364:
289:, the profitability of the first generation of commercial hovercraft was badly hit, causing some operators to lose money and provoking requests from customers for more fuel efficient vehicles. Advances were quickly made in skirt technology to require less power to keep inflated, and extensions of the existing vehicles were also performed in order to increase payloads, however it was recognised that there were other means to drive down costs and thereby improve the hovercraft's commercial viability. These early vehicles had been powered by
400:
high-flying boats". Typically, on prior hovercraft, construction techniques and materials common to the aviation industry had been employed, which had resulted in vehicles that were expensive to produce, procure, and maintain. Accordingly, a high level of simplicity was deliberately present throughout the design of the AP1-88 in order to produce a vehicle with the required level of cost savings; aspects such as the design of the fan blades involved considerably less complexity than on the preceding generation of hovercraft.
418:
model for carrying up to 40 passengers plus cargo, which could include light vehicles; a full-cargo deck could also be adopted for military and industrial applications to carry payloads of up to 8 tonnes. BHC projected the AP1-88's operating costs to be around £120 per hour, assuming between 2,000-3,000 hours of use per year on a typical 19km route. According to author Ashley
Hollebone, the vehicle could be readily adapted to perform various roles, including
443:
26:
403:
In order to produce far less noise than earlier hovercraft, which was one of the more important factors of the AP1-88's design, it was decided to adopt larger fans that would move at slower sustained fan tip speeds; cylindrical ducts were also set around the propellers in order to lower the amount of
332:
on sales on the new craft. The majority of that project's financing originated from BHC itself, which would ultimately spend around £1 million of its own funds on the new hovercraft by the end of development. Accordingly, during the late 1970s, development work at BHC commenced on the new hovercraft,
413:
within the air prior to contact with the fan, while the use of separate engines in order to provide lift and forward movement also had benefits in this respect; earlier craft had to keep running their main engines at high speeds in order to keep the skirt inflated, making hovercraft terminals noisy.
387:
hailed the AP1-88 as being "sufficiently different to generate cautious optimism that the hovercraft is at least coming of age. Compared to its predecessors, the AP1-88 is cheap to buy and operate, and it is much quieter". It featured a number of design improvements over previous hovercraft, such as
417:
The AP1-88 could carry a maximum of 101 passengers for an endurance of 2.2 hours; this could be extended to 5.25 hours by reducing the area available for passengers to a maximum capacity of 90. In addition to the full-cabin model, BHC designed several variations of the craft, including a half-cabin
336:
Early on in development, it was decided that the new vehicle would be powered by heavier diesel engines instead of employing a gas turbine powerplant, as the former would generate substantially less noise while also possessing increased fuel efficiency, as well as being only 20 per cent of the cost
477:
procured a pair of AP1-88-100s for conducting scheduled passenger service. However, the company found that the vehicles lacked the power to operate in the presence of strong headwinds, alleging that the type would be unable traverse the intended route at winds in excess of 30 knots and that engine
354:
to manage engine-related heat. Upon launch, the company had envisaged selling around 90-100 AP1-88s within the coming decade. Several derivatives of the vehicle and applications of its technology were also examined, including a prospective scaled-up version capable of carrying 200-250 passengers.
399:
Increases in the efficiency of the skirt had enabled the use of a heavier structure for the AP1-88, thus the design team decided to employ traditional marine construction methods throughout the design; the BHC summarised this approach as having "moved from building low-flying aircraft to making
317:. In addition to the noise issue; both BHC and its clients had a recognised requirement for lower cost vehicles, specifying the successor to the SR.N6 should be capable of being constructed for only half the cost of the earlier vehicle, as well as possessing half of the operating costs as well.
