Hovercraft being broken up

[saaby93]

The 2 big ones at Lee on Solent
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-354...

[Scotty2]

Nooooo.
Part of our Engineering past.

Looks like there may be a chance to save one. What sort of condition are they in?

[sa_20v]

Awful news. I traveled in the cockpit of one of these coming back from France once - brilliant experience.

Any idea what sort of money they're after - would certainly chip in.

[MartG]

A petition to save at least one of them has been started

https://www.change.org/p/homes-and-communities-age...

[ChemicalChaos]

Why the fk are people so determined to erase every last piece of our heritage?

[Eric Mc]

Because money is all that really matters these days.

Apparently, the owner of the machines owes a lot of back rent - which he can't pay. So, he's allowed them to take the hovercraft at their scrap value.

[HoHoHo]

I've been on Princess Margaret on a crossing many years ago and used to watch them flying into port when I was at boarding school in Dover......mighty impressive and the noise was

What a shame at least one isn't being kept somewhere for future generations to admire. I bet Cockerell is facepalming as I write

[33q]

Just signed the petition

[HoHoHo]

33q said:

Just signed the petition

And me

[Hard-Drive]

Ditto...shared on FB too.

Lost for words TBH!

[vournikas]

Petition signed and shared.

[Scuffers]

Having lost concorde and the Vulcan (from the sky's) this really is vandalism of our heritage.

out of interest just how impossible would it be to get one operational again?

[hammo19]

I used to watch these depart from Pegwell Bay before they went to Dover. My mum still lives on the road above the old Hoverlloyd hoverport.

Terrible news.....sign the petition everyone

[hidetheelephants]

Scuffers said:

Having lost concorde and the Vulcan (from the sky's) this really is vandalism of our heritage.

out of interest just how impossible would it be to get one operational again?

I'm told they've suffered quite badly from neglect; the hovercraft museum were not allowed to do much as they do not own them and in any case they have bugger all money; lottery money is there for the taking but they need a permanent home, which HMS Daedalus is unlikely to be as the council want housing. It's just a big metal box, sheet aluminium riveted together like an aircraft, so it could be repaired. Theoretically you could retrofit alternative gas turbines in place of the Proteus as RR do not support them, there are no spares available anywhere and in any case the SRN4 had their Proteus removed by the owner as he wanted them for spares for his motor yacht. The Russkies make the UGT3000, or there's the RR MT7, GM LM500, Vericor TF40, P&W ST40M, all put out about the same power as the Proteus, weigh less and burn less fuel. Plucking a figure out of the air, £10m would probably do it.

hammo19 said:

I used to watch these depart from Pegwell Bay before they went to Dover. My mum still lives on the road above the old Hoverlloyd hoverport.

Terrible news.....sign the petition everyone

Pegwell has been talked about as a permanent home for the Hovercraft Museum, but as ever it appears money is the issue. It's probably unsuitable for housing so maybe available for cheap.

Edited by hidetheelephants on Sunday 31st January 10:48

[Huntsman]

I understand the owner bought them as he needed the engines for his boat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wensley_Haydon-Baill...

We've discussed the boat a while back on the PH wooden boat thread. She remains at the same place on the Itchen as she has done for about 5 or so years since she left Gun wharf at Portsmouth. She's looking pretty sad.

[ChemicalChaos]

If they can be saved by moving them to a new home, how the hell do you move them?!

[Vixpy1]

ChemicalChaos said:

If they can be saved by moving them to a new home, how the hell do you move them?!

500 people under skirt...

and LIFT!


Oh, and signed

[longshot]

ChemicalChaos said:

If they can be saved by moving them to a new home, how the hell do you move them?!

In the same way that they move anything that is mahoosive. You take it to pieces.
In it's current state, it shouldn't be very hard.

[hidetheelephants]

ChemicalChaos said:

If they can be saved by moving them to a new home, how the hell do you move them?!

The easy less unfeasibly expensive way is to hire a slack handful of portable blowers, plumb them into the plenum system and fire them up; then you can move the hovercraft with a tractor. This has been done at least once since they arrived in 2000. The unfeasibly expensive way is to fit engines in them and do it properly.

[Digger]

Once up and moving, how far could they get with something measuring 40m * c25m?