Year of the Hovercraft 2009

2009 is the 50th anniversary of the launch of the first Hovercraft prototype, the SRN1 which was constructed on the Isle of Wight in the UK by Saunders Roe.

Sir Christopher Cockerell began work on his greatest invention in 1953, testing his theory with a hair dryer and tin cans. It took dedication and many years of hard work for him to finance from his own funds, the development of his first working model constructed from balsa wood in 1955, the year in which he first patented the hovercraft.

The SRN1 was capable of carrying 4 men at a speed of 28 miles per hour. It made a successful crossing of the English Channel on 25th July 1959.

50 years on, there have been many improvements and developments.The hovercraft we see today are very different from the original design; however, without the imagination, dedication of Sir Christopher, a great many people would not be where they are today. Not only has Sir Christopher created a growing industry of manufacturers, his invention has saved a good many lives from floods, mud and icy lakes.

Three cheers for Sir Christopher Cockerell!


About this news page

The last year has been a very busy year for us.

It is now 36 months since the product launch of the SPX model, and as we look back, this product has been an amazing success. The Hov Pod SPX 120HP Turbo charged hovercraft is proving very popular with commercial, rescue and military customers.

With so much going on with shipments, filming and general Hov Pod news their is only so much we can squeeze on a few pages, so below we show just some of the key developments and other things going.

From this page you can also use the quick links to see some of the news stories from the Media, or find out about a few of the latest craft to leave the Hov Pod factory.

50th Hovercraft Anniversary

50th Hovercraft Anniversary

Hov Pod Rescues kayaker

Hov Pod Rescues kayaker