On October 2000, we organized a light hovercraft meeting in Calais to say " farewell " to our big brothers. It was the first time I appeared in a GB TV program....
Brilliant machines. Used them in the eighties and still fondly remember the experience. Great shame we didnt keep the icons going.....quite a tourist attraction also.
That was in the late 70s. My Dad was on board when the last one travelled from East Cowes after the work. Hovercraft are designed not to sink even if there is an engine failure. I used to watch the smaller ones at anchor in the Solent to prove this. I managed a trip on the N4 on its last day - a sad day for British industry!
Thanks friend, I' ve taken 2 times that hovercraft, first 40 years ago, and last one for the last day, just hours before been interviewed by TV team, not my video, but at least I' m on it. Great moments in a lifetime.
I miss these babies. they are in a sorry state now at HMS Daedlus in Gosport. One should have been kept in service if only to act as relief in summer and for functional Heritage purpose. Despite the opening of the Channel Tunnel they were still the quickest way to get your car to France.
Sad to see the demise of a great British invention. The hovercraft now seems to be in the hands of foreign countries, just like our many other creative ideas, like the linear motor etc. But what a monster of a machine. Enough to shake the heart of any person. Well done Christopher Cockerell.
And the replacement catamaran service was slower,took ages to load and unload and was too expensive so that collapsed a few years later. End of Hoverspeed as a company... There was never any better way to cross the channel than by hovercraft,I used it dozens of times with and without the car,it was always great fun and very fast,but bumpy when rough.Miss these machines very much. They are preserved and working at the Hovercraft museum at Lee on Solent near Southampton,UK
There were only two left in service, both were replaced by a catamaran ferry. One hovercraft is at the museum in England, the other one is destroyed parts by parts as spare.
@philg7bzd I meant the last hovercraft across the Channel, and the last SRN 4 in use. The last huge hovercraft too. On the Hovercraft Raid, we have friends manufacturers and commercial hovercraft pilots too, flying to Isle of Man. We all say they were "the last hovercraft" because this week- end has signed the end of an "era". In France , authorities act like if they want to get rid of any hovercraft.
Novercrafts were given their own registration code of GH with the Princess Anne (the one the reporter is talking about) being GH-2007. I remember being amazed as a kid when the announcement came over the tannoy hoping we "enjoyed our flight"...what a thrill!
That' s true for your side of the Channel. But in Calais, the harbour was over busy for ferries. Only one year before stopping the hovercrafts, they decided to build an extension for ferries only. Then, the hovercraft traffic declined till the end.
hello from colombia, south america. i'm 9 years old and i liked hovercrafts very much. I'm dissappointed with this news, but we need to think in future.
@demonofrazgriz333 That' s correct, these crafts were too old, but modern ones are used between islands where no big harbour has been built and land. Calais and Dover have changed, and no more hovercraft is needed.
@dublinmanc We cannot say they have been thrown away, some big hovercrafts are still in use, but not this model. The market for huge hovercrafts is closed now, but 100 seats crafts are useful, or military ones. Hope registration office will not kill the small ones.
Shame it had to go, they are great unusual machines. Does not sound like a gas guzzler to me. Our fast ferry uses about 11,000 litres one way from the Channel Islands to Weymouth or Poole. Though we pay for it in the tickets, believe me!
well, i think the edinburgh hovercraft experiment was a success so us lot up north might be getting a service!! I managed to travel on one of the hovercrafts from calais to dover in the years before they were taken out of service. i think i was about 10 or 11.....eek!
We suffer the same problems in France, the last example is vocal management for computers. A young french girl have created this device for disabled people, and as french government refused to pay her enough, she moved to USA, and now, all military aircraft are vocally controlled to improve performances.....
I traveled with one of these hovercrafts once and I would have liked to do so again. And I once travelled with a "Seacat"-catamaran and I WONT do so again, they are terrible on non-smooth water on our way back from England EVERYONE on board was vomitng apart from the captain. SO: HOVERCRAFTS ON!!!
Yes , it was Calais. The official, and logical reason they get rid of them is difficulties to have spare parts. They used old crafts to provide working one with parts. I do' nt know anything about backstage commercial.
We say the same, this video has been taken their last day across Channel. The last hover ferries remaining are for short tracks to islands close to England, and they are smaller.
Hovercrafts are great for shallow waterways where a regular boat migh get stuck. But they're hard to control, and those propeller engines aren't fuel efficient.
Yup.. Je suis allé là l'année dernière. It was sad. Very sad. The two old girls just sit there looking tired and decrepit. The hovercraft enthusiast club do all they can, but there isn't nearly enough money available to look after everything properly. It's quite heartbreaking.
Very often, people try to compare hovercrafts and boats. They have not the same use. They fly, they could be compared to aircraft. To cross the Channel, it' s not very useful, but in Calais, they had to buy a full harbour to admit new ferries. Thirty years ago, boats used a lot of fuel too, for a slow speed.... My small hovercraft used 3,5 liters an hour at 35 knots, on ground or water !
