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Airfix
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My
Favourite Airfix Kit
BHC.
SR.N4 HOVERCRAFT
Kit
in production 1969 to 1979 - Series 9 - 1975 Price £1.79
I
get more requests for this kit than any other, if you see one and you can afford
it, buy it as you might not get a second chance.
| The
Craft
Airfix first "tooled" this
kit in 1969, the same year that four of these hovercraft went into
commercial service on the English Channel. These "Mountbatten"
class hovercraft were built by BHC (The British Hovercraft Corporation)
and operated on the Dover/Boulogne and Ramsgate/Calais routes. Cruising
speeds in excess of 60 knots could be comfortably achieved and journey
times of 35 minutes were achieved in comparison to about 2 hours by ferry.
Weighing in at 177 tons and able to carry 254 passengers and 30 cars
it was at the time the largest Hovercraft in the world. The Hoverlloyd
colour scheme shown on the box art work was of the Hovercraft that
operated from Pegwell Bay, Ramsgate Kent. Service ceased from there in the
80's and the terminal was left to decay and a very sad sight it was to
see. The site was being used as a "Go-Cart" track the last time
I was there. |
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A view of the craft
lifted from the instructions. |
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The Kit
Comprises
269 Parts (Including 4 cars)
Has
a transparent roof to allow viewing of the highly detailed interior.
Decals
included for either Hoverlloyds "Swift" or "Sure" or
the BR Seaspeed version "Princess Margaret" |
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First edition
(1969) packaging |
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Detailed view of the
interior |
T4
Packaging |
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