Airfix are to re-issue their 1/72nd scale Saunders-Roe SR-N1 hovercraft kit, in the Vintage Classics range. This kit was last seen in the 16th Edition Catalogue (dated January 1979).
The kit was initially released in 1960. As far as I know, it was always moulded in a silver-grey plastic, and there were 46 parts, including a clear windscreen.
The kit first appeared in a plastic bag, but was later put in to a cardboard box. Oddly, it was always grouped in with the aircraft kits.
The SR-N1 was built by the Saunders-Roe aircraft company, to test the hovercraft theories of Mr C.S. Cockerell. It was the first hovercraft in the world, and therefore a very significant craft.
This was one of the more unusual Airfix kits, the sort of model you just did not see in the shops in New Zealand in the 1970s. Only in the Airfix Catalogues.
At this time one of the major sources of kits for me was a chain of toy shops called Martin's Toys and Hobbies (now long gone), which sold toys, nursery furniture, and bicycles. They had a large store in Customs Street, in the central city of Auckland.
I hardly ever got to go to this shop, but I do remember it was the only place I ever saw this hovercraft kit, and I snapped it up. I never did build mine, but with the re-issue I will finally have a chance to build the model.
Dinky also did a die-cast version of the SR-N1 at about the same time.
I am sure this kit will be of great interest to many Moonbase Central readers. To celebrate the re-issue, here are some photos of the various header and box designs used over the years.
Most of the photographs are from Worthpoint, with the shot of the Vintage Classics box from Airfix.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
Got used in Thunderbirds etc. Zombite fighter launch platform for example.
ReplyDeleteI was just going to ask about that!
DeletePaul, why question it being grouped with aircraft?
ReplyDeleteIt runs on a cushion of air.
It has no hull to run on water and no wheels to run on land.
From Airfix's point of view that makes it another Saunders-Roe air-craft.
In its civilian application hovercraft in the UK operated over water, not on roads.
The cost of operation is that of an aircraft, not a road or sea vessel.
The military in the UK only use it as a landing craft as do other militaries.
The model was also made to the standard Airfix aircraft scale of 1/72nd. When they did a kit of the much larger SRN.4 hovercraft - used as a cross-channel car and passenger ferry - this was numbered in with the Sky King airliners, right down to the SK prefix, as it was to the same 1/144th scale. Oddly, the two hovercraft kits were never grouped together in the Airfix kit catalogue.
ReplyDeleteI recently had a chance to speak with a lady who works for the NZ distributor of Airfix kits, and she said New Zealand only got 24 of the SR.N1 kits for the whole country. Alas, I missed out.
The village next door is called Havercroft! What are the odds!
ReplyDeleteAh, the Airfix Hovercraft - a legend! It sure is a "spacey" looking thing! Great pix and history as usual! SFZ
ReplyDelete