New 66-seat Hovercraft Completed
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WITH the completion of the Westland SRN2 at the Saunders-Roe works at Cowes, Britain now has a hovercraft which is very much closer to a commercial design than any earlier craft of this type have been. Although hovercraft of less than 70-100 tons laden are unlikely to be directly competitive with other forms of transport at present, they have unique cross-country capabilities; the SRN2, which is in the 25-35-ton laden weight range, is intended for proving operations over experimental routes, primarily carrying passengers over water. Alternatively it could carry about 6 tons
of freight, and although it floats and has a very boat-like shape, it is entirely amphibious and so could be used equally well over land.
This new hovercraft is a 66-seater designed to cruise at 80 m.p.h. over ranges of up to. 200 miles. Length is 54 ft. 6 in. and width 29 ft. 6 in.; weight is 27 tons. It is powered by four 815 h.p. Blackburn Nimbus gas-turbine engines coupled in two pairs. Each pair drives one of the propellers and one of the two large fans which provide lift: the SRN2 is designed to travel at a hovering height of about 1 ft.