Greg, not that I don’t love all your other, newer kit builds but man do I love when you take an old kit and make it shine. You are one of the best out there at that.
I'm watching your videos to get away from the current madness. I'm grinning from ear to ear watching your videos. Keep up the great work.Very 70's vibes from the internal colour scheme.
Crossed the channel many times on the hovercraft, and as always couldn't see sod all out of the windows Very disappointing.I preferred the slower crossing on the boats, and at least I could have chips and a few beers with our teachers, providing I paid.
I remember building one of these back in the 70's when it came out. I was only 14 at the time, and I thought my model building skills were pretty good, or so I thought, having been building models since I was 10. However, this model was better than me. The glues we had back then were in tubes and very stringy if you weren't too careful. I did manage to complete it, and it looked okay. Not brilliant, but good enough. You have done an excellent job on a 50+ year old model. You've brought back some very fond memories of those days. Fantastic works, many thanks.
I was just about to mention the stringy glue as well. All my models ended up looking like they'd been welded together by a chimpanzee and then covered in giant spiderwebs! 😂
I remember going on the real one of these as a little boy with mum and dad. It was very noisy but really exciting. I remember the mist coming up from underneath the hovercraft creating rainbows out the window as we glided over the waves. Happy memories, it was a great piece of engineering and it looked absolutely huge as it transitioned from the sea onto the sloped hard surface where it spun round with those huge propellers in readiness for the next load. What a sight it was.
When I was about 13 or 14 , I was building Airfix kits frequently (I started from the age of 11) and had a good range of models on my bedroom shelves. Nearing Christmas one year, I peeped into my Mothers wardrobe one day, and found many presents already wrapped. Typically of the time (mid 1970's), the wrapping paper was quite thin and could often be seen through. To my delight, I could make out this Hovercraft box plus the Boeing 747! That was a good Christmas😁
Hi, just wanted to say that I love your videos .. the vintage kits focus carries me back to my youth and gives your channel a unique charm. Wish you the best.
Superb build Greg. The deflated skirt looks spot on. The finished scene is very nostalgic - memories of days when Britain actually built innovative machines (and models of them). As ever, thanks for sharing.
I ‘flew’ on two SR.N4’s back in 1981 when we went to France for a week’s holiday with High School. We had GH-2004 ‘Swift’ to France and GH-2007 ‘Princess Anne’ on the flight home. I remember it like it was yesterday, all very exciting and a totally different and unique way of travelling. Mr. Smith the deputy head was in charge of the trip and he chose the hovercraft route as he thought us kids would enjoy it far more than travelling via Ferry, plus it was much quicker. He was right in every way, although I could have stayed on the SR.N4 all day! It was a cracking trip. Time machine please. Nice model Greg!👍🏻
Great model Greg, brought back a lot of memories of being a kid in the 70s. It's good to see all those early kits again and you do a lot better with them than I ever did. It's good to see you back best wishes from NZ.
Bloody hell. You must have the patience of a saint. I stopped building airfix decades ago. Their quality was never up to scratch. Especially after I discovered Tamiya. But well done. A top job!
Watching these builds of kits from a bygone age is very comforting.I remember this kit in the old Airfix catalogues when I was a lad. How about a vintage Airfix motorcycle or car,or MTB. You're the man to do it.Thanks, Greg.❤
Thank you so much Greg. It is ALWAYS a great pleasure to Watch your builds. ALL us “senior builders” buy these Old kits because we (read I😂) love The boxart from our youth. But YOU actually create them. Please do continue Sir🙏I hope you never get tired of this. Many greetings from Denmark.
Wonderful build. Remarkable machine for it's time. I drew a sectional view of one of Cockerell's early hovercraft as a 2nd year Design student. The 'legend' says he used his wife's hair-dryer and an empty tin can to determine thrust values before committing to build a prototype that was also the subject of an Airfix kit. As always, a pleasure to watch a skilled craftsman at work.
Welch ein schönes Film. Without dinglydong background music, just your calm and so good sounding voice! About a Man that realY care! Creating real ArtWork =) Think this is the beautifulliest Hovercraft build out of that airfix box. I like it so much. I thik i had a ride to jersey? On a Hovercraft? Long time ago =) All the best regards Greetings from germany
Thanks for all your sanity-inducing vids. My junior school took us to France on the Hovercraft back in the early 70s. I remember every time it hit a wave WHAM! the whole thing shook. Remember the boys trying to sneek french flick knives from the french supermarkets back into England by hiding them down their boots, not me , obviously.
