Hovercraft on a public road?
Discussion
Question:
Vehicles must be taxed, insured, MOTd (mostly) to be operated on a public road.
Doesn't a hovercraft float on a skirt of air just above the ground? Therefore, if the hovercraft doesn't come into contact with the road, isn't it therefore legal to drive a hovercraft on (i.e. slightly above) the road?
I'm aware that hovercrafts rubber skirts often brush the ground, thus coming into contact, but if they didn't, would it be legal?
(No I don't have one, just always wondered)
Vehicles must be taxed, insured, MOTd (mostly) to be operated on a public road.
Doesn't a hovercraft float on a skirt of air just above the ground? Therefore, if the hovercraft doesn't come into contact with the road, isn't it therefore legal to drive a hovercraft on (i.e. slightly above) the road?
I'm aware that hovercrafts rubber skirts often brush the ground, thus coming into contact, but if they didn't, would it be legal?
(No I don't have one, just always wondered)
Taita said:
Cheers Taita, will check it out.Imagine the look on a fresh out of training police officer's face as you breezed past him. :-)
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Another thread here. Looks like I'm not as unique as I thought...
Seems the correct law is Sec 188 of the road traffic act, which indicates that hovercrafts are to be treated as motor vehicles.
Another thread here. Looks like I'm not as unique as I thought...
Seems the correct law is Sec 188 of the road traffic act, which indicates that hovercrafts are to be treated as motor vehicles.
Edited by AndyLB on Friday 24th December 13:28
What about an Ekranoplan?
Bit of a bugger at junctions though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Nu94khHoo&fea...
Bit of a bugger at junctions though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Nu94khHoo&fea...
Edited by 98elise on Tuesday 28th December 09:11
Interesting. I commissioned one book in the 80s that never got published, but some of my projects take a long time to fruition!
This book included Jon Pertwee's 'The Alien', built in 1975, as it was then called. Jon was of course, Dr Who.
It then became known as the 'Whomobile'. Jon actually drove this (coming to the relevance of this thread) hovercraft looking vehicle, which Jon at the time said caused several accidents - other drivers taking their eyes of the road! Not surprising as this was many years back. I'm sure it would still shock today!
It was used in a couple of episodes of Dr Who. The illusion of the hovercraft look was by fitment of a deep rubber skirt fitted to hide the wheels.
Not sure what happened to it after Jon's death.
This book included Jon Pertwee's 'The Alien', built in 1975, as it was then called. Jon was of course, Dr Who.
It then became known as the 'Whomobile'. Jon actually drove this (coming to the relevance of this thread) hovercraft looking vehicle, which Jon at the time said caused several accidents - other drivers taking their eyes of the road! Not surprising as this was many years back. I'm sure it would still shock today!
It was used in a couple of episodes of Dr Who. The illusion of the hovercraft look was by fitment of a deep rubber skirt fitted to hide the wheels.
Not sure what happened to it after Jon's death.
it was last on the road in 1997....
make is whomobile alien
The enquiry is complete
The vehicle details for WVO 2M are:
Date of Liability 01 01 1997
Date of First Registration 01 11 1993
Year of Manufacture 1973
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 975CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour SILVER
Vehicle Type Approval
Vehicle Excise Duty Rate for vehicle
6 Months Rate £38.50
12 Months Rate £70.00
make is whomobile alien
The enquiry is complete
The vehicle details for WVO 2M are:
Date of Liability 01 01 1997
Date of First Registration 01 11 1993
Year of Manufacture 1973
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 975CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour SILVER
Vehicle Type Approval
Vehicle Excise Duty Rate for vehicle
6 Months Rate £38.50
12 Months Rate £70.00
guru_1071 said:
it was last on the road in 1997....
make is whomobile alien
The enquiry is complete
The vehicle details for WVO 2M are:
Date of Liability 01 01 1997
Date of First Registration 01 11 1993
Year of Manufacture 1973
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 975CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour SILVER
Vehicle Type Approval
Vehicle Excise Duty Rate for vehicle
6 Months Rate £38.50
12 Months Rate £70.00
Thanks for that. You don't own it do you?make is whomobile alien
The enquiry is complete
The vehicle details for WVO 2M are:
Date of Liability 01 01 1997
Date of First Registration 01 11 1993
Year of Manufacture 1973
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 975CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour SILVER
Vehicle Type Approval
Vehicle Excise Duty Rate for vehicle
6 Months Rate £38.50
12 Months Rate £70.00
So someone drove it after Jon's death in 1996? Or does that mean the tax ran out in 97?
