Comments/Feedback Form If you have any comments or suggestions about this site I'd like to hear from you! If you'd like me to get back to you, please include an email address (I'm afraid I won't be able to get in touch by phone). If you have any photos or videos or stories you'd like to have put on the site of hovercraft or experiences/events around hovercraft, please tell me and I'll gratefully get back to you. All fields are optional. No details will ever be passed on for marketing purposes etc.. Fields marked with a * are required to be filled in for you to receive a reply. If your enquiry is regarding purchasing a hovercraft, please take a look at the Buy a Hovercraft page before contacting me, as the information you require may be provided by the companies listed. IMPORTANT: If your request is time sensitive, e.g. for a magazine article, publication, school project, etc., please tell me the timescale so I can prioritize my reply. In the meantime, try these three great resources: Hovercraft FAQ, Build at Hovercraft and "Designing and building a miniature air- cushioned vehicle for use on water". It may take me a while to get back to you (maybe months, sorry!) if you don't specify a time period, but rest assured I will reply when I can. Name * Email * Country Message * Please enter the number you see into the box below for validation purposes Please note that I cannot reply to you if you don't give a valid email address. If you send pictures, videos, photos or information to be hosted at James' Hovercraft Site, the original copyright and ownership of the material will remain yours and a credit to yourself will be shown next to the material you have provided. Any material you supply to be included in this website is much appreciated, thank you very much for your time and efforts in continuing to make this site a valuable resource for fellow viewers!

SRN6 Twin-Prop (Mk. 6) Trip

At Hovershow 2009 I was extremely lucky (and thus remain forever grateful to the Hovercraft Museum team and the SRN6 crew that day, ex-Canadian Coastguard engineer Paul Augusta and pilot Colin Shew, and Hovertravel pilot Robert Trussler) to have both seen, climbed aboard, and had a flight in an SRN6 hovercraft.

Parts of this particular craft once boasted the name "Sure", of the two Hoverlloyd twin craft to operate between Pegwell Bay and France back in the 1960s during Hoverlloyd's first years of service. An amalgamation of two craft, other components were from SRN6 "Freedom" (Mark, 2009). She then went on to a life outside of the passenger field, touring the world. This craft was then stretched, and converted to a twin-propeller configuration to reduce operating noise. Most recently, before purchase by the Hovercraft Museum, SRN6 017 acted as a marine research vessel, bearing the onboard equipment and electronics to match such a role.

The SRN6 Twin-Prop design was created to, among other things reduce operating noise from the craft's "angry wasp"-sounding propeller, the original tips of which were so fast that they broke the sound barrier due to the propeller's size and high speed. Twin Props reduced each blade's diameter and thus tip speed, subsequently negating the requirement to go supersonic to provide the necessary thrust to drive the craft forward.

This page contains photos from around the Museum's SRN6, and a link to a video(s) page of the short trip around the Solent infront of HMS Daedalus. Click for more information about the SRN6.

Canadian Coastguard

Paul worked with the Canadian Coastguard since 1968 initially as a rep for Westland Aerospace in the UK, initially having started out as an apprentice for Saunders & Roe hovercraft. He was chief engineer with Hovertravel, involved with hovercraft activities in the Middle East and the Arctic to do with oil exploration back in the '60s. Canadian Coastguard operated 5 SRN6s in total, 2 from Vancouver and 3 from Yellowknife (??). They now operate 4 AP1-88 craft for Search and Rescue and Ice Breaking roles.

SRN6 Walkaround at Hovershow 2009

SRN6 017 (the original Sure, later stretched, and converted to twin-propeller and outfitted for research purposes). Landed at Lee. This craft carries remnants of old research kit control panels.	Closeup of the bow of the craft showing the RADAR antennae, air scoop, and original front-loading access bow ramp.	Looking forward along the top of the craft, from the side access door.
Looking aft toward the two main rear propellers.	The lateral "puff port" on the side of the craft, opened on demand by the pilot, supplied by lift air from the plenum chamber.	The engine assembly and two main propellers, along with the rudder and elevator tailfin of the SRN6.
	Side-on view of the two main propellers and their mountings.

Trip on SRN6 Twin-Prop at Hovershow 2009

About a 10-minute short hover-around was afforded to a very lucky few at Hovershow 2009 on the Museum's SRN6 Twin Prop. Piloted by Hovertravel's own (??), and crewed by many SRN6 veterans, this short hop took us about a mile East of the Daedalus slipway, keeping relatively close to shore, but proving that this, the oldest operational hovercraft in the world, is still made of strong stuff some 40+ years on.

Click here for video of this trip.

Page updated: 08/15/2010