Hovercraft Museum facts for kids
Mark 3 SR.N4, The Princess Margaret, was dismantled for scrap at Lee-on-Solent in March 2018
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| Established | 1988 |
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| Location | Building 40, Daedalus Site, Argus Gate, Chalk Lane, Lee-on-Solent, Hants PO13 9JY England |
| Type | Maritime museum |
| Collection size | 60 full size craft Hovercraft archive and library |
The Hovercraft Museum is a special place in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, England. It is run by a group that helps people and is all about hovercraft. A hovercraft is a vehicle that travels over land or water on a cushion of air.
This museum has one of the biggest collections of hovercraft in the world. It is located at Solent Airport Daedalus. This spot is perfect because many hovercraft were tested there.
Contents
What is the Hovercraft Museum?
The Hovercraft Museum is home to more than 60 different hovercraft. These range from small designs to very large ones. You can see famous hovercraft like the SR.N5 and SR.N6 models.
The World's Largest Hovercraft
The museum also has the very last SR.N4 hovercraft. This was once the biggest civilian hovercraft in the world! It has been at Lee-on-the-Solent since October 1, 2000. That is when its cross-Channel trips stopped.
A Treasure Trove of Hovercraft History
The museum is not just about the vehicles themselves. It also has the world's largest collection of documents about hovercraft. This includes books, films, videos, photos, and drawings.
Researching Hovercraft
All these materials are available for people to use for research. Many hovercraft makers have given their old records to the museum. This makes it a very important place for learning about hovercraft history.
Amazing Models and Inventions
You can also find a large collection of original hovercraft models here. This includes the very first working hovercraft model ever built. It was made by Christopher Cockerell, who invented the hovercraft.
Museum's Journey and Future
The museum closed for almost two years for important building repairs. It happily reopened its doors in January 2016.
Protecting Important Hovercraft
After reopening, the last SR.N4 hovercraft faced a challenge. The land owners wanted to build new things on the site. This meant the hovercraft might have been scrapped. The museum started a special request to save one of these amazing craft.
A Recognized Museum
In October 2023, the Hovercraft Museum received a special award. It got "Arts Council England Accreditation." This means it is recognized as a high-quality museum. It joined over 1,700 other museums in this program.
