The British Hovercraft Corporation

British Hovercraft Corporation

British Hovercraft Corporation was the corporate entity created when the Saunders Roe division of Westland Aircraft and Vickers Supermarine combined March 1966 with the intention of creating viable commercial hovercraft - .None of the Vickers designs were 'taken forward', the...

 BH.7 (also known as the Wellington class) was a medium size 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...

 intended for military roles.

The prototype BH.7 Mk.2 first flew in November 1969 and was evaluated by the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

, being allocated the pennant number

Pennant number

In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...

 P235 and aircraft serial number XW255. It was trialled in a number of different roles from 1970 until 1983, including mine countermeasures, fisheries protection, and anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....

, operating from RNAS Portland

RNAS Portland

RNAS Portland was an air station of the Royal Navy from 1917.The site was first built in 1917 as HMS Sarepta within the confines of Portland Harbour as a seaplane base; the aircraft operating from the base's slipways. In 1919 No...

, It was later acquired by the Hovercraft Museum at Lee-on-Solent.

A further two BH.7 Mk.4s and four BH.7 Mk.5As were delivered to the Imperial Iranian Navy in the early 1970s, although they are now thought to be in storage due to trade embargoes.