service. During early July the craft ran a publicity flight to Ostend.

Hoverlloyd announced that they were considering the purchase of N500 craft or possibly stretching its SR.N4s. The new Dover Hoverport was opened on 5th July, the Ingenieur Jean Bertin being the first craft to use it. The French Naviplane ran an irregular service during the summer, experiencing problems with engines and hydraulics and having problems mounting the Dover pad in bad weather. The craft was off service during early August for engine modifications and was not back until 23rd September.

On 15th September, The Princess Anne was hit by huge waves off the French coast and was beached at Wissant where inspection revealed 130ft of skirt carried away. The craft was carefully flown back to it's maintenance base at Dover for repairs. The Princess Margaret departed Dover on 18th September for stretching at Cowes but turned back to Dover due to rough seas; a successful flight being made to Cowes on the following day. The Duke of Kent officially opened Dover's new Hoverport on 23rd October.

1979

Seaspeed were scheduled to operate 11 daily trips to Boulogne and 8 to Calais during the summer period. The newly stretched SR.N4 Mk III, The Princess Margaret, was launched at Cowes on 23rd April and arrived back at Dover on 1st May taking a visit to the Pool of London en-route. Boulogne's new Hoverport was opened on 24th July.

On 17th August the SEDAM N500 Naviplane experienced a complete engine failure during a gale when eight miles off Boulogne. A helicopter landed engineers on board and a tug was called from Dieppe to assist if needed. The Ingenieur Jean Bertin was stranded with it's passengers for 8 hours without power in mid-Channel.

Talks of a merger between Hoverlloyd and Seaspeed were again resurrected as Hoverlloyd's owners announced in September that its four hovercraft were for sale. The British Railways board described the talk of merger as 'pure speculation'. Civil Aviation Authority ruling was changed to allow the SR.N4s to operate in up to 50 knot winds with waves of up to 3.5 metres height (previously 35 knots and 2.5 metre waves), the result of which was that fewer services were lost due to poor weather conditions.

The SR.N1 experimental hovercraft was rebuilt to Mk V standard by a group of apprentices at the British Hovercraft Corporation. This work was very important, preserving the very first large man-carrying amphibious hovercraft.

1980

The Princess Margaret was hit by a large wave on 11th October and her superstructure received damage. As a consequence, her refit was brought forward. Seaspeed carried 1.3 million passengers (200,000 more than in 1979) but still lost £2.8 million. The company told Kent County Council that it would stay in operation until at least summer 1982, however all hope of a direct rail link in to the new Dover Hoverport was now abandoned; the link being one of the main reasons for building the Hoverport in that position. Overall carryings between the two companies increased to over 2.4 million passengers and 389,000 vehicles.

1981

Seaspeed's summer timetable showed an hourly service to Calais with a two hourly service to Boulogne - the first time that Calais had received more flights from Dover.

The Hoverlloyd and Seaspeed merger was again discussed as £1 million each year could be saved by setting up a joint engineering and maintenance base and without a merger, all cross Channel hovercraft operations were in danger of closing down. The Monopolies Commission reported that it could see no realistic alternative to the closure of British Rail Hovercraft if losses on the scale of those recorded in the past continued. Hoverlloyd's owners, Bronstroms Rederi AB, announced that if a merger did not take place then they would close their operations as soon as possible. Although Hoverlloyd made money for its owners, Bronstroms faced financial problems from other subsidiary companies and Seaspeed made hefty losses in the period 1977-80.

The Princess Margaret was off service after hitting the Prince of Wales' Pier in thick fog on 23rd January. With The Princess Anne refitting, Seaspeed chartered the Swift and then the Sir Christopher from Hoverlloyd before The Princess Anne returned on 23rd February. The go-ahead for the merger of Hoverlloyd and Seaspeed was given during the summer and Hoverspeed was formed in October.

The French N500 lost 40% of flights due to technical problems and was withdrawn on 26th September (it was stated that this would be a permanent withdrawal if the French were not accepted in to the new Hoverspeed). This and the lack of French Government action over ordering another Naviplane caused a strike by French workers on 9th September.

Hoverspeed was officially 'launched' on 25th October and until March 1982, six daily return flights were made each to both Calais and Boulogne from Dover. Sir Christopher was the first craft painted in the new red, white and blue livery. After lengthy negotiations, SNCF took a 10% share in Hoverspeed on the understanding that their N500 Naviplane received extensive modifications, costing £500,000 and taking a year, to allow a more reliable service to be given.

