The

British Hovercraft Corporation British Hovercraft Corporation (BHC) was a British hovercraft manufacturer that designed and produced multiple types of vehicles for both commercial and civil purposes. Created with the intention of producing viable commercial hovercraft in March ...

SR.N3 was a 37.5 ton hovercraft originally designed by

Saunders-Roe Saunders-Roe Limited, also known as Saro, was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works, East Cowes, Isle of Wight. History The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliott Verdon Roe (see Avro) and John Lord took a co ...

. Launched in 1963, it was primarily aimed at military deployment. It was a military version of the

SR.N2 The SR.N2 was a hovercraft built by Westland and Saunders-Roe. It first flew in 1961. It weighed 27 tons and could carry 48 passengers. Although only one was built it is regarded as the prototype for commercial hovercraft, following on from the ...

Propulsion and lift was provided by four rear-mounted

Bristol-Siddeley Gnome The Rolls-Royce Gnome is a British turboshaft engine originally developed by the de Havilland Engine Company as a licence-built General Electric T58, an American mid-1950s design. The Gnome came to Rolls-Royce after their takeover of Bristol S ...

gas turbine engines that allowed the SR.N3 to cruise at 70 knots. The British IHTU (Interservice Hovercraft Trials Unit), based at Browndown,

Stokes Bay Stokes Bay ( grid ref.:)) (50.782982, -1.163868) is an area of the Solent that lies just south of Gosport, between Portsmouth and Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. There is a shingle beach with views of Ryde and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight to the ...

, tested the SR.N3 in a wide variety of conditions, including ice. On 16 September 1964 an SR.N3 operated satisfactorily in a full gale and six foot seas. The SR.N3 never entered full service and ended up being used for target practice.

References

External links

SR.N3
- Hovercraft Museum Military hovercraft Saunders-Roe {{UK-mil-ship-stub