Sir Christopher Cockerell

The person who is noted for the idea behind the modern hovercraft is Sir Christopher Cockerell. He built some models of his hovercraft idea and then tried to get the military interested in them, but although at the time, there was no branch of the military that had any interest or the foresight in these early versions.

The  SR.N1. SR.N1 Hovercrafts made their crossing of the English Channel in July of 1959 and by 1968 the hovercraft had become popular as a commercial craft that was to be put to other good uses. They began to be used for ferries, search and rescue service and now, the military were beginning to take notice,

The hovercraft has become highly developed over the years since Sir Christopher Cockerell first versions with this Russian Hovercraft below being one of the worlds largest military hovercraft. It is armed with missiles, artillery and AA defense guns and can easily carry heavy tanks. It travels at up to 40 knots and travels across the sea or sand and mud with ease. Watch the video below to see this hovercraft in action!

In the early 1970s they were also becoming popular with the people for pleasure purposes with several companies beginning to use them for their exciting hovercraft hire business. This is when personal hovercraft kits and plans really became popular with the general public.

Considering that some hovercraft can be quite large, some of these hovercraft are using an air-cushion contained by skirts that can be up to several meters tall. These can deal with a reasonable level of unevenness in the terrain and are completely unfazed by obstacles even 1 to 2 meters high.

In Military use, the hovercraft’s ability to distribute its laden weight evenly across the surface makes it perfectly suited to the role of an amphibious landing craft. The US Navy LCAC can carry troops and materials from ship to shore and can easily access more than 70% of the world’s coastline making them ideal for use as a military landing craft.

A post from: Personal Hovercraft | Ready Built or From Plans