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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1197.PDF
FLIGHT International, 19 July 1962 SUPPLEMENT Air-Cushion Vehicles Quotes BRITISH, AMERICAN AND SOVIET SPOKESMEN STATE THEIR VIEWS CONCERNING THE CAPABILITIES OF AIR-CUSHION VEHICLES AND PROBE THE FUTURE OF THESE CRAFT, FOR CIVIL AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS LORD ROOTES, chairman of Britain's Western Hemisphere Export Council Lord Rootes told a press conference in San Francisco on April 27 that he believed air-cushion vehicles would "be in common use in the United States within five years or less." MR PETER THORNEYCROFT, Min ister of Aviation, reported in a Reuter message from Sydney "June 30. The British Minister of •iviation, Mr Peter Thorneycroft, sug gested today that Australian transport authorities should discuss the use of hovercraft ferries with Britain's Saun- ders-Roe Company. Arriving in Sydney for an eight-day official visit to Australia, he told a press conference public transport hovercraft, which rode on a cushion of air, were economical and could have a big future. Mr Thorneycroft said he be lieved hovercraft ferries would be ideally suited for Sydney Harbour, even though the water was sometimes rough. Large capacity designs were being developed and could be applied for use in Sydney. Hovercraft could also be put into opera tion over swampy country where railway tracks could not be laid and places such as the Central Australian desert. He would have discussions on this new trans port technique during his visit." SIR ERIC MENSFORTH, chairman of Westland Aircraft Ltd (as reported in "Flight International" of June 28) "The existence of plans for a hovercraft 'aircraft carrier' and missile-launcher powered by a nuclear reactor was dis closed by Mr Eric Mensforth—upon whom was conferred a knighthood in the recent Birthday Honours—during last week's demonstration of the SR.N2. . . "The craft would be of between 1,000 and 1,500 tons, would be far quicker to build than a conventional carrier, and would probably cost less than £2m. Speed would be in the region of 120 m.p.h., and the vessel would be able to operate over 40ft waves and stay at sea for over two months. For obvious reasons, it would not be vulnerable to conventional torpedo attack. The project might take 10 to 15 years to bring to fruition." THE HON. CHRISTOPHER WOOD- HOUSE, Parliamentary Secretary, Minis try of Aviation "This is a new and exciting develop ment, and one in which this country is leading the world. The developers have yet to work out the best economic use of these machines—or of this family of machines. We in the Ministry have two objects—first, to see that there is the widest possible scope for development, and second, to see that safety is not prejudiced while these developments are going on. Hovercraft appear in law to be aircraft and we have fortunately in aviation law a flexible system designed to meet just this need to enable experiments 6
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