British Hovercraft Corporation

British Hovercraft Corporation

Founded	1966
Defunct	1984
Fate	renamed Westland (later GKN) Aerospace
Headquarters	East Cowes , England
Products	Hovercraft
Owner	Westland Aircraft

British Hovercraft Corporation (BHC) was a British hovercraft manufacturer that designed and produced multiple types of vehicles for both commercial and civil purposes.^[1]

Created with the intention of producing viable commercial hovercraft in March 1966, BHC was the result of a corporate merger between the Saunders-Roe division of Westland Aircraft and Vickers Supermarine's hovercraft interests. None of the Vickers hovercraft designs reached quantity production, manufacturing efforts being centered upon Saunders-Roe's existing portfolio. Perhaps the most high-profile vehicle produced by BHC was the large SR.N4 Mountbatten class hovercraft; it was the largest civil-orientated hovercraft to ever be put into service; several were completed and used in revenue services across the English Channel for multiple decades.

Later on, the BHC developed their own newer hovercraft designs, such as the military-oriented BH.7 Wellington class and the medium-size diesel-powered British Hovercraft Corporation AP1-88. These vehicles made advances in the efficiency and viability of hovercraft; the AP1-88 was produced in quantity not only by BHC but also under licence in both Australia and China. In 1970, Westland Aircraft acquired the shares from the other firm's owners, making the BHC a wholly owned subsidiary of Westland. During the 1980s, the firm's focus on hovercraft declined as it became increasingly involved in the manufacture of composites for other company's products. In 1984, the company was renamed Westland Aerospace.