I really enjoyed this video. The assembly was interesting to watch and the display ended up being quite nice. I remember one of these tried to pass in front of us mid channel. That manoeuvre failed and the hovercraft had to abruptly stop to avoid collision. We passed it only about 30 meters away. It looked scary to me especially since it was so huge, but I guess they had full control. This happened in 1969.
Superb work. I like the see through clear part. Be a shame to hide all that interior detail. Excellent seaside diorama. Cars and people bring it to life. Bill
Greg you have become the patron saint of the tough classic build. I bought an example of this kit last year on Ebay and was delighted to discover there were two kits inside the box. I eagerly set to work but the deflated skirts stumped me until you showed me the way in your video. You're as innovative as you are a craftsman. Can't wait to watch your next mission impossible.
Brings back great memories, My auntie Peggy used to live down the road from the hoverport in Ramsgate, when we stayed with her we always took the Hoverlloyd to calais for a day out... happy days❤
I bout this in 1976 when I was in Belgium, I was only a child thinking it was a toy, needless to say I never built it properly. Went on the SRN4 a few times, one hell of an experience and great to see one of them at the Portsmouth hovercraft museum.
Greg you are martyred on the spurs of Airfix . As always a fantastic build , thanks for all your time and effort on editing and putting this project together much appreciated.
Mate, you never fail to impress. You tell it how it is and go your own way. Very clever using painted Tamiya masking tape to cover the interior wall panels! Beautiful! Keep it up mate.
I really enjoyed watching this model be created as its not the normal tank, plane or car. Excellent camera work showing all the details and exactly what you were doing, nice inside shots. It looked very unique when finished. I remembered seeing the box on the shelf of my local modeling shop a long time ago, but never realised it would end up being so big.
I made this kit in 1976. Better still, together with my parents and brothers we rode the real thing to and fro the UK two years earlier. I found the first sight of the Hovercraft, arriving at the French platform, nothing short of sensational. The journey over the Channel took 45 minutes, if memory serves me right.
What a beauty Greg. I remember making a right pigs ear of this kit when I was a kid. Fast forward to this summer and I managed to grab a pair off eBay for 85 quid. One started and the other, 100% complete and old/new. A chance to redeem myself. I thought for one crazy moment, you were going to extend it! I'm more than happy with this vid. as usual, Fantastic Greg. Thank you.
Great build. I went on the hovercraft a few times as a small boy and got this kit for my birthday when I was six. Built it with my Dad, well he built it while I helped. Strangely I can't remember the roof been clear cutaway like that on mine but many, many years have passed. Well done.
Fantastic! At 10(?)I did it all by myself without dad's wisdom and wondered in my naivety why everything was transparent so I just smeared red and white paint over everything .Hoverlloyd/ messed-up version!
Love watching your videos Greg. But this one is just a pleasure to watch. Not only a great Subject and of the age of the kit, but the end result looks absolutely Brilliant. Keep up the excellent work and letting us in on your builds for as long as it makes you happy👏
Thank you for this build! For something from 70s looks just breathtaking! It is also a quite unique subject, I enjoyed a lot reading history behind it. 30+ years of service is really impressive for such type of vehicle.
I remember lusting after this model and getting it for my birthday as a teen in the 70's. You did a bit better job than I did! A couple of years later I crossed the channel in one too.
Tremendous work again Greg!! It's been worth the wait! Thank you for sharing your amazing talent and thanks for the effort it also takes to produce the video. Take care.
Excellent build! I remember doing this model when I was a kid. Living in Margate we used to go over to Pegwell Bay and see them arrive and depart. You could go right up to the fencing and when they turned around to leave you got sprayed with water and warm air. 👍
I remember this. I was a big model maker myself, and late 60's, hovercrafts where a fascination of most schoolboys. They had only been invented 15 years, but Concorde, Harrier jump jets and Apollo soon put it to the back of most kids minds
I lived in Ramsgate and travelled on that Hovercraft. Think it took 35 minutes to get to France which in those days was amazing. Lovely to see someone taking such care over the model.
