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My overriding memory of traveling on these beasts - other than the sound - was the moment the ship became a plane. All four engines suddenly going full power, the skirt raising the full weight of the craft and disappearing from view, after previously blocking the windows. That bounce as you lifted up was brilliant! I understand why they're no longer feasible, but damn they were good.

If you can possibly get to the hovercraft museum in Lee on Solent, UK, do it! We travelled from Scotland to see The Princess Ann, the memories were so special despite the torrential rain. Then you can go down to Southsea and travel on a current hovercraft. Amazing trip.

Travelled on those a few times before they were taken out of service. One trip, a car alarm was going off on the car deck (yes it was loud enough for us to hear it in the passenger cabin). An engineer appeared in the cabin wearing ear defenders and carrying the biggest spanner I’ve ever seen and shouted “WHICHEVER TW@T HAS GOT THE BLUE 911, GO AND SWITCH THE ALARM OFF BEFORE I DO IT FOR YOU!” Cue one very embarrassed driver and hysterical laughter by us passengers.

Hi Simon, as a resident of Dover, born and raised, the Hovercraft were always a fascination for me. From an early age, I can remember being down the seafront and watching these incredible vessels Departing and Arriving and it didn't matter where you were in the Town, you could hear them coming and going. In the mid 80's, I was employed with Hoverspeed working aboard these magnificent Craft on the Car Deck (I could tell you some story's), a total of 5yrs I worked aboard these machines, the best job in the world. It was a sad day when they ceased operation, hard to believe that was nearly 22yrs ago. Its a shame that the powers that be didn't invest in a redesign to make a more viable and economical Craft. The Hovercraft are sadly missed in Dover especially by all the people that worked with them.

Grew up with them in Dover, absolutely top level legendary machines. Saturday afternoon entertainment was to walk down to the pier and watch them as a kid, huge jets of flame would erupt from the rear exhausts when they started up. Epic machines.

Yup, I 'Flew' on the SRN4 in 1984 as a teenager and it was extraordinarily memorable. The noise, vibration and smell of old seats yup, highly unusual. But the 6 feet swells and SRN4 plunging into these waves was terrifying. One of the 'Budgies was thrown acroos 3 rows of seats by the craft hitting the bottom of tha waves. You only saw varying shades of grey water whether the window was at the top of the wave, or at the bottom of the wave! As we neared the shore and hovercraft ramp, it didnt have the power to drive up the ramp. it had to back out swing around and take a run at the ramp before making it to the landing stage. We discovered the sea conditions were so bad, the waves or spray had knocked out one of the thrust engines and that is why it couldnt manage the first attempt at landing. It was a truly remarkable journey, one memory that forever stays with you.

I travelled on these regularly. Hover Speed offered a One Pound non landing ticket, where you qualified for full duty free allowance. We took advantage of this offer as we lived fairly close. I always thought that they were fantastic.

In 1972 I crossed the channel both ways on the Princes Anne with a horse box. My parents had arranged to collet a horse and some donkeys from spain and we went via the hovercraft as it was the fastest way over the channel. On the way back we were allowed to go down to the car deck where the horsebox was tied down right in the middle to give the best ride so that we could check on the animals. Two things stick in my mind first is the ladder to the cockpit/ control centre was on shock absorbers with about two foot of travel and they were taking up the movement between the top and bottom of the hovercraft moving the whole two foot. The other thing is the vet who had to travel with seemed to be disappointed that he was not called apon to shoot the horse or donkeys, they traveled remarkably well considering it was rough enough for the captain to be debating as to whether he made the crossing or not.

Travelled on one of these when I was a kid. All I can remember is a lot of vibration and a lot of spray all over the windows. Couldn't see a thing outside! Got us across the channel quickly though.

I crossed several times, and never saw anyone ill. compared to the ferry it was bliss. There was a very useful military version you may wish to look at

Hovercraft can go where NO other vehicle can, which is why I have long advocated for them to be used in Arctic/Antarctic roles. That stupid show "Ice Road Truckers" was a pristine demonstration of exactly WHY a hovercraft was the ideal solution for those environments. Furthermore, with modern engineering and manufacturing, engine technologies are available that are far more cost-effective & reliable.

there's still a small fleet of hovercrafts going between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth, had a ride on one of those few years ago its a great fun :)

0:55 - Chapter 1 - Design 3:50 - Chapter 2 - Invention 7:10 - Mid roll ads 8:30 - Chapter 3 - Improvements 11:00 - Chapter 4 - Commercial use 12:30 - Chapter 5 - Safety 15:50 - Chapter 6 - Decline

A few of my trips to the UK were from NL ('Holland') using ferries or aircraft. None of those were as much fun as being on that hovercraft in '86! Just standing there was already impressive, with that beast coming up the ramp. Suddenly cars came flooding out, and then my dad drove us into the beast. Unforgettable!

