Sir Christopher's early theories on the hovercraft principle were
conducted with a hairdryer, a pair of kitchen scales and two empty coffee
tins! |
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In 1968 the first Mountbatten class SRN4 hovercraft, The Princess Margaret, was launched by the British hovercraft Corporation at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. On 1 August 1968, The Princess Margaret entered commercial service with Seaspeed (then a subsidiary of British Rail) to inaugurate the world's first commercial passenger and vehicle-carrying hovercraft service. A year later on 8 August 1969, a second SRN4, The Princess Anne, entered service. |
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In 1978, The Princess Anne was "stretched" with the addition of a 55ft section to increase capacity. The newly designated SRN4 Mark III ('Super 4') hovercraft is the largest in the world. In 1979, The Princess Margaret was also "stretched". |
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During their thirty year reign as the fastest way to cross the Channel, the twin Princesses have carried tens of millions of passengers between England and France. For more information on hovercraft, see the Hovercraft Museum Trust website |