349:
Alongside the construction of a pair of prototypes, BHC decided to complete an initial batch of five production AP1-88s prior to the receipt of any orders. According to BHC, trials of the craft went smoothly and only minor modifications were made to the production AP1-88s, such as shifting the
408:
of earlier hovercraft, and employed a simple belt-driven arrangement to transfer power instead of the complex transmissions used prior. Additional noise reduction measures were also employed on the design, such as the rear of the craft being aerodynamically shaped so as to minimise
337:
to buy while also having far lower and simpler maintenance requirements. The new hovercraft would be the first BHC hovercraft to make use of separate engines to provide lift and generate forward motion. According to
Wheeler, the designation
308:
There were demands from hovercraft operators for vehicles that were not only larger, and therefore capable of transporting higher numbers of passengers, but would generate less noise while the craft was in operation. According to the
313:'s (BHC) chief designer Ray Wheeler has stated that studies conducted on prior hovercraft designs had attributed much of the noise produced as having been caused by the high tip speed of the drive fans, which was often close to the
341:
for the craft had in fact came about due to a repeated insistence by Dick
Stanton-Jones, BHC's managing director, for misstating the designation given to the design by the company's Advanced Project Office, which had been
177:. In a civil configuration, the hovercraft can seat a maximum of 101 passengers, while as a troop carrier, it can transport up to 90 troops. When operated as a military logistics vehicle, the AP1-88 can carry a pair of
188:
The AP1-88 had several advantages over earlier hovercraft in terms of its increased fuel economy and reduced noise output, which is principally due to the decision to power the craft using several
478:
damage could be incurred. In response, the company decided to rebuild both of their AP1-88-100s; the modification involved slightly extending the vehicles' length by 3 feet and replacing all 4
1058:
388:
the cockpit having been repositioned to a high-mounted position in order to provide superior all-round visibility to the pilot, and the elimination of
324:
in order to develop the envisioned hovercraft, which would be a cheaper and quieter successor to the SR.N6; £237,000 of funding was provided by the
1044:
405:
134:
1036:
486:
engines. The engine change resulted in considerably more power being available, however this did not increase the craft's passenger capacity.
263:, whom Cockerell had worked with in order to develop viable hovercraft, soon developed several commercially-viable vehicles, such as the
1117:
305:
had made the prospects for applying an entirely different form of powerplant to a new generation of hovercraft increasingly attractive.
72:
1016:
1001:
983:
968:
219:. Outside of the United Kingdom, vehicles of the type have also been operated in a various of locations around the world, including
1051:
1158:
1072:
310:
168:
62:
1122:
363:
1022:
325:
924:
351:
501:; the contract being awarded in 1996. These hovercraft were constructed by Hike Metal Products, located in
431:
1127:
248:
404:
sidewise movement in the air. The wooden propeller blades were identical and fixed, unlike the complex
350:
engines and fuel tanks slightly forward to improve the vehicle's center of gravity and the adoption of
1076:
494:
1153:
236:
545:
of the
Canadian Coast Guard struck a rock breakwater and the craft sustained significant damage.
463:
286:
204:
505:. The two 400 series were completed in August and December 1998. Canadian vehicles include the
1012:
997:
979:
964:
950:
502:
419:
380:
376:
302:
290:
193:
189:
251:
had developed a pioneering new form of transportation, embodied the form of the experimental
656:
483:
1027:
278:, the first commercially-active hovercraft, capable of seating a maximum of 58 passengers.
320:
In response to the according demands of customers, BHC formed a partnership with operator
282:
268:
133:
diesel engines 600 hp (450 kW) for lift and propulsion driving two three-bladed
375:, principally differing from preceding BHC designs by its use of an arrangement of four
346:. The first prototype of this new generation of hovercraft was completed in March 1983.
513:
506:
442:
1147:
447:
384:
314:
216:
185:
tracked vehicle and trailer unit or up to roughly 10 tons (10,000 kg) of cargo.
38:
1068:
535:
427:
260:
182:
990:
497:. In the mid 1990s two AP1-88s, the AP1-88/200 and AP1-88/400, were ordered from
487:
474:
321:
200:
30:
706:
539:
520:
423:
410:
372:
298:
294:
256:
178:
174:
87:
383:
configuration. Upon its introduction, the science & technology magazine
224:
208:
458:
by
Cockerell, was completed. Three months later, the second vehicle, named
589:
479:
130:
34:
393:
232:
220:
274:
capable of seating up to 418 passengers along with 60 cars, and the
1112:
1107:
1102:
1097:
1092:
1087:
956:, 3 February 1983. Vol. 97, No. 1343. ISSN 0262-4079. pp. 297-299.
