Press Release

Hovercraft to the rescue

December 1st 2008

While scientists debate whether extreme weather patterns are linked to human activities, or due to natural phenomenon, TV and newspaper reports appear to confirm that more people are at risk from major flooding. Small rescue hovercraft now play an important role to allow rescuers quick access to reach flood victims.

Hovercraft have a number of benefits that make them very useful in rescue situations. Unlike rescue boats, hovercraft do not have propellers to snag on wire fences or other obstacles submerged under water. The hovercraft skirt allows the craft to hover at a height to ride over partially submerged obstacles in their way. When response time is critical, hovercraft can travel from land to water, at speeds of up to 50 mph, to reach victims in time, before they succumb to their injuries. In areas where flooding is widespread, hovercraft can carry vital supplies, medicines and food, to reach victims in outlying areas.

Flood victims are subject to many dangers, and obviously drowning requires a rapid response – too often rescue and fire departments fail to have suitable equipment in place until some major tragedy occurs.

Hovercraft can reach victims in water, on land, fast flowing rivers, muddy swamps, and icy lakes where hypothermia can affect victims who fall through the ice perhaps as a result of global warming. Hovercraft are not restricted by the tidal mud or tidal streams that prevent boats and jet skis from operating due to low tide conditions. These versatile craft handle water, sand, mud, ice, snow, and any flat surface

One hovercraft popular with rescue organisations, as used by the UN World Food Program, is the Hov Pod.

As used by the Red Cross - Hov Pod has been brought in to help Highland rescuers. It will be used in flooded areas, on frozen lochs, sand bars and mud flats. The vessel Greer, named from Old Scots meaning watchful or valiant, was unveiled by the Red Cross and is based in Inverness. Operations director Ian Rideout said: "A big issue for us is shallow, fast-moving water where we can't launch a boat. The hovercraft is totally unaffected."

The Hov Pod’s unique advantage is it’s hull design that utilises High Density Polyethylene  – this material has been used in the past in the construction of F1 crash barriers and artificial joints. HDPE is very light, strong, impact resistant, and extremely buoyant so makes an ideal material for hovercraft construction. Hov Pods are designed for commercial and rescue use, so there are many safety features included as standard. The sheer versatility of the craft make them ideal for all manner of applications, such as tenders, rescue craft, allowing exploration to places other craft and people cannot reach, such as winter ice-bound island homes, shallow rivers, or deserted islands surrounded by coral-reefs. With no propeller to disturb marine life, they are also eco-friendly.The Hov Pod’s unique hull design utilises High Density Polyethylene  – this material has been used in the past in the construction of F1 crash barriers and artificial joints. HDPE is very light, very strong and impact resistant, and extremely buoyant so makes an ideal material for hovercraft construction. These versatile craft handle water, sand, mud, ice, snow; any flat surface. Hov Pods seat three adults.

August 1st 2008 for immediate release

Hov Pod release SPX – Ultimate leisure hovercraft

A company based in Southampton UK, have introduced a revolutionary new style of leisure hovercraft, the Hov Pod SPX. Hovercraft have always caught the attention of the public, although not many people realise that it is now possible to purchase a leisure version for exploring rivers and coastal areas.

The Hov Pod SPX design enables manufacturer Reaction International Ltd to meet increasing customer demand. Previous models were produced in glass fibre, and the labour intensive process resulted in long delivery times, particularly in summer months. The new High Density PE process will help slash deliveries times. Sales and Marketing Manager Mike Glanville says that customers look a little wary when he demonstrates the hovercraft’s strength with a hammer or baseball bat, the material was used to make crash barriers for F1 formula racing circuits.

The material also has improved buoyancy, and will take over a ton in weight before water ingresses into the hull.

The principle market for the new Hov Pod SPX is primarily leisure and the lucrative rental market – tourists get a buzz from experiencing the water to land transitions flying low and fast over the beach to the sea. Event organisers offer “Learn to fly a hovercraft” days.

Rescue and commercial organisations have also shown interest. Flooded areas often restrict the use of small boats, submerged wire fences have a tendency to snarl up propellers, hovercraft have no water propellers, they fly at an average height of 8 inches. Rescuing a victim from mud or sand can be a little tricky with a boat, which prefer water; mud rescuers run the risk of becoming as trapped as the victim they seek to help. Details of the new hovercraft can be found at www.hovpod.com

Hovercraft

Hovercraft have fascinated everyone since their invention in 1956 by Sir Christopher Cockerell. A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle (ACV), uses air to break the bond between itself and the surface it moves over. By eliminating friction, hover craft can glide over any smooth surface, moving directly from land over water, mud, sand, ice, snow etc. Since it’s invention, many people have wanted to travel on a hovercraft, to experience it’s levitational properties, and some people have even made homemade hovercraft. For rescue purposes, hovercraft are ideal particularly in tidal areas where rising tides can trap swimmers, or low tide expose walkers to the dangers of mud or quicksand, or in colder climates, where ice can crack on frozen lakes.