With todays electric motors and such I think they could come back with a vengeance. I also went on one of these as a kid, it was awesome.

My hovercraft is full of eels

Looks like I have to be the one that says it: "My hovercraft is full of eels."

I never went on this hovercraft but Southsea still use hovercraft to reach the Isle of Wight and back. I remember seeing the SR:N4 as a kid but going on the smaller ones is still a great memory.

I remember on a Ramsgate-Calais flight, my Mum told me we went right over the Goodwin Sands - which obvs the ferries couldn't do. I crossed the Channel many times on the SRN4's, never had time to be seasick!

Loved being on the SRN4 as a kid. A reminder of when we British invented huge machines to be proud of. Also worth covering the French effort, the Sedam n500 which was also interesting but less reliable.

The Mountbatten Class hover class, what a name for another stunning British machine that should be held in similar esteem as the Avro Lancaster and Vulcan, Supermarine Spitfire, Concorde, EE Lightning, A1 & A4 Pacific, Deltics, Intercity 125 to name a few.

Hovercrafts are so fun on the snow

10:26 my photo! I stood on the Prince of Wales pier as the sun was going down and took it with my first digital camera. By the way, you should give the photo attribution according to its license, but, hey, it's just nice to see it in a video. Excellent, very factually correct video. Thank you for keeping the memory of these wonderful craft alive! Oh and by the way, you're correct about the unrecorded record. I have spoken to the hovercraft first officer who was on the flight!

I travelled on one of these hovercraft when I coming home from a holiday in Spain when I was 14years old.I did well until we came close to land &I was violently sick …the waves were all of 1-2 inch high lol. I still remember it over 40years later. Thank you for showing this film

As a kid our family summer holiday every year was to Ramsgate, where I’d spend the whole 2 weeks at Pegwell Bay Hoverport - mesmerised. Skip forward many years and I now live in Kent, a few years before their sad demise my brother in law (who then worked for Hoverspeed) managed to get me up into the cockpit for a crossing to Calais - it’s a day that will stay with me forever!

The sound of these amazing machines would rip through the town of dover when ever one launched itself in to the sea. Great to watch them see off from a viewing platform on the Prince of Wales pier in dover as a child.

I crossed on one of these from Calais to Dover in 1985. I couldn't afford a plane ticket, and I get very sick on boats. There was no Chunnel then. So my choices were the hovercraft or the high speed foil boat. I chose the hovercraft. It was pretty amazing seeing it approach the terminal at Calais. From a distance you could see what looked like a squall approaching, but it kept on a straight course right toward the terminal. There was water, then a concrete landing sloped into the channel, and the hovercraft just left the water and onto the concrete, stopped, made a 45% left turn, and settled down onto the concrete. Then cars started disembarking from the front, and passengers from the side. It was like an airplane with five or six aisles! And I had never before seen duty free items pushed as much. It also rocked back and forth so much I was afraid at times it would capsize. And you could not see outside the windows because of the intense spray. But I held on and did not get sick, so, SUCCESS!

Been on it as a kid, I remember, as someone who does get seasick, it was a very quick, cool, comfortable journey!

Travelled on one of these, outgoing trip great, homecoming NIGHTMARE! shouldn't have been sent out, injured people, smashed windows, people screaming, captain had to turn back to France radar out. He sounded so relieved when we found land, travelled quite a way up the beach to find the port. Imagine the largest roller coaster ride, but when you loose contact with the ocean you just fall. Still makes me shiver when I think of it

I had a couple of crossings on one of these, it was smooth but the windows were covered in sand and spray so there was no visibility during the crossings. I took an Austin Mini Van on the crossings, they got a cheaper fare due to their small size. As I recall the ride was smooth.

...man it'd have been fun to be be the pilot of this and see how wide your turning radius was.

Believe it or not, one of my friends was the qualified Captain on SR4 hovercrafts and the last “pilot”.

Riding those was so much fun! We always took it from Calais to Dover and back. I will never forget the sound they made, so impressiv. Modern ferries are so boring compared to that, but of cause, way more luxorious.

Sounds like a bloody good time!

I wrote this when I was 11 and travel to England we took it across the channel from Dover to bologna and it was wonderful

I am the proud owner of 6 fully functioning hovercrafts, Simon. Not everything from the past is the worst.

Growing up in Dover, nothing compared to the assault on the senses of one of these departing or arriving. Fond memories! Know a few people who worked the last trips on these - they loved working on them.

Now you have to do a video on the ZUBR...

