Hovermarine HM-4

[Triton]

Artist's impression and three-view drawing of Hovermarine HM-4 from 1967.

General characteristics:

• 125 tons
• 350 passengers, 6 cars
• 160 ft long
• 68 ft beam
• 40 kt service speed

Source:
http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/hovercraft/hovermarine.htm

 

[Maveric]

Good find, Triton. Thanks...

 

[ouroboros]

Since this has solid catamaran sidewalls, does this also qualify as a SES of sorts?

 

[Grey Havoc]

An interesting question.

 

[zebedee]

On a visit to the Airworld Aviation Museum at Caernarfon Airport in North Wales sometime in the mid 90's I noticed this hidden out of the way on top of a cabinet in the model room, a manufacturers model of the HM4. Whats this doing in Caernarfon...? Turns out at one point in the mid 60's there was a plan to link the Welsh mainland and Anglesey/Holyhead via hovercraft, and this was one of the craft suggested.

Apologies for the quality of the photo!

 

[Conspirator]

On a visit to the Airworld Aviation Museum at Caernarfon Airport in North Wales sometime in the mid 90's I noticed this hidden out of the way on top of a cabinet in the model room, a manufacturers model of the HM4. Whats this doing in Caernarfon...? Turns out at one point in the mid 60's there was a plan to link the Welsh mainland and Anglesey/Holyhead via hovercraft, and this was one of the craft suggested.

Apologies for the quality of the photo!

oh wow!! you are so lucky to find that!

 

[Nik]

Well spotted !!

Hard to believe the infamous Menai Straights are comparatively recent. IIRC, the Roman Legions forded what was then salt-marsh to invade the Celtic Druids' last locale. When through-flow was fully established, it scoured out the salt marsh from what became the Straights, plus an extensive 'estuary' from either end...

I've read that something similar happened to the River Mersey's stomach-shaped 'Pool', converting it from 'minor river through salt-marsh' to fully tidal, but cannot find yeah/nay. Would explain why the Romans fetched up at Chester on River Dee instead. IIRC, a buried channel suggests the River Mersey was a River Dee tributary in pre-history...

 

[zebedee]

Well spotted !!

Hard to believe the infamous Menai Straights are comparatively recent. IIRC, the Roman Legions forded what was then salt-marsh to invade the Celtic Druids' last locale. When through-flow was fully established, it scoured out the salt marsh from what became the Straights, plus an extensive 'estuary' from either end...

I've read that something similar happened to the River Mersey's stomach-shaped 'Pool', converting it from 'minor river through salt-marsh' to fully tidal, but cannot find yeah/nay. Would explain why the Romans fetched up at Chester on River Dee instead. IIRC, a buried channel suggests the River Mersey was a River Dee tributary in pre-history...

Having lived on the banks of the Dee for most of my life I still find it hard to believe anyone managed to get a boat further than Parkgate* let alone to Chester...

Zeb

*For those not familiar with the locale Parkgate is a delightful Victorian fishing village that is now well and truly landlocked except for the very highest tides... of course you can still get wonderful ice cream though

 

[Nik]

"...get a boat further than Parkgate"

Our Dee bears scant resemblance to the historical one. Not only was Chester Weir the limit of coastal navigation and a trans-shipping nexus for 'Upper Dee' flat-boats, but Flint Castle had a water-gate / dock like Caernarfon for convenient re-supply and, yes, to thwart sieges. Then, when the estuary began to severely silt in 1700s, there was a new channel dredged...

Dee Estuary - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If you come across a better reference to that buried Mersey channel, I'd welcome it. Lost mine a decade back in a dire PC drive crash...

 

[Fluff]

Well spotted !!

Hard to believe the infamous Menai Straights are comparatively recent. IIRC, the Roman Legions forded what was then salt-marsh to invade the Celtic Druids' last locale. When through-flow was fully established, it scoured out the salt marsh from what became the Straights, plus an extensive 'estuary' from either end...

I've read that something similar happened to the River Mersey's stomach-shaped 'Pool', converting it from 'minor river through salt-marsh' to fully tidal, but cannot find yeah/nay. Would explain why the Romans fetched up at Chester on River Dee instead. IIRC, a buried channel suggests the River Mersey was a River Dee tributary in pre-history...

Having lived on the banks of the Dee for most of my life I still find it hard to believe anyone managed to get a boat further than Parkgate* let alone to Chester...

Zeb

*For those not familiar with the locale Parkgate is a delightful Victorian fishing village that is now well and truly landlocked except for the very highest tides... of course you can still get wonderful ice cream though

And Chips.

Used to have an awful cafe.....

Cant help but feel Chester dodged a bullet of the much vaunted 'industrial revolution'.....