Hovercraft aircraft carrier?

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!]

Does anyone know anything about hovercraft carrying aircraft? Not that they could launch or anything, but I was watching Not the Nine O'Clock [1] news on Britbox and in the opening sequence for episode 7 it shows a hovercraft traveling at speed with what looks like a lightning (EE not P38) on ... deck I suppose you'd say

I did a quick search but couldn't find anything

[1] and even after all these years, it's still pretty funny!

[treadigraph]

This I think... starts at 2:36.

Not sure it's an aircraft... Think it's the engine housing perhaps?

https://youtu.be/yz5Fhx7rjRM?t=2m36s

[Groundloop]

This could probably carry (and launch?) AV-8Bs.
The US Navy -- Fact File: Landing Craft, Air Cushion - LCAC (http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&ct=4&tid=1500)

[TURIN]

Here you go...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u7CWB40ezM

[Flap40]

That's an SRN-6 and the 'wings' that you can see are actually the exhaust pipes.

https://farm1.static.flickr.com/655/22201418002_1b88810635_b.jpg

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!]

treadigraph is showing exactly what I was watching and granted it does look a lot like the SR.N6 in the photo Flap40 posted, but look again at the video and there's something that looks like a lightning in front of the 'normal' raised structure, it's offset to the starboard side

Wikipedia does say this: "In a military configuration, the SR.N6 is capable of carrying up to 55 fully equipped troops, or alternatively up to 6 tons of equipment"

I took the hovercraft to France once, but on an SR.N4 (I think - it's been along time now). I was very excited, but felt let down as there was so much spray that I couldn't really see out of the windows.

Anyone else make that trip?

Here's an interesting site: https://www.hovercraft-museum.org/ - I sent them an email and will let you know if they write back

[treadigraph]

Ah, Portsmouth/Ryde... traveled on those several times!

and even after all these years, it's still pretty funny!
Yep! I came across the one with Pamela "Janet Street-Porter" Stephenson interviewing Billy Connolly who was desperately trying not to corpse!

[treadigraph]

This bit?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmforum.com-vbulletin/743x509/picture1_c3afb0d00bb49019d44a00213efd5744adc001a2.png

[Jhieminga]

An optical ilyushin?

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!]

Yes. That bit

Similar to this superb 1/72 model made by Roger Hardy

http://www.hyperscale.com/images/lightningf1f272rh_1.jpg (http://www.hyperscale.com/2014/features/lightningf1f272rh_1.htm)

[TURIN]

SRN-6 length 58ft

EE Lightning length 55ft.

Shouldagone to spec savers.

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!]

Ah :ouch:

Hard to argue that really, even though the Mk 1S was stretched, it was only stretched by 10ft, so that still wouldn't work

I wonder what that structure was then

[treadigraph]

I reckon it's this version of the SRN6:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmforum.com-vbulletin/900x695/n6hm2army_20_10__06db95e9e7d9f831286a1ccd9259d7d41986aa23.jp g

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!]

Ah yes, a much better picture. It's all quite clear now

Thanks everyone

[treadigraph]

Pleasure, I'd forgotten how funny British comedians used to be! :)

[Haraka]

Did some studies years ago about flying gyro-planes off of Hovercraft/Hydrofoils to extend their capabilities for littoral work in the developing world . We did get Ken Wallis to fly of the I.O.W. ferry as a demo. The R.N.at the time could not see beyond " Winter North Atlantic" so company management was not supportive of the concept.
Now I think of gyro-planes ( A realistic "Little Nellie"? ) conducting armed game park patrols jn Africa,instead of microlights. .Ah Well!

[El Bunto]

The US Navy studied SES ( surface-effect ships ) in the 1970s; rigid-walled ACVs. The ultimate objective was a carrier version.

Bell built a proof-of-concept series, of which SES-100B clocked 92 knots.

One of the problems envisaged was wind over deck at such speeds. It would have required a lot more hangarage since spotting and maintenance on-deck would have been impossible.

[TURIN]

Blimey a 90kt headwind would make take off a doddle with max fuel/stores.