The Hovercraft wasnt that bad comfortwise, we had a boat cancelled on us cause the sea was too rough, and they transferred our tickets to the hovercraft. And even though the sea was too rough for a boat, the hovercraft was smoother than our boat trips!

While visiting London in 1980, I decided on a trip to Paris. Took the Hovercraft from Dover to Boulogne and 4 days later return via Calais to Dover. One of many wonderful memories I still hold of London, Paris, and Edinburgh on that trip. Thanks for explaining how that wonderful craft came about.

Glad to have got a couple of rides on the SR.N6 in the early-mid 80s :)

Many decades ago, when I was at the age of playing in the sandbox with small metal model cars, I remember a friend had a metal model of the SR-N4. Like most of the model cars it was also tiny, like a couple inches long, so while I remember it was fascinating, I don't remember if I even realized how big the real thing was.

What are the odds of you and Mustard making videos about hovercraft within a few days of each other?

NZer here. I reckon the West Coast of the South Island could do with a fleet of about a dozen of these after the inevitable-and-overdue next Alpine Fault quake hits. What few roads there are will be cut off. The single rail link too will be cut. Normal ships will be out - the West Coast ports are tiny and are at the mouth of rivers with treacherous river bars. Air transport *might* be ok if the runways can be made usable. Hovercraft though would seem to be *perfect!* The ability to transport very heavy freight loads across the sea, up the beach and onto dry land, straight to where the supplies are needed. Re the engines - I wonder how a hovercraft would go with turbofan or ducted-fan engines on top? Both are quite quiet and surely a lot more powerful with thrust than propellers. I think that could be worth investigating.

I can't imagine how loud that thing would be.

this guys knows a little about every thing well done

I crossed the Chanel multiple times as a kid in the early 90s on the hovercraft! Loved it! And then I crossed it a couple times on the “sea cat” I believe they called them! Great memories !

Hovercrafts always feel like barely controllable bundles of chaos and violence, I can't help but imagine the crew holding on and screaming the entire time

Simon, those hovercraft look like so much fun..... Just think, crossing the channel with some excitement..... Thanks for posting.

I travelled with my Austin Healey across tha Channel several times. When there were any serious waves It was a real fun-fair. "Fast and bumpy". We were young, though.

Oh yeah, I rode on these when I was a kid. My parents and I did Calais to Folkestone and back, and Calais to Dover on a separate occasion. I love these things!

Did a day trip to France when I was at school, got a ferry to calais and then went to boulogne to get the hovercraft back.....very noisy.

That's like $20,000/hr. In gas with today's prices!

Wow, what a detailed and informative video! I have been interested in these Hovercrafts since 2005, because I wanted to build an RC model of the SRN 5 and the SRN 4 on a later stage. I even bought special hovering motors and built a working finger equipped circular concept model, that actually hovered very well. But unfortunately I didn't get further so far. So I thought I knew most of SN4's internals and operational options, but have to say, that I learned several new things here! For example I was not aware of the dedicated Radar controller and its importance of safe operation at this high speeds.

The last of these glorious machines is housed in the hovercraft museum in Gosport, just down the road from where I live. It was a small victory to have the vessel saved and displayed next to the coastal road. Plenty of times I've driven past and every time I smile a little at the feat of engineering that sits there.

I had 3 overrides, once back and fort as passengers and once with the car when we went to the farnborough airshow. I was absolutly stunned as kid of these massive beasts and the ride was super exciting for me, as was the airshow, great memorys!

"My hovercraft is full of eels" Bonus points if you know that quote.

Rode on a few of these when I was younger going over to France on Holiday with the family. The sound was nuts

Simon, I love your style of "telling a story", as well as the hints of sarcasm liberally dropped in. I love hovercraft and am obsessed by them, as I live on the Isle of Wight. Indeed, I am trying to get my late father's will overturned so that I can buy the manufacturing rights and patents of the DONAR that was conceived by Albert Blum of ABS Hovercraft and, if I am lucky, some of the moulds of the now defunct Russian Christy Hovercraft

Always wanted to ride one. Thanks Simon!

I was lucky enough as a kid to have visited the British isles for three weeks, including Dover. It was 1976, I was Ten, I don't remember everything, but I can still see the White cliffs, and that monster hovercraft.

As always excellent delivery!

I think I can safely say I have crossed the Channel using every publicly available means: Flown over in a car air ferry (Carvair) - with my dad's car (Southend - le Tourquet, 1967) Flown over in a standard airplane - no car Flown over on a hovercraft - with the car Sailed over on a ferry - with the car Sailed over on a supercat ferry - with the car Sailed over on a sailing yacht - no car! Sailed over on a Tall-ship - Crossed over by train via the Eurotunnel - with the car I still think the SR-N4 was the most fun!

