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Cushioncraft
Ltd.
The first hovercraft
built in 1960 by Britten-Norman Ltd (manufacturer of aircraft) was known as just
the 'cushioncraft', later it was designated the CC1. Originally based at Bembridge
Airport on the Isle of Wight, Cushioncraft later moved to the Duver Works at St.
Helens, these works gave ready access to the sheltered water of Bembridge Harbour.
The second cushioncraft,
the CC2 first flew in September 1961 and at the time it was publicised that 10
craft would be built by Cushioncraft Ltd, a planned joint company between Britten-Norman
and the Cowes shipbuilders, J. Samuel White. In the event, only 3 craft were built
by Britten-Norman.
The Bitten-Norman
Hovercraft Division was eventually renamed Cushioncraft Ltd in 1967.
In 1971, Britten-Norman
encountered financial problems, and one result was that the Cushioncraft company
was sold in 1972 to the British Hovercraft Corporation.
Bembridge Airport with
Islanders | | 
Trilander in the fog
at Bembridge |
After Cushioncraft
was taken over by BHC, the 'unique' fan lift/propulsion arrangement design of
the later quiet Cushioncraft vehicles was allowed to quietly slip into history.
The Duver Works
has since be used by Hovertravel/Hoverwork as a maintenance centre and in the
1980s/90's was used to fit out the AP1-88 craft.
Between 1960 and
1972 Cushioncraft designed 6 models of which 5 were produced (whatever was the
CC3 ??)
(Click
on an image to get a larger version)
| CC1 |
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The 'Cushioncraft',
as the CC1 was originally known, was developed with some support of Elders and
Fyffes - the banana people.
This was the 'second'
hovercraft to lift off the face of the earth in 1960 - note the lift 'fan' running
around the craft - I guess you would have to watch how you stepped onto the craft
if you wanted to keep your feet !
- 18 ft 10 inch diameter
- 1 ton
- 40 blade lift fan
built into deck, 2 helicopter tail rotors for propulsion
- 160 hp Coventry
Climax engine driving both the propulsion rotors and the lift fan.
| | |  |
CC1 showing its ground
clearance (12 to 15 inch). Desmond Norman at the control, John Britten left and
Peter Gatrell right.
Note wheels just
visible underneath.
| | | | | CC2
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Originally designed
without a skirt and using air deflection within the cushion for propulsion, the
CC2 first flew in September 1961.
It was heavily developed
over the years with the addition of a skirt and two external engines each driving
a propellor for propulsion. The 'bodywork' was also heavily modified.
See more CC2 pictures
Original
- 11 passengers
- 30 ft long
- 17 ft beam
- 240 hp Royce Royce
LV8 engine
- 45 mph
Updated
- 11 passengers
- 30 ft long
- 18 ft beam
- 50 mph
- 240 hp Royce Royce
LV8 engine
| | | | | CC4
| 
CC4 hull under construction at Bembridge | Developed
by Cushioncraft jointly with Hovercraft Development Ltd in 1964, the CC4 was intended
to be the first car sized craft to be put into production - this never happened.
Subsequent to development use by Cushioncraft, the CC4 was handed over in 1965
to the NPL for future research, NPL renamed it HU-4.
- 6 seater,
- 24 ft 3 inch long
- 13 ft 9 inch beam
- 240 hp Royce Royce
LV8 engine
| | | | CC5 |
thought to be a Cushioncraft publicity photo
CC5 cutaway drawing
CC5 being righted after
it
overturned October 1966 |
One was built and
first flew in February 1966. During tests off of Priory Bay (Seaview) it capsized
and was written off in October 1966.
- 6/8 seater,
- 45 mph,
- 29 ft long
- 15 ft 6 inch beam
- 4 x 3 foot 6 inch
dia centrifugal fans giving both lift and propulsion.
- 240 hp Royce Royce
LV 841 engine
| | | | | CC6
|  |
Although never produced,
a CC6 design was produced circa 1966, this was a small vehicle/passenger craft
(4 to 6 cars and 30 to 40 passengers) using the quiet centrifugal fan configuration
for lift and propulsion developed from the CC4 and CC5.
- 40 kt (cruising)
- 75 ft long
- 33 ft beam
- 18 tons
- 2 x 1,850 shp Lycoming
TF25 turbine engines
| | | | | CC7 | 
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See
more CC7 pictures
A development from
the CC5, built in aluminium with inflatable side decks - the first Cushioncraft
to use a gas turbine engine (all previous being piston). The CC7-001 first flew
in March 1968.
- 1 crew, 9 passengers,
- 35 kts (cruising
speed),
- 24 ft 6 inch long
- 15 ft 2 inch beam
- 390 shp ST-6B free
turbine engine
A stretched version
offering 17 passenger places was proposed after the company was taken over by
BHC.
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