Ok they aren't cars, but as I like most transport-related photos, I made a little room for Hovercrafts on the site. First up is another old colour photograph sent in by Alan, showing a moored (parked?) SRN4 Hovercraft at Pegwell Bay.
I'm the first to admit that I know nothing about Hovercrafts, although I've always thought them to mighty impressive machines. Can anyone tell me the name of the Hovercraft shown above? Sadly I don't think these monsters are still used to cross the English channel, more's the pity.
The SRN 4 shown here would have been used on the Ramsgate to Calais service, and was built by the British Hovercraft Corporation. Use of these Hovercrafts came to an end in 2000, and yet another characterful British machine disappeared from use.
British United Airways V.A-3 Hovercraft
I've had this photo-postcard for a few years but never really had anywhere suitable to show it, until now, so here it is. It shows the world's first hovercraft passenger service, which operated between Rhyl, in North Wales, over to Wallasey on the Wirral. The photograph was taken in 1962, and shows the Vickers VA-3 registered G-15-253. The cruising speed was 60mph, and could carry 24 passengers.
Our trip to the Isle of Wight by hovercraft
In 2022 we decided that it'd be a fine idea to take a trip by hovercraft, in particular the Hovertravel service between Southsea (Portsmouth) and Ryde on the Isle of Wight. The video below recounts our trip and contains a fair amount of footage of various hovercrafts coming and going. Photographs taken at the nearby hovercraft museum at Lee-on-Solent are also included.
Hovercraft links
If Hovercrafts are of interest, there are a few websites around that are worth a look at. James' Hovercraft site is very interesting (link here). Several old hovercrafts have made it into preservation, and the Hovercraft Museum site details those being looked after by a dedicated Trust.
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Old Classic Car (C) R. Jones 2023. Content not to be reproduced elsewhere.
