SR.N5
The Saunders-Roe SR.N5 (or Warden class) was a medium-sized hovercraft which first flew in 1964. It has the distinction of being the first production-built hovercraft in the world.
US Navy PACV (SK-5) in Vietnam | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | SR.N5 Warden class |
| Builders | British Hovercraft Corporation |
| Preceded by | SR.N3 |
| Preserved | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Hovercraft |
| Displacement | 17,500 lb (7.9 t) maximum |
| Length | 39 ft 5 in (12.01 m) |
| Beam | 22 ft 9 in (6.93 m) |
| Height | 16 ft 9 in (5.11 m) (skirt inflated) |
| Propulsion | 1 × 900 shp (671 kW) Rolls-Royce Gnome turbine engine for lift and propulsion |
| Speed | 70 knots (130 km/h; 81 mph) |
| Range | 240 nmi (440 km) (3 hr 30 min) at 15,800 lb (7,200 kg) weight |
| Capacity | 6,600 lb (3,000 kg) load including crew and fuel |
| Troops | 16 |
| Notes | from Flight |
A total of 14 SR.N5s were constructed. While Saunders-Roe had developed and produced the type, an additional seven vehicles were also manufactured by Bell Aerosystems under licence in the United States, designated as the Bell SK-5. A number of SK-5s were operated by the US military, this includes a number which became Patrol Air Cushion Vehicles (PACV), and saw action during the Vietnam War. The SR.N5 was subsequently developed into a "stretched" variant, which was designated as the SR.N6; this model had a much expanded payload capacity and went on to be produced in greater numbers than the SR.N5.