Drawing of Vosper Thornycroft FPH Mk3 ASW hoverfrigate from 1972

[uk 75]

Finally tracked down a photocopy I made from a 1970s edition of the "Source
Book of Hyrdofoils and Hovercraft" of a Vosper Thorneycroft FPH Mk 3 semi-amphibious
hovership.
Vospers tried to interest the world in various such designs but without success. It is the
closest thing I have found to a British hoverfrigate design

 

[fudge]

Hello


From memory I believe that there was a publication called Jane's Surface Skimmers in the 1970s which covered hovercraft and hydrofoils and I remember that there were quite a few interesting hover frigate concepts in there.


Regards
Alan

 

[uk 75]

Fudge

Jane's Surface Skimmers is indeed a useful publication, though hard to find in libraries these
days. Secondhand copies can be had. I think the Source drawings probably came from Jane's
and they also have a picture of the Vosper Frigate working together with a Nimrod and a Lynx.

The Royal Navy Hoverfrigate programme is covered in another thread. As far as I can find, there was no actual ship designed. Indeed, Brown/Moore Rebuilding the Royal Navy makes clear that the professional designers were strongly against hovercraft in this role.

The US Surface Effect Ship destroyer programme is well covered in Jane's, but it also came to nothing.