OPERATIONAL AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS OF COMMERCIAL HOVERCRAFT

This paper presents an account of operational and commercial problems experienced during four years' operations with the British Hovercraft Corporation's 200-ton amphibious SRN-4 hovercraft on the English Channel and, recently, of more conventional operations on the River Thames using the Hover-marine HM-2 MK 3 sidewall type hovercraft. Traffic growth and potential are discussed with reference to effects on hovercraft market share. Descriptions of operational, technical, and maintainance problems are listed and their effects on reliability and cost are assessed. Conslusions cover thoughts on future craft and their viability for commercial operations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the Advanced Marine Vehicles Conference, jointly sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, with the active cooperation and support of the United States Navy, San Diego, Calif., Feb. 25-28, 1974.
• Corporate Authors:

  AIAA/SNAME Advanced Marine Vehicles Conference

  1290 Avenue of the Americas
  New York, NY  United States  10019
• Authors:
  • Colquhoun, L R
• Publication Date: 1974-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 7 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air cushion vehicles; Amphibious operations; Economics; Marine transit; Surface effect ships
• Old TRIS Terms: Hovercraft economics; Hovercraft operations
• Subject Areas: Economics; Marine Transportation; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00054238
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Report/Paper Numbers: Paper #74-321
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 7 1978 12:00AM