The N500 arriving at Dover in 1980
| |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | N.500 Naviplane |
Builders | SEDAM/SNCF |
Operators | Seaspeed, Hoverspeed |
Preceded by | N.300 Naviplane |
Built | –1977 |
In service | 1977–1985 |
Completed | 2 |
Scrapped | 2 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Hovercraft |
Length | 50 m (160 ft) |
Beam | 23 m (75 ft) |
Height | 17 m (55 ft 9 in) hovering |
Installed power | 5 x 2,535 kW (3,400 hp) |
Propulsion | 5 × Avco-Lycoming TF-40 turboshaft |
Capacity |
|
Crew | 15 |
The N500 Naviplane was a French hovercraft built by Société d'Etude et de Développement des Aéroglisseurs Marins (SEDAM) in Pauillac, Gironde for the cross English Channel route. Intended to have a large passenger and crew capacity, as prototypes they were for a short while the largest hovercraft. Only two were built. The first was destroyed by a fire before entering service, the second proved unreliable and was broken up in 1985 at the end of its service.