Cushioncraft
Encyclopedia
Cushioncraft Ltd was a British engineering company, formed in 1960 as a division of Britten-Norman
Ltd (manufacturer of aircraft) to develop/build hovercraft
. Originally based at Bembridge Airport
on the Isle of Wight
, Cushioncraft later moved to the Duver
Works at St. Helens
, these works gave ready access to the sheltered water of Bembridge Harbour.
In 1960 Britten-Norman Ltd began trials of their new "Cushioncraft"—their name for an air-cushion vehicle built for Elders and
Fyffes
. It was used to study the potential of this type of vehicle for the carriage of bananas from plantations in the Southern Cameroons. Together with its associated company, Crop Culture (Aerial) Ltd, Britten-Norman studied the potential for the Cushioncraft in many different countries. These investigations, revealed the possibility of a break-through in transportation techniques by the use of air cushion vehicles which could accelerate the pace of development in territories where roads are nonexistent and costly to build and rivers are seasonally unnavigable
Cushioncraft was reconstituted as a separate company in 1967 to permit British Hovercraft Corporation (BHC) to take a minority share holding, and it revived the name under which Britten- Norman's initial ACV endeavours were launched. Cushioncraft has an authorised capital of £500,000 and issued capital of £450,000, BHC paid Britten-Norman £90,000 for a 20 per cent stake in the company's hovercraft activities. The board of Cushioncraft comprised Messrs F. R. J. Britten, Desmond Norman
, J. M. McMahon and F. H. Mann (all directors of Britten-Norman), Peter Winter (technical director), and A. R. B. Hobbs, BHC's nominee.
In 1971, Britten-Norman encountered financial problems, and one result was that the Cushioncraft company was sold in 1972 to the British Hovercraft Corporation
.
Between 1960 and 1972 Cushioncraft designed 6 models of which 5 were produced.
was designed circa 1966. This was to be a small vehicle/passenger craft (4 to 6 cars and 30 to 40 passengers) using the quiet centrifugal fan configuration for lift and propulsion developed from the CC4 and CC5.
The Cushioncraft CC-6 18-ton mixed-traffic ferry craft was to be built jointly by the Vosper
-Thorneycroft shipbuilding group at Portsmouth. This was the effect of an agreement between Vosper and Cushioncraft, under which Vosper were to be major sub-contractors in the construction of the craft. Development was to be financed jointly by Cushioncraft and the National Research Development Corporation
(NRDC). Cushioncraft's facilities at St Helen's, IoW, were considered inadequate for CC-6 production.
engine (all previous being piston). A stretched version offering 17 passenger places was proposed after the company was taken over by BHC.
The Duver Works has since be used by Hovertravel
/Hoverwork as a maintenance centre and in the 1980s/90s was used to fit out the AP1-88 craft.
Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman is a British aircraft manufacturer owned by members of the Zawawi family from the Sultanate of Oman, making it the last remaining UK independent commercial aircraft producer....
Ltd (manufacturer of aircraft) to develop/build hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
. Originally based at Bembridge Airport
Bembridge Airport
Bembridge Airport is located northeast of Sandown, Isle of Wight, England.Bembridge Aerodrome no longer has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee .The airport is home to the aircraft manufacturer...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, Cushioncraft later moved to the Duver
Duver
A duver is an Isle of Wight dialect term for an area of sand dunes. The name has become part of place names on the Isle of Wight, for example Dover Street in Ryde is the street which used to run down to the duver....
Works at St. Helens
St Helens, Isle of Wight
St. Helens is a village and civil parish located on the eastern side of the Isle of Wight. The village is based around village greens. This is claimed to be the largest in England but some say the Village Green is the second largest. The greens are often used for cricket matches during the summer...
, these works gave ready access to the sheltered water of Bembridge Harbour.
In 1960 Britten-Norman Ltd began trials of their new "Cushioncraft"—their name for an air-cushion vehicle built for Elders and
Fyffes
Fyffes
-History:In the 1870s Thomas Fyffe, a London food wholesaler, went into partnership with a fruit dealer named Hudson who had connections in the Canary Islands. In 1878 they shipped their first cargo of bananas to England. Within five years the business had become so successful that they purchased...
. It was used to study the potential of this type of vehicle for the carriage of bananas from plantations in the Southern Cameroons. Together with its associated company, Crop Culture (Aerial) Ltd, Britten-Norman studied the potential for the Cushioncraft in many different countries. These investigations, revealed the possibility of a break-through in transportation techniques by the use of air cushion vehicles which could accelerate the pace of development in territories where roads are nonexistent and costly to build and rivers are seasonally unnavigable
Cushioncraft was reconstituted as a separate company in 1967 to permit British Hovercraft Corporation (BHC) to take a minority share holding, and it revived the name under which Britten- Norman's initial ACV endeavours were launched. Cushioncraft has an authorised capital of £500,000 and issued capital of £450,000, BHC paid Britten-Norman £90,000 for a 20 per cent stake in the company's hovercraft activities. The board of Cushioncraft comprised Messrs F. R. J. Britten, Desmond Norman
Desmond Norman
Nigel Desmond Norman aircraft designer: born London 13 August 1929; co-founded Britten-Norman 1954; CBE 1970; chairman and managing director, AeroNorTec 1988-2002; married 1956 Anne Fogg Elliot , 1965 Boel Holmsen ; died of a heart attack on Basingstoke railway station, Hampshire 13 November 2002...
