Hendy Power to supply hovercraft engines

Hendy Power, the engineering division of Hampshire-based Hendy Group, has secured a £300,000 contract to supply engines for hovercraft being built for the Swedish Amphibious Battalion at Griffon Hovercraft, Woolston.

Seven Italian-built Iveco engines have been ordered from Hendy Power to power three 21.2m hovercraft for the transportation of troops and equipment. The aluminium-hulled craft can operate over very shallow water, ice, land, mud, debris, swamp, sand and rapids.

The deal, the first of its type between the two Southampton companies, was driven by Hendy Power technical sales engineer John Foster and took two years to complete. Delivery of the first phase of two engines has already taken place with the rest due to arrive over the next few months.

The engines are V8 20 litre Vector units producing 1,000hp each. With two engines per craft, the Griffon 8100TD hovercrafts will have a speed capacity of up to 50 knots though they will cruise at speeds of 40+ knots with a full payload, which could be either up to 84 passengers or up to 12 tonnes of equipment.