First Hovercraft off the line

[gtmpaul]

First Griffon 8000 to come out from their new factory

[Eric Mc]

Who?
What?
Where?

[mickk]

Eric Mc said:

Who?
What?
Where?

You forgot

Why?
When?

[Eric Mc]

And "How"

[mickk]

So many questions... Just need the answers.

[randlemarcus]

Eric Mc said:

And "How"

That's easy. There's one fan that blows backwards to make it go forward, and one that blows downwards, into a big bag, to make it "float". HTH.

[Eric Mc]

randlemarcus said:

Eric Mc said:

And "How"

That's easy. There's one fan that blows backwards to make it go forward, and one that blows downwards, into a big bag, to make it "float". HTH.

Now I know why it's called a "hover" carft.

[Eric Mc]

Still a bit vague though.

I'm interested to know where it might be going to - who the customer might be etc.

For instance, will it be operating on the Solent?

[gtmpaul]

First of Twelve. customer is the ICG, "Indian Coast Guard"
Should see quite a bit of activity in the Solent over the next few years, they are due out every three months from the build shed

http://www.griffonhoverwork.com/

A couple of other Griffon builds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkVJS501Y78

[HereBeMonsters]

Well that picture is on the River Itchen, so I guess it will be running up and down the Solent a bit.

[anonymous-user]

Hurray! A nice bit of export work! We need more of that kind of stuff! ;-)

[Eric Mc]

gtmpaul said:

First of Twelve. customer is the ICG, "Indian Coast Guard"
Should see quite a bit of activity in the Solent over the next few years, they are due out every three months from the build shed

http://www.griffonhoverwork.com/

A couple of other Griffon builds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkVJS501Y78

Are these guys successors to Saunders Roe/Vospers. The Solent does seem to be the home of the hovercraft.

[danyeates]

Eric Mc said:

gtmpaul said:

First of Twelve. customer is the ICG, "Indian Coast Guard"
Should see quite a bit of activity in the Solent over the next few years, they are due out every three months from the build shed

http://www.griffonhoverwork.com/

A couple of other Griffon builds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkVJS501Y78

Are these guys successors to Saunders Roe/Vospers. The Solent does seem to be the home of the hovercraft.

Indeed. My girlfriend's father works for Hovpod in Southampton.

They're pretty fun!

http://www.hovpod.com/

[Chrisgr31]

Eric Mc said:

Are these guys successors to Saunders Roe/Vospers. The Solent does seem to be the home of the hovercraft.

I believe they have been around as Hovercraft makers for some years and may of made the Hovercraft used in the Bond film, whatever it was called (which I must admit is really helpful!).

You'll occasionally find some of their smaller craft at Hovercraft Racing events.

[fadeaway]

randlemarcus said:

Eric Mc said:

And "How"

That's easy. There's one fan that blows backwards to make it go forward, and one that blows downwards, into a big bag, to make it "float". HTH.

... can definitely see two fan's blowing backwards in that photo..

[gtmpaul]

Hi
Just a poor vid of the larger Griffon 8100, this was for the KCG "Kuwait Coast Guard" the craft is being pulled out of the shed for the first time.
This was 2010 in the old site in Hythe, transmission to the props is not connected to allow it to move out the shed and it's also a bit tight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE_hw_LaGsI

[Sixpackpert]

Griffon are the most successful commercial builder we have. Well done to all involved, my mate is test pilot/instructor for them the lucky bugger.

The hovercraft community is small and everyone knows everyone!

Good to see a UK manufacturing having success! May have to get my craft out for a run around the solent...

[Sixpackpert]

Chrisgr31 said:

I believe they have been around as Hovercraft makers for some years and may of made the Hovercraft used in the Bond film, whatever it was called (which I must admit is really helpful!).

You'll occasionally find some of their smaller craft at Hovercraft Racing events.

They made one of the craft, the largest. The smaller craft, the one that Bond 'drove', are Osprey 5's.

[andrew_huxtable]

We could probably have had one coming up to Fife to service a new route between Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh but the bd council would't let them alter the seafront to make a landing area at Kirkcaldy!!!! bds!!!

[Sixpackpert]

Yep, heard that too! Real shame after the trial was a great success!