, J. M. McMahon and F. H. Mann (all directors of Britten-Norman), Peter Winter (technical director), and A. R. B. Hobbs, BHC's nominee.
In 1971, Britten-Norman encountered financial problems, and one result was that the Cushioncraft company was sold in 1972 to the British Hovercraft Corporation
British Hovercraft Corporation
British Hovercraft Corporation was the corporate entity created when the Saunders Roe division of Westland Aircraft and Vickers Supermarine combined March 1966 with the intention of creating viable commercial hovercraft - .None of the Vickers designs were 'taken forward', the...
.
Between 1960 and 1972 Cushioncraft designed 6 models of which 5 were produced.
CC1
CC1 was the "second" hovercraft to lift off in 1960. The ground clearance of the CC1 was 12 to 15 inch.CC2
The 11 passenger CC2 was originally designed without a skirt and using air deflection within the cushion for propulsion. The CC2 was heavily developed over the years with the addition of a skirt and two external engines each driving a propellor for propulsion. The "bodywork" was also heavily modified.CC4
The CC4 was developed by Cushioncraft jointly with Hovercraft Development. It was intended to be the first car sized craft to be put into production - this never happened. Subsequent to development use by Cushioncraft, the CC4 was sold to the NPL for future research, HDL renamed it HU-4.CC5
One 6/8 seater CC5 was built, during tests off Priory Bay (Isle of Wight) it capsized and was written off in October 1966.CC6
The CC6 concept hovercraftHovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
was designed circa 1966. This was to be a small vehicle/passenger craft (4 to 6 cars and 30 to 40 passengers) using the quiet centrifugal fan configuration for lift and propulsion developed from the CC4 and CC5.
The Cushioncraft CC-6 18-ton mixed-traffic ferry craft was to be built jointly by the Vosper
Vosper
Vosper may refer to:*People**Cyril Ronald Vosper, a British Scientologist and, later, critic of Scientology**Dennis Forwood Vosper, Baron Runcorn, a British Conservative politician...
-Thorneycroft shipbuilding group at Portsmouth. This was the effect of an agreement between Vosper and Cushioncraft, under which Vosper were to be major sub-contractors in the construction of the craft. Development was to be financed jointly by Cushioncraft and the National Research Development Corporation
National Research Development Corporation
The National Research Development Corporation was a non-departmental government body established by the British Government to transfer technology from the public sector to the private sector.-History:...
(NRDC). Cushioncraft's facilities at St Helen's, IoW, were considered inadequate for CC-6 production.
CC7
The CC7 was a development of the CC5, built in aluminium with inflatable side decks - the first Cushioncraft to use a gas turbineGas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
engine (all previous being piston). A stretched version offering 17 passenger places was proposed after the company was taken over by BHC.
- Power Plant Lift and thrust engine: one United AircraftUnited AircraftThe United Aircraft Corporation was formed in 1934 at the break-up of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation. In 1975, the company became the United Technologies Corporation.-1930s:...
of Canada ST-6B60DK marine gas turbine developing 390 b.h.p. at 6,000 r.p:m. - Dimensions Overall length 24 ft 4in; overall beam 15 ft 2in; beam with sidebodies deflated 7 ft 6in; height 7 ft 8in. The craft, with spares, will fit a standard air-freighting crate 30 ft X 8 ft X 8 ft in size.
- Accommodation Seats for two crew and six passengers plus two extra folding seats for passengers in doorways.
- Weights Empty 2,8801b; payload 2,1201b; all-up weight 5,0001b.
- Performance Max speed 50kt; max gradient 1 in 6; max endurance with standard HOgal tank 2hr; hard structure clearance lft.
Later years
After Cushioncraft was taken over by BHC, the "unique" fan lift/propulsion arrangement design of the later quiet Cushioncraft vehicles was discontinued.The Duver Works has since be used by Hovertravel
Hovertravel
Hovertravel is a ferry company operating from Southsea, Portsmouth to Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK. They are the only company operating in Britain with passenger hovercraft, after Hoverspeed stopped using their craft in favour of catamarans...
/Hoverwork as a maintenance centre and in the 1980s/90s was used to fit out the AP1-88 craft.
External links
- English hovercraft of the 1960s http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/hovercraft/
- More details of the cushioncraft including pictures http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/hovercraft/cushioncraft.htm