On ice, they go faster than over water. The troubles come when ice is broken in multiple parts, they could hit the hull roughly. In Sweden, in winter, Magnus Ivanoff ( world champ ) uses a hovercraft as schoolbus for islands kids.
@Skippy585 Trouble is : they had 30 years old engines, too much consumption for high maintenance cost. And today, except army, no one is interested in huge hovercrafts. Maximum is a little more than 100 passengers, as soon as one needs more, piers are built for boats. Operating hovercraft is expensive, we know that, even with our small crafts.
Updating could not be done, and nowadays, nobody builds big commercial hovercrafts like these, too much expensive, only armies can afford such an expense.
You can still catch one from Portsmouth to the isle of Wight in the south of England. It's a great way to travel. I always thought they should be more utilised as rescue vehicles.
@EisaiEnasApoTusPolus Your question is not stupid at all, Only hovercrafts users know how expensive is the use of them. Skirts are an important expense, and they need a lot of power to lift not as power as an airplane, but 1/3 approx. Anyway, a boat is less expensive to run. Huge hovercrafts are more interesting for army, because ability is first before price. About 100 seats seems to be the most useable size.
As their path was across one of the most important traffic of the world, they used to avoid summer nights, but they flew by night every evening. We do so on our small crafts too, but it' s very dangerous for skirts, as we can' t see dark branches merging from water. Our last night out was catastrophic : all 5 craft' s skirts damaged.
May be reasons were various: - a lot less road trafic during night with a lot wore trafic in the channel. - going across the Channel is terribly risky, I ' ve made some travels with them inside cockpit, sitting beside the radar screen, that was like a ski slalom. - many small boats hav' nt any radar reflector on them, crazy ! - an emergency braking action on that type of craft could damage skirt. - a windscreen on a hovercraft is always water sprayed, and by night, it' s terrible.
Dziekuje, We are many hovercrafts fans to regret them, but, nothing to do. Lookheed Constellation was a fantastic aircraft too, but money rules. Low cost cruising needs new engines.
I can add a few more to that list. Right now, LDV vans are going to the wall for the want of just £4 million - the average bonus of a bailed-out banker. We now exist in a total spiv economy based entirely on house prices and fast food.
@j5phan One of my friends in Hovercrafts Raid is hovercraft pilot on these lines. Canadians use hovercraft as ice- breaker and coast guard. My friend hovercraft builder has sold one to Mont Saint Michel fire brigade, they used it on quicksands.
Chunnel and hovercrafts are separates problems, Chunnel have been a money lost in both sides of the Channel. Pygmalleon says they are uncomfortable, but they are 35 years old, remember how ferries were at the same time, equal. Hovercraft transport is very "special", and has to be used where other transports cannot go. Now we have quays on both sides, good for a catamaran as fast as hovercraft, it was not like this. I' m sad they are gone, but I understand. Must look for new markets.
@Sterlingjob Thanks for comments. Battle between boats and hovercrafts is desperate. Engines in boats are 35 or 40 younger than hovercrafts ones, For an equal cargo weight, they burn less fuel. And squirts material is very expensive. There is only room left for medium hovercrafts ( +- 100 seats ), but for how many years ?
Would it be possible that one day a company would restore a hovercraft channel crossing? I'm assume that even a newly designed model would be less efficient that a boat but as long as it's profitable perhaps someone wouldn't mind filling a niche market. After all, it is still a quick crossing and surely some people would use it just to be on such a machine.
@vladika07 Scale model SRN 6 is very easy to find (Corgi Toys, Dinky Toys, Hotwheels, Majorette ) but this one was made in plastic and sold in both hoverports, I' ve found one in metal 1/1250 scale, made in Germany.
Not sure, registration offices around the world have problems with hovercrafts. In France, they finally decided they are boats. It' s possible than a country , in the biginning , has given an aircraft registration to a big hovercraft, I have travelled on the GHTB, this registration number was only inside cockpit, I hav' nt seen it outside, and I cannot remember if this one was the Princess Margaret or another one. Go to my Webshots hovercrafts gallery to see them.
The prince of wales pier has been concrete since the mid 1970s and hovercrafts in Dover didn't start operating until around 1978. And cross channel boats have been around far longer than that. So i'm not sure what new piers you are talking about? The main reason the hovercrafts were no longer viable was because of the rising fuel costs.
@Speedymartin "Operating hovercraft is expensive" Yes I'm sure it is when price for a barrel of oil is hovering over $100 if not more. But so is operating a 25'ft boat with 200 HP Mercury motor, and yes, you still see them out on the lakes and Rivers like the Mississippi or Tennessee. I wouldn't be surprised if those speed lovers spend more than 3 to 500 dollors for a weekend Leisure.
@krbosak A punctured skirt does' nt deflate, just the water clearance is affected. A lot less risky than a damaged hull due to a floating log or container on the Channel. A hovercraft is above water, and the worst danger for boats are just under the surface. If you look at racing hovercrafts, you' ll see many crafts with damaged skirts end a race, even first. Canadian coast guard use them on iceberg invaded rivers and sea.