Hovercraft resemble vehicles that appear in scientific fiction journals, the concept of a amphibious vehicle or hover car that mysteriously float over the ground and water using anti gravitational force captures our imagination, and perhaps in future we will all travel on hover boards, until then we will have to put up with conventional transportation.

Making a hovercraft is relatively straight forward, and schools often encourage children to design their own hover crafts as part of a science project.

Such is the appeal of an amphibious car, a number of hovercraft clubs exist to promote self build projects, working from hovercraft plans or hovercraft kit supplied by hovercraft manufacturers. For details of clubs you can join visit http://www.hovercraft.org.uk/  The European clubs provide useful contacts and forums detailing luftkissenboot, hoovercraft or Aeroglisseurs as our Euro cousins call them.

Radio control models have included rc hovercraft, widening the appeal of amphibious vehicles in general.

In 2004 Sir Richard Branson, completed the 22-mile English Channel crossing from England to France in his $115,000 James Bond-like shiny black Aquada amphibious sportscar craft in 100 minutes and six seconds, dressed in a dinner jacket and bow tie.

For those who cannot afford the time to build their own hovercraft, a new generation of marine leisure personal hovercraft are available from specialist manufacturers; such as the Hov Pod see www.hovpod.com

1st Jan 2006 for immediate release

Hovercraft come of age

New hovercraft designed for the marine leisure market

To see images follow this link.

Remote control hovercraft have been a popular "boys-toy" recently, and many have wondered what it must be actually like to drive a hovercraft for real. The Hov Pod is a new three-person small leisure hovercraft designed and manufactured for marine leisure use.

While PWC users and boaters wait for high tide, Hov Pod users are off and away over mud, sand, shingle, grass, ice, in fact any flat surface. They can hover over objects like car tyres, with clearance of up to 8.5 inches. They make an ideal vehicle for inshore rescue, particularly in situations where mud or ice poses a threat.

Of course Hovercraft aren’t new, but it has taken a long time for leisure hovercraft ownership to become viable. Most people perceive hovercraft to be large, noisy commercial vessels, or small home made kit hovercraft that take time to make and are often hard to handle. The Hov Pod dispenses with the conventional lift engine, and uses one engine to generate air to lift the craft, and to propel it at speeds approaching 45 miles per hour. One engine makes flying easier, the craft less noisy, and easier to maintain. Previous designs for small hovercraft have not always performed well on water, and suddenly stop by "ploughing-in", a term to describe when the nose of the hovercraft dips into the water, causing sudden deceleration, and craft and passengers to part company. Floatation and restarting on water have also been problems to overcome. The Hov Pod development team have spent 7 years to develop the craft specifically for marine leisure use, and consequently, the craft is suitable for salt water use, has never ploughed in, and has no trouble "getting over hump" a term to describe the difficulty some craft have to generate sufficient power to start on water and more forward on the cushion of air. According to engine size, payload for the Hov Pod on water starts is 550 pounds (250 kilos) or 725 pounds (330 kilos, according to engine size, and the craft can carry three adults, or one adult and three small children.

Driving a Hov Pod is easy, although the experience challenges your natural instincts, and this is what makes hovercraft as a hobby very exciting. For example, PWCs and Boats usually stop when they return to the beach or slipway, whereas the Hov Pod just keeps going! With this new found freedom, you can use sandbars and mudflats to have fun, turning the craft into graceful loops, sliding, gliding, or into tight 180 turns or 360 spins, a bit like a sit-down skateboard and magic carpet combined. And because you have a cushion of air underneath you, there is no discernable join when land meets sea, not heavy jolting to jar your lower back, you just skim out over a river or lake, great for coastal properties cut off at low tide (Realtors take note!). Hov Pods are far more versatile than land based "all-terrain" vehicles too, better than a Quad-bike on water, better than a PWC on land! No need to wade into the wet stuff to hitch the trailer, Hov Pods just hover up the slipway or beach, thus enabling passengers to step out onto dry land.

Hov Pod offers enormous fun and excitement, and the ultimate adrenalin rush, without compromising safety for driver and passengers. They are easy to tow with purpose designed one-man operated trailer, to allow you to explore far-flung places, to reach the parts that other people never see. Being above the water has other benefits, you don’t get pushed along by tidal streams, or need to worry about submerged rocks or coral, so exploring is much easier; and the craft are light enough to be lifted onto bigger yachts to use as tenders. Hov Pods are environmentally friendly craft, as they do not have propellers to damage the marine environment, or pump exhaust gas into the sea. Hov Pods have a very light footprint, weighing less than a seagull standing on one leg. There are many commercial applications for the craft too - of particular interest for rescue organisations, ideal craft for rescue from mud-flats, sand, swamps, floods, shallow rivers, iced over lakes, or areas where there might be submerged rocks or coral.

Manufactured in Southampton, England, close to where the first Hovercraft were tested along Southampton Water, Hov Pods are enjoying tremendous success and are now being exported all over the world.

For local dealer information visit our website at www.hovpod.com.

Hov Pod designed and manufactured by Reaction International Ltd PO Box 617, Southampton SO16 4XL. Contact 023 8023 1111. Images and further information can be downloaded from Website www.hovpod.com