SR.N5

US Navy PACV (SK-5) in Vietnam
US Navy PACV (SK-5) in Vietnam
Class overview
NameSR.N5 Warden class
BuildersBritish Hovercraft Corporation
Preceded bySR.N3
Preserved1
General characteristics
TypeHovercraft
Displacement17,500 lb (7.9 t) maximum
Length39 ft 5 in (12.01 m)
Beam22 ft 9 in (6.93 m)
Height16 ft 9 in (5.11 m) (skirt inflated)
Propulsion1 × 900 shp (671 kW) Rolls-Royce Gnome turbine engine for lift and propulsion
Speed70 knots (130 km/h; 81 mph)[a]
Range240 nmi (440 km) (3 hr 30 min) at 15,800 lb (7,200 kg) weight
Capacity6,600 lb (3,000 kg) load including crew and fuel
Troops16
Notesfrom Flight[1]

The Saunders-Roe SR.N5 (or Warden class) was a medium-sized hovercraft which first flew in 1964. It has the distinction of being the first production-built hovercraft in the world.[2]

A total of 14 SR.N5s were constructed. While Saunders-Roe had developed and produced the type, an additional seven vehicles were also manufactured by Bell Aerosystems under licence in the United States, designated as the Bell SK-5. A number of SK-5s were operated by the US military, this includes a number which became Patrol Air Cushion Vehicles (PACV), and saw action during the Vietnam War. The SR.N5 was subsequently developed into a "stretched" variant, which was designated as the SR.N6; this model had a much expanded payload capacity and went on to be produced in greater numbers than the SR.N5.


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  1. ^ Flight 23 July 1965, p. 10.
  2. ^ Wragg, David W. (1973). A Dictionary of Aviation (first ed.). Osprey. p. 250. ISBN 9780850451634.