The new design has just two engines per craft that provide both lift and forward thrust. Each of the 12000TD hovercraft is capable of carrying 88 passengers or 12 tons of cargo and will enter service in 2016.
The 12000TD is set to take to the water for testing this winter, and is expected to exhibit an improvement in fuel efficiency of between five and 25% over the old models. Neil Chapman, managing director of Hovertravel said: “we plan to conduct trials early in 2016 and we will be able to share some of what we will be doing during these trials as they progress.”
When the hovercraft launch commercially in April 2016, Griffon Hoverwork claims that passengers will experience reduced cabin noise from the two engines' slower-moving propellers.