Go on the Southsea one most years, have done my whole life. :-) It's part of the local culture and history, and looks very smooth and impressive coming up the beach sliproad.

My hovercraft is full of eels....☺️

I remember crossing the Solent to the Isle of Wight on a hovercraft. It was great fun!

I remember riding this . It was fun. At one point the view out the window alternated between full sky and full sea, but I really enjoyed it.

What a buoyant episode all on a cushion of air!

it's a coincidence that mustard also made a video about this vehicle

What kind of lunatic looks at that thing and decides, hmm yes, I'll call you Margaret!

Thank you for having used some of my Wikimedia images!

Good video 👍

The one remaining UK passenger hovercraft service takes just 15 minutes, is operated by Hovertravel and runs to Ryde on the Isle of Wight from Southsea (Portsmouth). Although originally equipped with hovercraft such as the SRN6 and the AP1-88 with expensive fuel guzzling aviation engines, the two modern (2016 built) Griffen 12000TD hovercraft use diesel turbine engines which are rather more economical than previous models.

My friend and I travelled Ramsgate to Calais on SRN 4 when we went on our european adventure in an ancient Transit van, our van was that knackered it failed to get up the (on watching the video looks very modest incline) from 2 standing starts, we were about to be refused travel, when a kind employee allowed us to have a running start, Once onboard, we were seated next to Robert (Ask the family) Robertson, who was travelling with his family, who had been amused by our loading, and later by our trying to pour our onboard purchased Skol lager into the plastic cups provided.

I dont remeber much of it. but the 1 thing I remember was as a 6 year old ish child loving the journey with these!

Dover born and raised here! As a kid we would wait on the pier to watch the hovercraft come to 'dock' or 'land' on their ramp. Its a shame they couldnt have carried on. You will never see something like this ever again. i never had the chance to travel on it, instead i have done 10s of journeys on the ferries or euro. Thanks for covering this though!

0:31 "You're too late!" .... Well, there's your problem! The darned thing if fll of eels.

Great Video

Of course, a hovercraft service is still running from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight, using two Griffon 1200s. At this moment, it is the ONLY surviving regular route of a hovercraft service in the world but Thailand will be introducing one soon

A common point of view at the time was that a hovercraft crossing was a sure fire way of trashing a car's suspension! I never got to go on the channel crossing, but the Isle of Wight crossing is good fun and effective, well worth it.

Brilliant. Pegwell is 4 miles from me and Dover about 10 In the opposite direction . Remember going on a non landing trip from Dover when I was about 7 .

I remember when I was a kid I went to the hoverport to catch the catamaran and saw one come in and take off it was amazing to watch I absolutely wished I got to go on one

I do fondly remember travelling on one as a kid. Don’t really remember the noise, just the excitement.

The basic concept continues life in the form of the USMC LCACs, used in various theatres of operations since the 1980's.

It is a shame that not one was preserved. I travelled across to France in one in the mid 1970s with my family. Unfortunately, we were traveling with friends whose husband was sick, and so took the ferry on the way back. The problem was the hovercraft bounced over the top of the waves instead of cutting through them, especially in rough weather.

i would pay money for video footage of the miniature hovercraft being unleashed in a military office and terrorizing the admiralty while the inventor hollers over the roar of the engine "ISN'T THIS GREAT?!"

Would love to have had a ride on these

You can still travel by hovercraft to the Isle of Whyte. I did it back in the 1990s.

Mustard released the exact same video today (2 days after this) Do the account managers at KZfaq suggest topics? Happens all the time for seemingly random topics etc. Do they give you a recommendation as some wider attempt to gague reach to certain audiences etc I wonder?

It's hilarious that they kept the control cab so small. It would have cost nothing to make it more roomy.

the budgies had the duty of looking after passengers and selling as much???? as possible

Traveled on this in the 70s , we took our car on it, was called hoverloyd at the time , same hovercraft became hoverspeed in the 80s

Never got to go on one but i did see them operating once and all i can say is wow, such a shame they dont run anymore.

Sadly, I saw the Margaret getting broken up. She was next to a main road, and could be seen easily.

Much like the Concorde, it wold have been one of those life experiences I'd have loved to have had, going across to france by both ferry and by the channel tunnel is okay, but to go by a hovercraft, that was not full of eels, would have been amazing...

The real reason why they've been decomissioned is: they always had been full of eels...

Beside the cost of fuel, another expensive problem was the cracking of the rubber skirt that was continuously repaired but the costs of acquiring the material became uneconomical

What a fun way to travel!

So weird, Mustard just released a video about this exact hovercraft earlier today