Is there some confusion over the size of power plant... 975cc?
Surely must be 875 or 998 as it was, of course, Imp powered.
[quote=dandarezThanks for that. You don't own it do you?
[/quote]
no, i just googled it to get the reg, stuck the reg in the rac vehicle checker to get the make and put the reg and the make into the dvla enquiry system.
if i did own it id go to the pub in it - making paper & comb noises whilst i drove it
[/quote]
no, i just googled it to get the reg, stuck the reg in the rac vehicle checker to get the make and put the reg and the make into the dvla enquiry system.
if i did own it id go to the pub in it - making paper & comb noises whilst i drove it
dandarez said:
Interesting. I commissioned one book in the 80s that never got published, but some of my projects take a long time to fruition!
This book included Jon Pertwee's 'The Alien', built in 1975, as it was then called. Jon was of course, Dr Who.
It then became known as the 'Whomobile'. Jon actually drove this (coming to the relevance of this thread) hovercraft looking vehicle, which Jon at the time said caused several accidents - other drivers taking their eyes of the road! Not surprising as this was many years back. I'm sure it would still shock today!
It was used in a couple of episodes of Dr Who. The illusion of the hovercraft look was by fitment of a deep rubber skirt fitted to hide the wheels.
Not sure what happened to it after Jon's death.
Bit of a thread resurrection here but I found out what happened to the Whomobile. This book included Jon Pertwee's 'The Alien', built in 1975, as it was then called. Jon was of course, Dr Who.
It then became known as the 'Whomobile'. Jon actually drove this (coming to the relevance of this thread) hovercraft looking vehicle, which Jon at the time said caused several accidents - other drivers taking their eyes of the road! Not surprising as this was many years back. I'm sure it would still shock today!
It was used in a couple of episodes of Dr Who. The illusion of the hovercraft look was by fitment of a deep rubber skirt fitted to hide the wheels.
Not sure what happened to it after Jon's death.
After Jon death it was auctioned off as a boat.
It was stuck in a garage for years until Mat Irvine (one of the BBC Sci Fi prop builders) found out where is was.
Its been out and about at some shows called Smallspace and they are looking at doing a programme on how it was made.
So this vehicle still exists and will be seen at sometime in the not so distant future.
Years ago when the Navy were going through another phase of playing around with the things they used to operate out of an Air Station just down the road from me, they used to open the gates, switch on some red flashing light (like you find outside fire stations) and then zoom across the road down a slipway and off into the Solent. The Air Station closed in the Early nineties, the hovercraft all got scrapped, and everything all got sold off. Ironically then road closing lights remained and a few sheds in the corner survived to grow into what is now some sort of Hovercraft Museum, although the reality is it's more like a Hovercraft Boneyard as I don't think they'll ever generate the sort of funding that Vulcan Bombers enjoyed.
Lee-on-the-Solent
HMS Daedalus was finally paid off and formally closed as a Naval Establishment on 29th March 1996.
The lights on Marine Parade appear to have been removed before the SRN4s arrived at the Museum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M8fsciJKfQ
The future of the SRN4 is threatened. It would be a travesty if was allowed to be broken up.
Especially considering Britain provided the world's first practical Hovercraft.
Many have crossed the Channel that way* whereas very few people have been in a Vulcan.
Hovershow 16 at the museum on 20th/21st August. It may be the last chance to see a SRN4.
* If you want to travel on one you still can: nip over the Isle of Wight.
HMS Daedalus was finally paid off and formally closed as a Naval Establishment on 29th March 1996.
The lights on Marine Parade appear to have been removed before the SRN4s arrived at the Museum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M8fsciJKfQ
The future of the SRN4 is threatened. It would be a travesty if was allowed to be broken up.
Especially considering Britain provided the world's first practical Hovercraft.
Many have crossed the Channel that way* whereas very few people have been in a Vulcan.
Hovershow 16 at the museum on 20th/21st August. It may be the last chance to see a SRN4.
* If you want to travel on one you still can: nip over the Isle of Wight.
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