SR-N1 hovercraft (Corgi 1119)
| Exhibit |
|---|
SR-N1 hovercraft (Corgi 1119) |
 |
| BTNTM.2010.82 |
| location: |
|
Arch Four , Area 35 1960 - 1962 |
A Corgi Major Toys die-cast scale model of the Saunders-Roe Nautical 1 (SR-N1) experimental hovercraft (model number 1119). Made by Playcraft Toys Ltd, London.
The original hovercraft
The experimental hovercraft "Saunders-Roe Nautical 1", designated SR-N1 (as painted on its side), or SR.N1 (in various sources) was designed by hovercraft inventor Sir Christopher Cockerell, and emerged from the Saunders-Roe Isle of Wight factory in 1959, immediately astounding onlookers by humming happily across fields, roads and the Solent.
The craft's major publicity coup, though, took place on 25th July, 1959, when the craft crossed the English Channel, with Cockerell at times sprawling his body over various parts of the superstructure to use his bodyweight as ballast.
The SR-N1's distinctive circular baseplate tended not to be used on later hovercraft: although technically the most efficient shape, later vehicles made use of "skirts" that dropped to ground level or water level, which helped to keep the air-cushion trapped below the craft more efficiently, making the exact shape of the craft less important – later machines tended to be more rectangular, or rectangular-with-rounded-corners. This allowed craft to be larger without being excessively wide, and also made it easier to accommodate traditional (rectangular) seating layouts.
