Shopping Cart
Your Cart is Empty
Quantity:
Subtotal
Taxes
Shipping
Total
There was an error with PayPalClick here to try again
CelebrateThank you for your business!You should be receiving an order confirmation from Paypal shortly.Exit Shopping Cart

H Class Rescue Hovercraft

RNLI Southend-on-Sea hovercraft H-004 Vera Ravine by Southend Pier. Photo: RNLI

The H-class rescue hovercraft serve the shores of the United Kingdom as a part of the RNLI inshore fleet. Currently none of the H-class serve at Irish stations. Designed around the RNLI's requirements the H-class modified Type 470TD design built by Griffon Hoverwork. (H-001 is Type 460TD).


Typically, the hovercraft operates on large areas of tidal mudflats or sand where the surface is too soft to support land vehicles and where the water is too shallow for boats.


Before rescue hovercraft were introduced into the fleet in 2002, the only method of rapid access to areas like mudflats and quicksand was by helicopter. And surface access was limited to walking, using mud mats and crawling boards.

H-class Facts


Introduced: 2002

Construction: Marine-grade aluminium with moulded fibre-reinforce composite (FRC)

Length: 7.75m

Width: 3.36m

Launch Type: From transporter and slipway

Fuel Capacity: 127 litres

Crew: 2-4

Range: 3 hours at full speed

Engines: 2 x VW 1.9 turbo diesel engines

Op. No.

Name

Year Built

Service History

H-001

Molly Rayner

2000

Trials 2000-2002

Relief 2002 to date

H-002

The Hurley Flyer

2002

Morecambe 2002 to date

H-003

Hunstanton Flyer (Civil Service No. 45)

2003

Hunstanton 2003 to date

H-004

Vera Ravine

2004

Southend-on-Sea 2004 to date

H-005

Hurley Spirit

2005

New Brighton 2005 to 2018

Hoylake 2016 to date 

H-006

John Russell

2005

Relief 2005 to date

H-007

Samburgh

2008

Relief 2009 to date