THIS WEEK IN 1994: Hovercraft finds final resting place

She fought them every inch of the way '“ but one of the grand old ladies of the hovercraft era was in her final resting place.

By The Newsroom

Published 4th Jul 2018, 07:00 BST

Updated 16th Jul 2018, 16:58 BST

SRN4 hovercraft Swift is towed across Marine Parade West to HMS Deadalus. PPP-180626-221613001

Experts battled to haul the world’s largest and fastest hovercraft out of the water at Lee-on-the-Solent.

Onlookers said it was as if SRN4 Swift knew it were her final long voyage and she had to be dragged reluctantly ashore.

For those who spearheaded the mission to bring her to the Solent as the focal-point of a planned hovercraft museum, it meant a huge sigh of relief.

Trustee Warwick Jacobs said: ‘It’s a tremendous sight to see her here. It means she is safe. If we hadn’t taken her, she would have been used for spares.’

SRN4 Swift held the records for the fastest channel crossing and longest hovercraft tow.

Hovercraft Lee-on-the-Solent