CHRIS CLIFFORD inspects Airfix’s reissued SR-N1 Hovercraft – one of the firm's most popular kits of the 1960s
Variety has always been a watchword of Airfix – and this was certainly the case in 1960 when it released its 1/72 SR-N1 Hovercraft kit. This model came just the following year after the real machine made it’s first official test ‘flight’ on June 11, 1959, in front of an excited press and members of the public. Essentially the world’s first hovercraft, built on theories and designs of British engineer Christopher Cockerell, the SR-N1 was employed on test work for four years until its retirement. This experimental regime paved the way for successive global hovercraft, including the UK’s larger cross-Channel SR.N4… also kitted by Airfix years ago. The SR-N1, with no obvious military application at that time, was funded by Britain’s National Research Development Corporation. It was originally built by Saunders-Roe, its designation standing for Saunders-Roe Nautical 1.
Above: Looking more like a sci-fi spacecraft, these horizontally split halves form the SR-N1's 'hull'.
Above: Fine structural ribs are evident on the casings for the peripheral control jets (top). Halves for the lower portion of the air intake are at the …
