British Hovercraft Corporation
Encyclopedia
Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil in Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Ltd just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915...
and Vickers Supermarine combined March 1966 with the intention of creating viable commercial hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
- (the shareholdings were Westland Aircraft 65%, Vickers 25%, National Research and Development Corporation 10%).
None of the Vickers designs were 'taken forward', the existing production of the Saunders Roe designs continued (SR.N5 Warden Class and SR.N6 Winchester Class) and the Saunders Roe designed Mountbatten class hovercraft
Mountbatten class hovercraft
The SR.N4 hovercraft was a large passenger and vehicle carrying hovercraft built by the British Hovercraft Corporation . BHC was formed by the merger of Saunders-Roe and Vickers Supermarine in 1966...
(SR.N4), was completed and entered the cross-channel service (the hovercraft which most people think of when the word "hovercraft" is evoked).
Only one new design was produced (1969) by the British Hovercraft Corporation, the BH.7 (Wellington Class).
In 1970, Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil in Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Ltd just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915...
acquired the shares of the other parties.
In 1971 the British Hovercraft Corporation acquired the Cushioncraft
Cushioncraft
Cushioncraft Ltd was a British engineering company, formed in 1960 as a division of Britten-Norman Ltd to develop/build hovercraft. Originally based at Bembridge Airport on the Isle of Wight, Cushioncraft later moved to the Duver Works at St...
company from Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman is a British aircraft manufacturer owned by members of the Zawawi family from the Sultanate of Oman, making it the last remaining UK independent commercial aircraft producer....
.
In 1984, the company name was changed to Westland Aerospace - hovercraft design/manufacture had effectively ceased and the company was involved with the manufacture of composites for the Aerospace industry.
The British Hovercraft Corporation was responsible for the largest Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
in the world. They painted it on the doors of their hangar on the seafront at East Cowes
East Cowes
East Cowes is a town and civil parish to the north of the Isle of Wight, on the east bank of the River Medina next to its neighbour on the west bank, Cowes....
in 1977 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of the Queen's
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
- the flag is visible on the enlargement of the picture right.
Craft
Inherited designs from the Saunders Roe division of Westland Aircraft:- SR.N2
- SR.N3
- SR.N4Mountbatten class hovercraftThe SR.N4 hovercraft was a large passenger and vehicle carrying hovercraft built by the British Hovercraft Corporation . BHC was formed by the merger of Saunders-Roe and Vickers Supermarine in 1966...
- SR.N5SR.N5The Saunders-Roe SR.N5 was a medium-sized hovercraft which first flew in 1964. It was the first production-built hovercraft in the world. A later "stretched" variant of the SR.N5 was produced in greater numbers as the SR.N6....
- SR.N6
Other:
- British Hovercraft Corporation BH.7British Hovercraft Corporation BH.7The British Hovercraft Corporation BH.7 was a medium size hovercraft intended for military roles.The prototype BH.7 Mk.2 first flew in November 1969 and was evaluated by the Royal Navy, being allocated the pennant number P235 and aircraft serial number XW255...
(Wellington class) - British Hovercraft Corporation AP1-88