441:
389:
362:
275:
271:
264:
252:
228:
25:
212:
1040:
493:
Two different versions of the AP1-88 have been operated by the
328:
to support the initiative, which was to be repaid during via a
659:
3412 TTA diesel engines 912 horsepower for lift and propulsion
498:
329:
371:
The
British Hovercraft Corporation AP1-88 was a medium-sized
199:
From 1983 to 2018, AP1-88-100s were operated in
Britain by
247:
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, British inventor
454:
In March 1983, the first AP1-88, which had been named
927:. Transportation Safety Board of Canada. 15 July 1999
592:
diesel engines 600 horsepower for lift and propulsion
470:, was launched just prior to BHC's 20th anniversary.
293:, which were typically similar, or identical, to the
662:
Propellers: 2 three-bladed variable-pitch propellers
595:
Propellers: 2 three-bladed variable-pitch propellers
462:, was also completed; it was promptly sold to the
821:
819:
974:Hollebone, Ashley. "The Hovercraft: A History."
196:, the latter having been used on earlier craft.
490:retired the last of its AP1-88 fleet in 2018.
1052:
874:
872:
870:
868:
866:
847:
845:
843:
841:
839:
837:
835:
833:
831:
784:
782:
780:
778:
776:
774:
772:
770:
281:As a result of high oil prices following the
8:
760:
758:
756:
754:
301:; however, by the 1970s, recent advances in
121:6.6 m (21 ft 8 in) on cushion
959:Hollebone, Ashley. "The Hovercraft Story."
626:Designer / Manufacturer: Westland Aerospace
559:Designer / Manufacturer: Westland Aerospace
1059:
1045:
1037:
951:"Quiet Craft Hovers Ahead of Competition."
800:
798:
796:
794:
255:vehicle, which became widely known as the
707:"What happened to passenger hovercraft?"
697:
925:"Marine Investigation Report M99W0116"
534:On a search and rescue mission on the
367:A pair of AP1-88s in service, May 1997
20:
673:Military Lift: 22.6 tons of equipment
482:engines with a pair of more powerful
7:
33:AP1-88 'Double-O-Seven' arriving at
606:Military Lift: 12 tons of equipment
73:British Hovercraft Corporation BH.7
748:Paine and Syms 2012, pp. 238, 595.
113:11.2 m (36 ft 9 in)
105:24.5 m (80 ft 5 in)
14:
914:Paine and Syms 2012, pp. 193-194.
896:Paine and Syms 2012, pp. 192-193.
825:Paine and Syms 2012, pp. 191-192.
1023:British Hovercraft Trust: AP1-88
1011:Jane's Information Group, 2003.
1009:Jane's Fighting Ships 2003-2004.
577:Full load displacement 47.6 tons
24:
1073:British Hovercraft Corporation
644:full load displacement 69 tons
574:Height (on cushion) 6.6 metres
311:British Hovercraft Corporation
169:British Hovercraft Corporation
63:British Hovercraft Corporation
1:
989:Paine, Robin and Roger Syms.
905:Paine and Syms 2012, p. 193.
860:Paine and Syms 2012, p. 191.
788:Paine and Syms 2012, p. 190.
641:Height (on cushion)12 metres
473:British hovercraft operator
1028:Bartie's Hovercraft: AP1-88
739:Paine and Syms 2012, p. 82.
466:. In 1985, a third AP1-88,
430:, passenger transport, and
1175:
1083:
887:Hewish 1983, pp. 298-299.
813:Hewish 1983, pp. 297-298.
406:variable-pitch propellers
249:Sir Christopher Cockerell
237:constructed under licence
144:50 kn (93 km/h)
135:variable-pitch propellers
78:
45:
23:
1007:Saunders, Stephen (RN).
326:British Technology Group
239:in Australia and China.
37:after crossing from the
1067:Hovercraft produced by
804:Hollebone 2012, p. 234.
446:An AP1-88-100 near the
259:. British manufacturer
79:General characteristics
1159:Ships built in Ontario
991:"On a Cushion of Air."
730:Hollebone 2012, p. 28.
499:GKN Westland Aerospace
451:
432:anti-submarine warfare
381:gas turbine powerplant
368:
235:. The AP1-88 has been
16:Medium-size hovercraft
652:Motor: diesel engines
585:Motor: diesel engines
445:
366:
878:Hewish 1983, p. 299.
851:Hewish 1983, p. 298.
764:Hewish 1983, p. 297.