Its too bad I'll never be able to ride on one of those monsters. Very sad to see them go. Quick question: I've been looking for HOURS for some footage of a giant hovercraft torture test going down a huge river rapids. I dont know if it was in India or the Amazon river. But there was a MASSIVE Hovercraft going down an absolutely giant rapid river. It was done decades ago, they thought the hovercraft might sink. There was waves crashing over it, but it survived. Seen that footage? HELP ME!
Oh, thank everyone that these things are gone. We used them most summers for our holiday and for me it was the single worst bit - noisy, uncomfortable, stinking of vomit, imdustrial cleaner and oil. Vive la Chunnel!
If you find one , tell me ! The best books I 've ever seen are the Janes book, but they were old editions. I have not even one book about hovercrafts at home, a pity ! Still looking for one, any language.
These are turbines, propellers have still an old shape, saber propellers could add power and reduce noise. Problem is turbo reactors inside are old fashioned too, and need much fuel....... and spare parts.
The pitfalls off course were cost. Imagine the operational costs now with the price of Aviation Fuel & Insurance (anti terrorism, public litigation and the Nanny state) It couldn't operate in rough seas, without risking significant damage (ripped skirts, and a rough ride for passengers) It didn't operate at night, because navigation lights would be obscurred by spray making such a fast moving vessel hard to be seen by light vessels without radar.
@Toddinfantry Alas, only military uses. LCAC is a good one, but nowadays, only armies have money enough for creating new big hovercrafts. And it needs more money to run them.
@Speedymartin Well the U.S is unique in a way because it really depends on State laws rather than Federal on this one. Different states are more sensitive to noise emission in regards populated bluffs/shoes] such as fishing areas or near nature trails. But as long as you got a kit that can muffle the fan to the point where noise emission or environmental concerns are met, you shouldn’t have any further problems. And I’m using California as a key example.
Ships are much worse, they burn bunker oil which is the black sludge left over from cracking oil, high in sulphur, these boats burn around 50 tons per day. A ton of fuel to get to calais in a hovercraft is a very good deal to me!
Great newsvid... It was always a pleasure to cross the channel by Hovercraft and I miss them...I see Hoverspeed finally collapsed after the attempts to maximise profits with the seacats failed...They may have got more cars in them but they took an age to load and unload...in the end they were hardly competitive with normal ferries,never mind the tunnel...and they had the cheek to ask for higher fares....Poor business model yet again!
What is even sadder is now THE PRINCESS ANNE & THE PRINCESS MARGRET lay idol. The owner has removed 3 of the Rolls Royce Proteus Engiens & placed them in his private yacht, a former Royal Naval Boat. He is only interested in the engines form the 2 SRN4's so their fate is currentlly unkown. The tech specs: Length 175ft, weight 320Tons, power 4x Rolls Royce Proteus Turbine engines each producing 16,700BHP. Each craft had an output of 66,800BHP
@zabijaq123 Sure, they are slow, but they are adapted to one type of ground, for example, there is no faster vehicle on quick sand. Very often, owners of jet- skis show us they are faster on rough water, but arriving to the bank ramp, they stop, we do' nt. Racing F 1 hovercrafts are able to speed above 120 km/h on water AND ground. Some amphibious, with retractable wheels go fast, but stop on liquid mud. Jet prop do not like weeds and gravels, either.
@krbosak - You do know that the bottom of a hovercraft's skirt is not sealed like a rubber Zodiac, don't you? The lift fan keeps blowing air in, and the bottom edge of the skirt regulates how much gets out, allowing the air cushion to form under the main hull.
@LOCOMOTIONNUMBER1 Like in old french car DS, the movements were too soft for some people, they got sick. A boat is rougher, better for you. A matter of stomach and frequency.
@Skippy585 I do' nt know what happens in USA, but, in France, all authorities try to get rid of all hovercrafts, any size. No incoming for the government, like cars, or leisure boats. We are the last ones operating.
I think these hovercrafts used aviation fuel Jet A1, but, as they stay at ground level, they were able to burn a lot of various fuels. I have no idea about the cost of a 800 TD.
@Speedymartin Well in the U.S it’s the Marines that use large Hovercrafts. But I’m really talking about smaller than100ft. But if you can't afford a Ferrari, I would suggest a Z06 or ZR1 :). I don't know if you can order one for right hand drive or not. I would have recommended a Viper, but there out of production as for right now :(
Hey, if anyone is interested, these magnificent beasts are still alive but gently dying in Hampshire, in 2000 they were brought to HMS Daedalus in Lee on the Solent in southern Hampshire just opposite the isle of wight, i know this because i drive past them most days and the are easily visible quite close up from the road, they were for sale for years, not sure now, they haven't moved since 2000 but are complete as far as i can see. Still in Hoverspeed livery, youll see them on google earth if you search for lee on solent you'll easily see what was HMS Daedalus as its a very large airfield and these two old girls are right next to the seafront road. Would love to see Ann and Margaret fly again but that is highly unlikely, they did have SRn4 "Swift" here too but that was scrapped on site around 2003.
For using small hovercraft very often, I can say they a lot more expensive to run compared to a boat. They deserve their use if a boat can' t go where you want. As we do on the Raid Hovercraft.
