Designing, developing and testing the world's first hovercraft was an exciting adventure for the engineers who first came up with the unique watercraft as well as for those who were first to pilot it.
A resident of Covington in 1976 was one of those who witnessed the first official test back in 1959. In fact, he was the navigator onboard, one of three members of the initial crew. In 1976 he was visited by the man who actually piloted the hovercraft and the two reminisced about that historic occasion.
Above photo taken in 1976
Here's the article from a 1976 issue of the St. Tammany Farmer that tells their story.
Text from the article found below:
Local Man Recalls First 'Hovercraft'
In 1959, the SR-N1 hovercraft whizzed over the waters of the English Channel on a cushion of air, giving the world its first look at a revolutionary new means of transportation—the air cushion vehicle (ACV) or Hovercraft.
Sixteen years later in New Orleans, two of the three members of the little
hovercraft's crew reminisced about the pioneering adventure, which has led the way to air cushion vehicles and ships being developed for the U.S. Navy at the New Orleans Operations of Textron's Bell Aerospace Division.
Peter (Sheepy ) Lamb, a retired Royal Navy commander and now a senior consultant for British Hovercraft Corporation, was the SR-N1's skipper. Bell's Director of Engineering, John B. Chaplin, served as the hovercraft's navigator. Chaplin lives in Riverwood near Covington.
A video documenting the first public hovercraft flight
Click on the "play triangle" to view the video
Commander Lamb and Chaplin recalled that the third crew member, Sir Christopher Cockerell, known as "the father of the hovercraft," was demoted from "VIP" status to able-bodied seaman when the SR-N1 ran low on fuel during the voyage and the nobleman was ordered by Lamb to pump fuel by hand to keep the engines running.
"Sir Christopher was certainly perturbed at first," Chaplin said, "but he was too busy to remain miffed very long."
"None of us will ever forget that day," commented Lamb, as Chaplin smiled reflectively and nodded his agreement. Historians in the Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) field have compared their voyage to the Kitty Hawk success of Wilbur and Orville Wright.
The SR-N1 assignment was to be one of many for Lamb, who served as chief test driver for British Hovercraft in the early years of ACV development. "I was an aircraft test pilot and then was assigned to investigation the Hovercraft idea."
Lamb and Chaplin have established themselves internationally as leaders in the ACV-SES field, and work together frequently. Bell Aerospace is the U.S. licensee of British Hovercraft, so the two old "shipmates" lend their years of experience to the development programs underway at Bell for the U.S. Navy.
The SR-N1 in action in 1959
One such joint project is the development of a large, multi-thousand-ton Surface Effect Ship (SES). During his New Orleans visit, Lamb toured Bell's test laboratory area, where scale models of the large SES are tested and evaluated.
"I was totally impressed with what I've seen here," Lamb remarked. "There is a SES tow tank model being shipped to a Navy laboratory in Virginia. The model is nearly as big as the SR-N1!
The amphibious assault landing craft LC JEFF (B), a 160-ton ACV being built at Bell's New Orleans Operations for the U.S. Navy, was given the once-over by Lamb, who had only seen pictures of the craft in England.
"It is a very impressive craft, and it looks right," Commander Lamb commented.
Bell is planning to begin tests of the 50-knot LC-JEFF (B) in the New Orleans area during mid-1976.
"There has been a 16-year research and development period since that first voyage with an ACV across the Channel," Lamb reflected. "It's been a slow process, but it is most satisfying as you look back. Progress never as quick as you would like it to be at the time. Bell has done a magnificent job with the whole concept of the ACV and SES. I knew the potential of these craft long ago, and I'm happy that others now agree with me."
Seated across the table from Commander Lamb, Chaplin nodded his own agreement.
Farmer, January 1, 1976
See also:
https://www.edn.com/hovercraft-crosses-english-channel-july-25-1959/
Another documentary video
Fourteen years after the first official test of the hovercraft, in 1973, the latest version of the developing surface-effect ship was tested in the waters of Lake Pontchartrain.
Click on the images to make them larger.