1982

Hoverspeed carried 2.5 million passengers and 400,000 cars in the first six months - the same number as the two concerns in 1981 but with 35% fewer flights and with 250 less staff. By the year's end, the company had a 21% market share of cross-Channel traffic. Plans were announced to extend the former Hoverlloyd SR.N4s to Mk III configuration.

On 31st August, the Swift received a tear in her skirt and beached nearly a mile west of Calais. Passengers and cars were offloaded on to beach where they were picked up by the Sure, demonstrating the versatility of the craft. Ramsgate Hoverport was closed to cross-Channel traffic in September and became the Hoverspeed maintenance base. The SEDAM N500 Naviplane underwent cross Channel trials on 14th December following its extensive modifications.

1983

A 25% cut in services was planned. The first full year of joint operation broke even - not the hoped-for $4 million profit. In a statement it was announced that in order to further reduce costs, Ramsgate was to close completely and the Swift and Sure were to be offered for sale.

The French SEDAM N500 Naviplane was taken in to the Hoverspeed fleet on 23rd February after its modifications and started service on 18th March operating 3 round trips each day increasing to 5 during the summer. By this time the French Government had disbanded the design and marketing teams at SEDAM and on 27th July, the Company announced that the craft was not suitable for their services and it was returned to SNCF. Its main problem appeared to be excessive vibration caused by its high pressure air cushion system. A new skirt and air system had been fitted during the 1982 period off service (the original skirt only allowed the craft to carry two thirds of its car payload). During its trial period for Hoverspeed, the Naviplane lost 30% of its intended flights. Failures occurred in propeller pitch and propulsion systems and cracks developed in the hull and fittings; thought to be the result of the excessive vibrations.

SR.N4 Swift, which had been held in reserve at Dover since the start of the year, came back to take the Naviplane's schedules. Her sister craft Sure was broken up at Pegwell Bay and used as 'spares' for the rest of the fleet, although this decision was later regretted when Hoverspeed were short of capacity.

1984

On 16th February, Hoverspeed was sold to its Directors for a nominal sum by the British Railways Board and Bronstroms of Sweden and a £3.2 million loss was turned in to a £194,000 pre-tax profit within two years. On 25th July, Commander Peter Lamb, the Captain of the first SR.N1 hovercraft flight across the Channel, attended the 25th Anniversary celebrations of the first crossing as a guest of Hoverspeed.

1985

On 30th March, cross Channel hovercraft had their darkest day when The Princess Margaret was blown in to the Southern Breakwater at Dover when passing through the western entrance inward bound from Calais. Four passengers were tragically lost from the rear-starboard cabin and severe damage to the craft was sustained.

It was announced in October that Hoverspeed were considering the use of Boeing Jetfoils (in use on the Dover - Ostend service since 1981) on the Dover to Boulogne link. The ill-fated SEDAM N500 Naviplane, Ingenieur Jean Bertin, was broken up with the use of a mechanical digger on the Boulogne hoverpad during late October, although Hoverspeed had been allowed to salvage such items as propellers which were compatible with the SR.N4 Mk III craft.

1986

In June, Hoverspeed was sold for £5 million to Sea Containers of Bermuda, the owners of Sealink British Ferries, Orient Express etc and the craft had 'British Ferries' incorporated in to their livery. Sea Containers President, Mr James Sherwood, said that he was 'not hopeful' the hovercraft would continue in service. Immediate plans were put forward to convert one or two of the Mk II hovercraft to passenger only format taking between 500 - 600 mainly railway foot passengers between Folkestone and Boulogne. Hoverspeed were looking at the introduction of wave-piercing catamarans to replace the hovercraft, with tank testing being carried out in Vienna.

1987 / 1988 / 1989

On 12th July, the Sir Christopher was the last hovercraft to leave Ramsgate. The last remnants of the Sure were finally broken up there before the end of the year. The terminal building, which used to boast a bar and dance floor with live music for waiting passengers and local residents alike, stood for a number of years, neglected and vandalised and was eventually demolished; the site being earmarked for redevelopment.

1990

In January Sea Containers sold Sealink to the Swedish Stena Line. Neither Hoverspeed nor Wightlink (formerly Sealink Isle of Wight services) were included in the sale.

1991

Hoverspeed announced their intention that the hovercraft would be phased out at the end of the summer season and that four SeaCats would operate their crossings in 1992. The hovercraft were becoming increasingly expensive to run and their giant propellers were no longer made.

