Hovercraft Museum
Encyclopedia
The Hovercraft Museum, located in Lee-on-the-Solent
in Hampshire, England, is dedicated to hovercraft
.
The museum has a large collection of various designs of hovercraft - numbering over sixty at the last count. 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 future of these vessels is uncertain, as they are privately owned and are possibly up for sale.
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. Indeed many former 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 manufacturer's hovercraft models including the world's first working hovercraft model built by Christopher Cockerell
.
Lee-on-the-Solent
Lee-on-the-Solent, often referred to as Lee-on-Solent, is a small seaside town in Hampshire, England about five miles west of Portsmouth. The town is located on the coast of the Solent and forms part of the borough of Gosport...
in Hampshire, England, is dedicated to 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...
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The museum has a large collection of various designs of hovercraft - numbering over sixty at the last count. Situated at HMS Daedalus by the large slipway from where many hovercraft have been tested, the museum collection includes SR.N5
SR.N5
The Saunders-Roe SR.N5 was a medium-sized hovercraft which first flew in 1964. It was the first production-built hovercraft in the world. A later "stretched" variant of the SR.N5 was produced in greater numbers as the SR.N6....
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 future of these vessels is uncertain, as they are privately owned and are possibly up for sale.
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. Indeed many former 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 manufacturer's hovercraft models including the world's first working hovercraft model built by Christopher Cockerell
Christopher Cockerell
Sir Christopher Sydney Cockerell CBE FRS was an English engineer, inventor of the hovercraft.-Life:Cockerell was born in Cambridge, where his father, Sir Sydney Cockerell, was curator of the Fitzwilliam Museum, having previously been the secretary of William Morris. Christopher Cockerell was...
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