World-Wide Interest In British Hovercraft

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29234, 18 June 1960, Page 10

World-Wide Interest In British Hovercraft

[By CHARLES MOTT, a Reuter Correspondent]

LONDON. France, the Soviet Union, Norway and Australia lead countries showing a keen interest in Britain’s new "flying saucer,” the revolutionary Hovercraft. Several other (unnamed) countries are also holding “watching briefs” on the versatile Hovercraft which, planted firmly on a cushion of compressed air pushed out by its engines, can fly over water at a speed of up to 60 miles an hour. Reports of this wide international interest come from an official of the Government’s National Research Development Corporation which, with the Saunders Roe Aircraft Company, built the first prototype Hovercraft. The first Hovercraft to come into commercial use, possibly in about three years’ time, has not yet taken shape, even on the drawing board. But a test model attracted large crowds when it was doing trials on the River Thames recently. Members of the House of Lords, the House of Commons, and some Commonwealth Prime Ministers packed into windows at the Palace at Westminster to watch the Hovercraft as it skimmed inches above the water in a cloud of spray, in 10 demonstration runs up and down the river at speeds of up to 60 miles an. hour. A Boon To Many The National Research Development officials stressed the value of the Hovercraft to under-de-veloped countries with extensive coastlines, few roads, and long rivers. In Africa and South America, where jungles make effective communications difficult and broad rivers reached far inland, it might well, he said, open up the country to development. Similarly, it could be a boon to Australia, with her long coastline, great distances and fairly flat hinterland, to Sahara desert countries and to oil companies in the Middle East.

Here are examples of overseas interest in the project: the Soviet Union has made inquiries about its possibilities for transport over ice; Canada is wondering whether it could be used on tlfe Great Lakes; Australia has asked if it could be used to ship cattle from inland to the coast, for export; and South American countries and some Asian countries have inquired about its possible uses on their wide rivers.

“But no-one is taking orders yet, and all that countries can do at present is to give the specifications of the sort of thing they would like,” the official added. Meanwhile, in Britain and on the Continent, planning for the introduction of commercial Hovercraft services continues.

It has been reported that Dover will build a port for Hovercraft next year; that Boulogne will follow with one in 1962; and that

Calais and Folkestone will join them soon afterwards. It is not known where the first Hovercraft will go into commercial service in Britain—it could be as a big cross-Channel ferry, or it might be smaller, and work on a river estuary, such as the Thames-or the Severn. All this is still as much in the future as its final shape and size. The world can, however, expect to see Hovercraft fashioned to meet a variety of different conditions. The craft working in the Norwegian fjords, for example, will be different from those operating on the English Channel and different again from those plying the Sahara. There will be none of the worries of lorries and cars for the Hovercraft, for it will not be affected by traffic janA and it is hoped that it would be able to operate more cheaply than its road and rail competitors. “There is no technical reason, though there might be an economic reason, why the Hovercraft should not be 1000 tbns in size,” according to the National Research Development Corporation’s official. On the subject of operating costs, the chairman of Hovercraft Development, Ltd., Mr. D. Hennessey, earlier this month estimated that the -initial operating cost would be threepence sterling per passenger mile. But, he added, he was confident that this could be halved later. In mid-May, it was announced that Hovercraft, Ltd., and Vickers would collaborate in building two Hovercraft; the one a fast five-ton Hovercraft launch, and the other in the range of 15 to 25 tons, suitable for use as an air and passenger ferry.