![]() ![]() This approach is credited with having been less expensive and having resulted in a more commercially viable hovercraft than would have been if it had been constructed as per the earlier incarnation of the SR.N4 and then required to perform modifications to improve the capabilities of aspects such as the skirt, which had been considerably advanced by development of the SR.N5 and SR.N6. Įxperience gained from the SR.N5 and SR.N6 would contribute to the design of aspects of the larger SR.N4, which would be four times the size of any preceding hovercraft. At this stage, the proposed design for the SR.N4 had a displacement of 165 tons and a payload of up to 33 cars and 116 passengers this would not substantially differ from the final design adopted for the type. īy the end of 1964, it had been concluded that, due to the improved projected performance of the craft's flexible skirt having lowered the power requirements involved, only two pairs of Proteus engines would be required instead of three. In late 1964, it was decided to recommence design work on the proposed SR.N4. However, during early 1963, work on the SR.N4 was put on hold due to a greater priority having been placed on the completion of the SR.N5 instead. In its place, a new proposed hovercraft, which was referred to as the SR.N4 as well, was considerably larger and heavier, and powered by three pairs of Rolls-Royce Proteus marinised gas turbine engine. ![]() This original concept had effectively been a pair of elongated SR.N2 fixed together in a side-by-side placement and would have been powered by an arrangement of four pairs of Blackburn A.129 turboshaft engines. In August 1962, the original concept for the SR.N4, which had been conceived at the same time as the SR.N2 was being designed, was abandoned. Following the fleet's withdrawal from cross-channel services, a single remaining Mk.III example, GH-2007 Princess Anne, remains on static display at the Hovercraft Museum at Lee-on-Solent as of August 2021. While interest was expressed in military applications for the type, no vehicles were ultimately used for such purposes. In response to operator demands, stretched versions of the SR.N4 were developed, culminating in the Mk.III variant, which had almost double the capacity for carrying both cars and passengers as the Mk.I. The SR.N4s operated regular services across the English Channel between 19. The first design was 40 metres (131 ft) long, weighed 190 long tons (193 t), was capable of 83 knots (154 km/h) and could cruise at over 60 knots (111 km/h). Cars were driven from a bow ramp just forward of the wheelhouse. The SR.N4 was the largest hovercraft then built, designed to carry 254 passengers in two cabins besides a four-lane automobile bay which held up to 30 cars. Power was provided by four Rolls-Royce Proteus marine turboshaft engines each driving its own lift fan and pylon-mounted steerable propulsion propeller. ![]() By the time that the vehicle's first trials took place in early 1968, Saunders-Roe had merged with Vickers Supermarine to form the British Hovercraft Corporation, who continued development. Work on the SR.N4 was initiated in 1965 by Saunders-Roe. The type has the distinction of being the largest civil hovercraft to have ever been put into service. The rescue took about 30 minutes start to finish.Ĭlark said there is no information on why the person was on the ice, their age or where they were from.īarrie Fire is reminding the public that no ice is safe ice and to be cautious whenever out on the lake.The SR.N4 (Saunders-Roe Nautical 4) hovercraft (also known as the Mountbatten class hovercraft) was a combined passenger and vehicle-carrying class of hovercraft. “The person was discovered approximately 750 metres offshore, standing on the ice and was concerned by the cracking sounds," she added.Ĭlark said the drone was able to direct the hovercraft directly to the person, who was taken aboard and brought back to shore at the marina, cold but uninjured. “We responded to an area off shore around Shanty Bay Road and launched our drone to get a visual on the person and launched the hovercraft from the city marina,” Clark said. An ice rescue on Kempenfelt Bay had a happy ending last night.īarrie Fire and Emergency Service received a call from city police Tuesday night regarding reports of someone yelling for help on the ice around 9:20 p.m.ĭeputy Fire Chief Carrie Clark told BarrieToday the person was discovered almost one kilometre off shore. ![]()
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