I learned of this project while visiting the Edinburgh festival. The pubs were so busy that you had to share tables, which made the experience that much more fun. During one such story-swap out tablemate mentioned he was an engineer who had worked on TH and that set me off on the topic.
Fabulous! It is about time the story of this incredible machine was told! I remember a friend of mine who was there when the axe fell - Telling me everyone was crying! They were so sad their epic work had be consigned to the scrapheap!
It makes my blood boil to see a projects like the RTV hover train after so much work and money spent,TSR2, and I can't remember the name of the British rocket program, the list goes on, other program plus the demise of our aircraft industry and god knows how many other British industries gone. All though money, when the government can find £50 billion just like that, to give to the EU. billions building aircraft carriers and buying American aircraft to put on them.
Great video. Not every innovation is practicable. The French and Americans also abandoned tracked air cushioned vehicles (TACV) As I understand it the basic problem is momentum drag. Air has to be accelerated to the speed of the vehicle and is then expelled to create the hover. At high speed this is an extremely large amount of air. The energy required is too much compared to the alternatives. TACV’s have been in operation at lower speeds.
AS the video said, they had already progressed to maglev. Which the Chinese are now using. So, not just aircushion, but maglev was thrown away. Like throwing the baby out with the bathwater! .
So Cool! Thanks for the post. I getting into this old tech because of my goofy Hooterville Rail Zeppelin cardboard model post ua-cam.com/video/EDli8mwcrB4/v-deo.html . I'm thinking about how to make a hover train model along the same lines . If I pull it off I'll post it on You Tube. I remember Rohr used this Brit tech on their design and then it all seemed to disappear. Still seems like a very good idea to me.
I learned of this project while visiting the Edinburgh festival. The pubs were so busy that you had to share tables, which made the experience that much more fun. During one such story-swap out tablemate mentioned he was an engineer who had worked on TH and that set me off on the topic.
Excellent. Remember it as a kid! 7:26 statement regarding high rail - "Wasn’t all that successful, as it fell down." LOL!
Fabulous! It is about time the story of this incredible machine was told! I remember a friend of mine who was there when the axe fell - Telling me everyone was crying! They were so sad their epic work had be consigned to the scrapheap!
Amazing I know the area but had no idea that it even existed...
It makes my blood boil to see a projects like the RTV hover train after so much work and money spent,TSR2, and I can't remember the name of the British rocket program, the list goes on, other program plus the demise of our aircraft industry and god knows how many other British industries gone.
All though money, when the government can find £50 billion just like that, to give to the EU. billions building aircraft carriers and buying American aircraft to put on them.
The rocket was black arrow
Far too many British inventions, thrown away, by stupid, ignorant politicians!
Great video.
Not every innovation is practicable. The French and Americans also abandoned tracked air cushioned vehicles (TACV)
As I understand it the basic problem is momentum drag. Air has to be accelerated to the speed of the vehicle and is then expelled to create the hover. At high speed this is an extremely large amount of air. The energy required is too much compared to the alternatives.
TACV’s have been in operation at lower speeds.
AS the video said, they had already progressed to maglev. Which the Chinese are now using. So, not just aircushion, but maglev was thrown away. Like throwing the baby out with the bathwater!
.
The whole project was supposed to be shrouded in secrecy. I had to sign the official secrets act to work there
Eddy the eagle?!
So Cool! Thanks for the post. I getting into this old tech because of my goofy Hooterville Rail Zeppelin cardboard model post ua-cam.com/video/EDli8mwcrB4/v-deo.html . I'm thinking about how to make a hover train model along the same lines . If I pull it off I'll post it on You Tube. I remember Rohr used this Brit tech on their design and then it all seemed to disappear. Still seems like a very good idea to me.