All five SR.N4 craft continued to operate until the end of the season on 10th October after which time the three Mk II craft were withdrawn ready for an expected sale to a buyer in Indonesia. Both remaining Mk III craft underwent refurbishment to their passenger accommodations and received a modified livery to reflect that of the SeaCats. Passenger certificates were reduced from 425 to 390. The most recent of the Mk II craft, The Prince of Wales, was kept in reserve while the older two craft, the Swift and Sir Christopher were offered for sale for approximately £1 million each.

1992

Both Mk III craft were reintroduced during April. The three Mk II craft were still up for sale, the Indonesian deal having fallen through. The surprise charter of SeaCat Hoverspeed Great Britain to Argentina brought The Princess Anne back on winter service in October.

1993

The Princess Anne offered six flights a day to Calais over the winter period. The Princess Margaret rejoined her sister on 1st April for the summer season, after further refurbishment which included the provision of 'Blue Riband' areas, doubling the flights to twelve per day.

On 2nd April, the spare (and youngest) Mk II craft, the 1977 built The Prince of Wales was gutted after an electrical fire destroyed her port cabin; the craft was later broken up on the Dover pad and used for spares for the remaining craft. A year round hovercraft service continued to Calais, the Boulogne service having now been discontinued and the Boulogne Hoverport closed.

1994

Both Mk III hovercraft continued in service beyond the official opening of the Channel Tunnel in May, their 35 minute crossings still being the fastest way to France.

A departure from the Hoverspeed fleet at this time was the redundant SR.N4 Mk II Swift which was towed from Dover to RNAS Lee-on-Solent near Gosport on 25th June. It was hoped that the Swift would become the centrepiece of the new Hovercraft Museum which was due to open some time after 1996. The £1 million craft was donated to the museum trustees through the generosity of Hoverspeed.

1995

The Princess Anne set a new cross-Channel record of just 22 minutes on its 10.00 flight of 14th September. Her Master, Captain Nick Dunn said, "The conditions were just right, calm seas, excellent visibility and not much traffic in the shipping lanes. I just opened up the throttles and the craft's four Rolls Royce turbines did the rest." The craft had undergone some preparation for the attempt and the load that day was light. Nick Dunn told me that the run was made on the return flight to Dover, after having parked The Princess Anne facing the sea at Calais. All that had to be done was to lift off and push the throttles to full power, heading in a straight line for Dover. I was told that that usual speed limits within the harbour at Dover were waived on that occasion, and the craft was brought towards the pad at full power. As the tide was out, the slope of the ramp to the pad was used to brake the craft together with a generous amount of reverse pitch on the propellers. The craft was then unceremoniously dumped on the pad to make the record time. The previous record, of 24 minutes, was held by the Mk II craft Swift which is still preserved at the naval premises in Lee on Solent ready for use by the Hovercraft Museum.

1996

In yet another livery change, the Mk III craft continued to provide a year-round service while the SeaCats proved less than reliable. Hoverspeed secured a deal with Rolls Royce for the supply of engine parts which will likely keep the two Mk III craft in service beyond 2000.

1997

The last of the Mk II craft, Sir Christopher, continued to languish on the pad at Dover. The craft, which was still being gradually cannibalised, was in use as a store, half painted in the new Hoverspeed livery to present a 'tidy' appearance to passengers on the pad.

1998

The remaining two Mk III craft still provided a reliable year-round service. Early in the year, first The Princess Margaret and then The Princess Anne were each taken out of service for their annual refit, the other craft maintaining services with six return flights each day. Each craft was stripped right down to basics for deep structural maintenance which included stripping paint off the structure, removal of elements such as rudders, pylons and doors, engine & propeller overhaul and re-fitting, control cabin equipment upgrades and a complete re-paint. This was one of the most intensive overhauls the craft have had since being stretched to Mk III status in the late 70s and the craft have now been proclaimed to be 'as good as new'.

On a trip to Dover on 21 February, it was apparent that Sir Christopher was entering her final few months on the Dover pad. She had been stripped of all her useful fittings including cockpit equipment, doors and even windows etc which could usefully be used on the Mk III craft, and the remainder of the structure was being progressively cut up and binned. She was still painted in the current Hoverspeed livery on her port side which faces the pad, but her starboard side was looking very sorry indeed. Her skirt had been cut off about 12 inches down from it's attachment to the hull, just leaving the fixings and a strip of rubber to show where it was. This was particularly saddening for me as she was the first of the craft on which I travelled back in the late 70's.

