The Hovercraft Museum, located in Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire, England, is a museum run by a registered charity dedicated to hovercraft. The museum has a large collection of over 60 hovercraft of various designs. Situated at HMS Daedalus by the large slipway from where many hovercraft have been tested, the museum collection includes SR.N5 and SR.N6 hovercraft, one of which is fully operational. The collection currently contains the last two remaining SR.N4 craft, the world's largest civil hovercraft which have been laid up here since their retirement from cross-Channel services on 1 October 2000. The museum houses the world's largest library of documents, publications, film, video, photographs and drawings on hovercraft, all of which is available for research by prior arrangement. A number of hovercraft manufacturers have deposited their complete archives with the museum for safekeeping, thus swelling this important repository of information. The museum also contains a large collection of original manufacturers' hovercraft models including the world's first working hovercraft model built by Christopher Cockerell.
The “hovercraft” is a word and an invention that Dr Christopher Cockerell patented in 1954 after working for Marconi, where he helped to invent radar. Aware of D-Day and Normandy landings he thought about how to get troops dry-shod and safe up a beach fast. In his Norfolk boatyard he later put his mind to this problem and set up Ripple Craft. By placing two tins one inside the other and reversing the connections on a hair-dryer he was able to show that annular jets of air form an air cushion to reduce friction and enable boats to travel faster. By 1958 the SR-N1 was being built with Government support and this “boat” was suddenly fully amphibious, unlike predecessors such as John Thornycroft’s attempt to make a boat move on an air cushion in 1897. Soon after Sir Christopher Cockerell’s idea literally took off.
Ship and aircraft builders alike were soon making amphibious all-terrain vehicles that hovered over land and water. With Sir Christopher strapped to the bow to provide stability the SRN1 flew the English Channel from France to England soon after its launch, and it paved the way for giant car carrying craft within ten years. The Sixties and Seventies saw hovercraft develop worldwide with gas turbines and riveted aircraft technology and prove themselves as true amphibians in many new roles. By the end of the decade the fuel crisis saw the doubling of running costs and hovercraft became less cost effective. Fortunately in the 1980s with new cost-effective craft running on diesel and constructed with welded aluminium hulls, the hovercraft re-established itself. Most of the places they were needed were areas with less developed infrastructure and were the poorer regions of the world. It is only in recent times that these less developed countries have been able to afford these new craft that they need for multiple transport tasks.
By 2000 the British patents on most hovercraft had lapsed and suddenly anyone could build and buy craft without 10% going to the UK treasury. In recent years hovercraft have enjoyed a renaissance and there is now a £30 million industry in the UK alone. Today most countries have a hovercraft somewhere and many militaries and coastguards use them daily. Whilst few are used presently in passenger role this is a potentially enormous re-emerging market and so hovercraft are enjoying a come back. In the USA around 100 hundred tonners are being built to replace and accompany the older military craft. Hovercraft are here to stay and our museum shows off a half century of innovation in design with professional and amateur builds of this great British invention! The hovercraft has a variety of names: aeroglisseur in France, Luftkissenboot in Germany, ground effect machine in the USA, surface effect ship, skimmer or air cushioned vehicle (ACV), and the Hovercraft Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated to showcasing this unique invention.
Exhibits and Displays include : The SR.N4 (Saunders-Roe Nautical 4), or Mountbatten class hovercraft, served for over 30 years as a fast cross-channel ferry. After the mk3 upgrades to the craft, it was able to carry over 60 cars, and 400+ passengers. To this day the SR.N4 craft holds the record for the fastest car-carrying commercial channel crossing at an impressive time of 22 minutes. The BH7, or Wellington class hovercraft, was designed for military applications. It first flew in 1969 and was used in many trials with the Royal Navy. During the 13 years of tests, it was evaluated for many different roles including, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures. Most notably, one winter, our BH7 successfully completed a round trip to The Arctic Circle leaving from Lee-on-the-Solent when it served with the Royal Navy.
The James Bond film "Die Another Day" featured three hovercraft, two Osprey 5s and a Slingsby SAH 2200. One of each craft used in the film can be found on display there at the museum, alongside a multimedia presentation about the filming of the hovercraft chase. In the TV program, "Scrapheap Challenge" contestants compete in teams to build a working machine head-to-head in a race or task. The rules state that the machine can only be worked on for one day. In series ten, episode three, the "Bright Sparks" and "Grunts" competed to build a working hovercraft to compete in a race. The two hovercraft built in this episode can be found at the Hovercraft Museum.
The Salvage Squad TV program, in which machinery, vehicles, and other similar artefacts are restored against a tight deadline. In series three episode 7, first aired in 2004, the program worked to restore a Skima 12 hovercraft, which can be seen at the museum. The SR.N5 (Saunders-Roe Nautical 5), or Warden class hovercraft, was the first production-built hovercraft in the world. Of the fourteen built, seven were built under licence by Bell Aerosystems as the Bell SK-5. Four of the N5s served with the "Interservice Hovercraft Trials Unit" at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), seeing action in multiple theatres including Belgium, Libya, Thailand, and Malaysia. Two craft were eventually converted to SR.N6s. The museum's example went through a complete restoration and has even won an engineering award for the brilliant effort of all the volunteers involved.
The SR.N6 (Saunders-Roe Nautical 6), or Winchester Class hovercraft, was a stretched version of the SR.N5. It was the first production hovercraft to be used in commercial service. It is powered by one Rolls-Royce Gnome engine used for both lift and propulsion. At The Hovercraft Museum, you are able to see three different examples of the SR.N6 craft including the original prototype (009) operated by Hovertravel in the Solent, a military landing craft variant and a stretched "Twin Prop" variant that is the oldest operational hovercraft in the world. The LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion) vehicle, technically speaking a Griffon 2000TDX(M), is a craft that served as a landing craft for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines for ship-to-shore operations. One of the four craft that served with the Marines, "C22", is there on display at the museum.
The Hover Hawk was the first light production hovercraft in the world. They have three great examples: the original prototype, a Mark 2 and a Mark 3. Plus a fourth is undergoing extensive restoration in their engineering hangar. You can look into the exciting world of hovercraft racing by sampling some of their ex-racing-craft. Some of the volunteers are actively involved in racing, so it's worth asking if you are interested in getting involved in this adrenaline pumping sport!
Visitor entry to the museum is via the slipway gate on Marine Parade West only. No access via Daedalus Park/Chark Lane traffic lights. The site is wheelchair accessible and most of the exhibits can be navigated with comfort. Assistance dogs are welcome. Although the museum is only open on Saturdays, they do have hovershows as well.
Location : Hovercraft Museum, Seaplane Square, Daedalus Site Seafront Gate, Marine Parade West, Lee-on-the-Solent PO13 9NS
Transport : Fareham (National Rail) then bus (X5). Bus Routes : Solent Ranger X5 stops close by.
Opening Times : Saturdays 10:00 to 16:00
Tickets : Adults £7.00; Concessions £6.00; Children (5 - 16) £5.00; Military/Veterans £3.00
Tel. : 02392 552090