495:Canadian Coast Guard
333:led by Ray Wheeler.
1077:Westland Hovercraft
705:Parkinson, Justin.
438:Operational history
291:gas turbine engines
194:gas turbine engines
1128:BHC Hoverfreighter
635:Length 28.5 metres
568:Length 24.5 metres
519:, AP1-88/400, and
464:United States Navy
452:
369:
287:1979 energy crisis
1141:
1140:
976:The History Press
961:The History Press
571:Width 11.2 metres
503:Wheatley, Ontario
420:search and rescue
392:via the use of a
192:instead of using
173:is a medium-size
164:
163:
1166:
1061:
1054:
1047:
1038:
937:
936:
934:
932:
921:
915:
912:
906:
903:
897:
894:
888:
885:
879:
876:
861:
858:
852:
849:
826:
823:
814:
811:
805:
802:
789:
786:
765:
762:
749:
746:
740:
737:
731:
728:
722:
721:
719:
717:
702:
657:Caterpillar Inc.
297:engines used on
267:, a large cross-
203:on a route from
28:
21:
1174:
1173:
1169:
1168:
1167:
1165:
1164:
1163:
1144:
1143:
1142:
1137:
1079:
1065:
1034:
1032:
945:
940:
930:
928:
923:
922:
918:
913:
909:
904:
900:
895:
891:
886:
882:
877:
864:
859:
855:
850:
829:
824:
817:
812:
808:
803:
792:
787:
768:
763:
752:
747:
743:
738:
734:
729:
725:
715:
713:
704:
703:
699:
695:
690:
638:Width 12 metres
551:
532:
440:
361:
283:1973 oil crisis
245:
41:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1172:
1170:
1162:
1161:
1156:
1146:
1145:
1139:
1138:
1136:
1135:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1100:
1095:
1090:
1084:
1081:
1080:
1066:
1064:
1063:
1056:
1049:
1041:
1031:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1005:
987:
972:
957:
949:Hewish, Mark.
946:
944:
941:
939:
938:
916:
907:
898:
889:
880:
862:
853:
827:
815:
806:
790:
766:
750:
741:
732:
723:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
685:
684:
683:
682:
676:
675:
674:
671:
670:Speed 50 knots
665:
664:
663:
660:
653:
647:
646:
645:
642:
639:
636:
630:
627:
623:
622:
618:
617:
616:
615:
609:
608:
607:
604:
603:Speed 50 knots
598:
597:
596:
593:
586:
580:
579:
578:
575:
572:
569:
563:
560:
556:
555:
550:
549:Specifications
547:
531:
528:
526:, AP1-88/400.
512:, AP1-88/200,
439:
436:
396:hull instead.
377:diesel engines
360:
357:
315:speed of sound
303:diesel engines
244:
241:
190:diesel engines
162:
161:
158:
154:
153:
152:101 passengers
150:
146:
145:
142:
138:
137:
127:
123:
122:
119:
115:
114:
111:
107:
106:
103:
99:
98:
95:
91:
90:
85:
81:
80:
76:
75:
70:
66:
65:
60:
56:
55:
52:
48:
47:
46:Class overview
43:
42:
29:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1171:
1160:
1157:
1155:
1152:
1151:
1149:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1111:
1109:
1106:
1104:
1101:
1099:
1096:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1085:
1082:
1078:
1074:
1070:
1062:
1057:
1055:
1050:
1048:
1043:
1042:
1039:
1035:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1021:
1018:
1017:0-7106-2546-4
1014:
1010:
1006:
1003:
1002:0-95689-780-0
999:
995:
992:
988:
985:
984:0-75249-051-6
981:
977:
973:
970:
969:0-75248-512-1
966:
962:
958:
955:
954:New Scientist
952:
948:
947:
942:
926:
920:
917:
911:
908:
902:
899:
893:
890:
884:
881:
875:
873:
871:
869:
867:
863:
857:
854:
848:
846:
844:
842:
840:
838:
836:
834:
832:
828:
822:
820:
816:
810:
807:
801:
799:
797:
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785:
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779:
777:
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773:
771:
767:
761:
759:
757:
755:
751:
745:
742:
736:
733:
727:
724:
712:
708:
701:
698:
692:
687:
680:
679:
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672:
669:
668:
666:
661:
658:
654:
651:
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631:
628:
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620:
619:
613:
612:
610:
605:
602:
601:
599:
594:
591:
587:
584:
583:
581:
576:
573:
570:
567:
566:
564:
561:
558:
557:
553:
552:
548:
546:
544:
543:
538:, the AP1-88
537:
529:
527:
525:
524:
518:
517:
511:
510:
504:
500:
496:
491:
489:
485:
481:
476:
471:
469:
465:
461:
457:
450:, August 2000
449:
448:Isle of Wight
444:
437:
435:
433:
429:
428:fire-fighting
425:
421:
415:
412:
407:
401:
397:
395:
391:
386:
385:New Scientist
382:
379:instead of a
378:
374:
365:
358:
356:
353:
347:
345:
340:
334:
331:
327:
323:
318:
316:
312:
306:
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
279:
277:
273:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
242:
240:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
217:Isle of Wight
214:
210:
206:
202:
197:
195:
191:
186:
184:
180:
176:
172:
170:
159:
156:
155:
151:
148:
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143:
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139:
136:
132:
128:
125:
124:
120:
117:
116:
112:
109:
108:
104:
101:
100:
96:
93:
92:
89:
86:
83:
82:
77:
74:
71:
68:
67:
64:
61:
58:
57:
53:
50:
49:
44:
40:
39:Isle of Wight
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1132:
1069:Saunders-Roe
1033:
1008:
993:
975:
960:
953:
943:Bibliography
929:. Retrieved
919:
910:
901:
892:
883:
856:
809:
744:
735:
726:
714:. Retrieved
710:
700:
667:Performance
600:Performance
541:
536:Fraser River
533:
522:
515:
508:
492:
472:
468:Perseverance
467:
459:
455:
453:
416:
402:
398:
370:
348:
343:
338:
335:
319:
307:
280:
261:Saunders-Roe
246:
198:
187:
167:
165:
94:Displacement
54:AP1-88 class
18:
994:Robin Paine
649:Propulsion
632:Dimensions
582:Propulsion
565:Dimensions
488:Hovertravel
475:Hovertravel
424:icebreaking
322:Hovertravel
299:helicopters
243:Development
201:Hovertravel
179:Land Rovers
69:Preceded by
31:Hovertravel
1154:Hovercraft
1148:Categories
716:9 November
693:Citiations
688:References
540:CCGS
521:CCGS
514:CCGS
507:CCGS
460:Resolution
411:turbulence
373:hovercraft
295:turboshaft
257:hovercraft
175:hovercraft
126:Propulsion
88:Hovercraft
931:28 August
655:Power: 4
588:Power: 4
530:Incidents
516:Sipu Muin
509:Waban-Aki
352:firewalls
225:Australia
209:Hampshire
97:47.6 tons
996:, 2012.
978:, 2012.
963:, 2012.
711:BBC News
678:Weapons
621:Type 400
611:Weapons
590:Deutz AG
554:Type 200
480:Deutz AG
456:Tenacity
285:and the
205:Southsea
149:Capacity
131:Deutz AG
59:Builders
35:Southsea
269:Channel
215:on the
1133:AP1-88
1015:
1000:
982:
967:
629:Crew 4
562:Crew 3
394:welded
390:rivets
359:Design
339:AP1-88
233:Taiwan
231:, and
221:Norway
171:AP1-88
118:Height
102:Length
1113:SR.N6
1108:SR.N5
1103:SR.N4
1098:SR.N3
1093:SR.N2
1088:SR.N1
542:Siyay
523:Siyay
344:AP118
276:SR.N6
272:ferry
265:SR.N4
253:SR.N1
229:China
183:Bv202
141:Speed
1123:BH.8
1118:BH.7
1075:and
1013:ISBN
998:ISBN
980:ISBN
965:ISBN
933:2024
718:2015
681:None
614:None
330:levy
213:Ryde
181:, a
166:The
157:Crew
110:Beam
84:Type
51:Name
484:MTU
211:to
207:in
1150::
1071:,
865:^
830:^
818:^
793:^
769:^
753:^
709:.
434:.
426:,
422:,
227:,
223:,
129:4
1060:e
1053:t
1046:v
1019:.
1004:.
986:.
971:.
935:.
720:.
160:3
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