On a visit on 14th April, Sir Christopher was noticeable by her absence. All that remained were the bow ramp and rear doors, as well as a number of propeller pylons and lift fans stacked up at the side of the pad. At the side of the maintenance building, there was a heap of small items salvaged from the craft, including doors, hatches, seats , propeller shafts etc; basically anything that might be of some use on the Mk III craft sometime in the future. I am told by Warwick Jacobs of the Hovercraft Society that some sections of the craft have been saved and donated to various individuals and museums. For example, apparently the control cabin is now someone's garden shed and I am told the keel skirt is in use by a light hovercraft club on their track ! Various components are also being donated to the Hovercraft Museum to help with the restoration of Swift. These spares are now sorted and laid out a little more neatly, being made ready for use on the Mk III craft.

On 24th & 25th June, The Princess Anne took a full load of enthusiasts (including the writer) to the Goodwin Sands, exposed at low tide in the Channel, together with a number of light hovercraft.

This was an important year for The Princess Margaret, with her 30th birthday on 1st August. In July, a number of guests were invited by Hoverspeed to partake in Anniversary celebrations at Dover. The Princess Margaret was taken out of service and parked on the pad. She was thoroughly cleaned and her car deck was laid out with dining tables and elaborate decorations and lighting. A sumptuous meal was served to guests followed by after dinner talks by some of the people who have made hovercraft history at Dover.

In late October, The Princess Margaret was again the victim of freak weather when she was damaged by a large wave while about 10 minutes out of Dover on her way to Calais. The craft's Captain, Nick Rose, was apparently taking things very carefully in heavy seas when, while at reduced speed on full cushion, the craft mounted the crest of a large wave which had a big trough the other side of it. Air was lost from the cushion and the 30 year old craft settled in to the trough, only to be hit by the following wave. This impacted on the starboard superstructure between the anchor and 'cow catcher' bars (which are designed to stop the skirt from coming up and hitting the superstructure in such conditions). The wave and skirt caused some damage to the cabin wall, breaking two windows in the process, although there were no injuries to passengers or crew.

After settling the craft on the water to carry out some checks, Captain Rose returned The Princess Margaret to Dover where Hoverspeed's maintenance facilities are based. Apparently within three hours of the craft's arrival, an area on the pad was cleared and the damaged area was shrouded in scaffolding. Repairs to the superstructure were completed in record time by Hoverspeed engineers, and the craft was quickly back in service on the Dover to Calais route, there having been no further damage sustained. In conversation with a senior Hoverspeed crewmember, I was told that the repaired area is in fact now better than the original structure. Hoverspeed engineers are also considering pre-fabricating some forward cabin sections ready for even quicker repairs to be carried out should this sort of incident occur again.

Over the following weekend in extreme gale force winds and high seas, Hoverspeed were heroes of the day when all Ferry & Channel Tunnel Train services to France were cancelled due to the weather (the Channel Tunnel, touted as the solution to crossing in bad weather, is apparently unable to operate in high winds due to windshear at the Calais end of the tunnel causing problems with the trains). Part way through the day, when the winds had died down a little, it was decided to run one service to Calais with The Princess Anne to repatriate a number of stranded French travellers. The craft made the crossing in very quick time due to following winds, and was then herself stranded in Calais for the night, unable to make the return crossing to Dover in to the wind. No doubt the crew made the most of their enforced leave in France that evening !

1999

The Princess Anne has now completed her winter maintenance period and she has been totally stripped and rebuilt inside and out. Like her sister before her, The Princess Margaret is now completely covered in scaffolding to allow engineers access to all areas. The rudders and propeller pylons have been removed, as have the engines and lift fans. She was stripped down to her aluminium skin - the first time this had been done since stretching from Mk 1 to Mk 3 standard. A number of holes were cut in her superstructure and panels removed from her decks in order to gain access to certain areas, and to cure small leaks that had appeared. New panels have now been fitted to replace these areas, and the whole craft is currently being freshly painted in the new Hoverspeed corporate livery. Sea trials are scheduled for week commencing 24th May, with the craft re-entering service on 28th (already fully booked). Picture of The Princess Anne in maintenance taken on my visit to Dover on 23rd January are now available at this link.

2000

The SR.N4s were retired by Hoverspeed on 1st October 2000. A full and detailed report of these events will appear here in due course, including their move for storage adjacent to the Hovercraft Museum's collection pending sale. You can view the craft's sale details at:
www.vessels4sale.com

2001 / 2002 / 2003

The SR.N4 craft remain in storage at the former HMS Daedalus - for sale, and their future uncertain. They are constantly maintained to an excellent standard by Hoverspeed's own engineers, so could be made ready for use again within a reasonable timescale.

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