Awesome - that kit rings a bell on two fronts, 1. School trip to France around 1980/81 on the full size machine, 2. The very same model which my dad built, I remember the see through/cut away, and steerable props etc. Sat on my shelf for many years. Good build!
Absolutely brilliant, thank you. I was never great with Airfix kits. I think I had this one as a kid but didn’t progress far with it. I would never have known how to assemble it correctly as your video shows. Later, I went with a group of friends on a day trip to France on one of the Seaspeed SRN4s. Unfortunately, the Channel was too choppy for the return trip so we were put on a ferry instead. I remember the hovercraft being very noisy and the cabins quite cramped.
Fantastic. I have always been fascinated by these hovercrafts, massive and powerful. Great stuff. I didn't know that such models existed. The final result is Great as usual. Congratulations!
Wow! Greg, what a blast from the past. When I was a schoolboy it was the rich kids who got one of those for their birthday. Did they make SRN4s on The Island? I used to go there for work from time to time, to Cowes or Osborne House. We used to take the slow ferry over in the morning and enjoy a cooked breakfast, ignoring the bar which opened on board at 9am. The trouble was that the free lunch at Osborne House was at 12:15 and I'd hardly digested my big breakfast by then. Hydrofoil at the end of the day to get home quicker. Love your videos, keep up the good work. Peter.
Have a vague memory - a ghost memory - of building this kit back in the 1970s. And yet I don’t recall ever owning the finished model, nor do I have the box or any surviving parts today. Pretty sure I’d have kept those tiny cars. Shame the original hovercraft is no longer running. It was a huge adventure to experience - something like flying a zeppelin across the channel.
I made that as a kid. Bloody nightmare! Loved building the interior, & it should have made an excellent model but that clear top-part killed it for me. I was very poorly moulded, just like yours. I was in my early teens & wasn't, particularly, skilled so never managed to it to fit properly without leaving a huge gap between it & the curved walls of the forward superstructure without applying a worrying amount of pressure. Often I would hear a loud crack as the joint between the hull & the walls give way, or the top would come unglued. After multiple repairs, I finally took a hammer to it. Man that felt good!
I am pretty sure if you watch one of the 1969 or early 70’s James Bond movies (Her Majesty’s Secret Service?) Bond drives a Triumph Stag off one of these Hovercrafts.
Hello Greg. A british classic, perhaps above most others. Thank you for building this classic old kit. Not easy to make I believe but very nice. Another example of how an old Airfix kit can be treated with style.
This kit turned out smashing. I built this kit as a kid and it looked nothing like your Grey. Mine was a hot mess. I certainly enjoyed this one as always.
I remember "flying" on one of these like it was yesterday, even though it was over 50 years ago. I even remember its name "Swift". It flew from Ramsgate to Calais. On the way there we were in an inside cabin. The crew said the return journey was going to be "a bit rough" so they moved us to window seats, which was fantastic, until it got a bit rough! No more flights that day!!
Saw these big old jet powered hovercraft as a boy at Pegwell Bay while sitting in the viking ship overlooking the hoverport & was pleased you did the Seaspeed version , I never did build this kit as that great big clear roof put the fear of failing in me , great job Gregg I can smell the kero mixed with sea spray even after all these years 😂❤❤
I went with some SEALINK AB's who were to paint it, to have a look around one of these just before the end of their service. 1989? You could hear them from all over Dover and I regret not taking up the offer to do some real low level flying to Calais. Marvellous model reminiscent of one seen in the ticket office complete with cutaway. Thank you very much Greg.
Great build, in fact your internal wall tape was a good call in my opinion. Love the skirt, keep looking out for this kit quite rare, I did it twice as a kid, I'd like to do the Hoverspeed livery. My grandparents lived in Thanet and sometimes you could hear the Hovercrafts from afar.
Hi Gregg. Yet another superb build. I was fortunate enough to travel on one of these back in the 70's. It was a rough journey and the Hovercraft was bouncing across the tops of the waves , so lots of jerks and heavy bouncing. The one thing that I remember the most was when it lifted up onto the inflated skirt. I couldn't believe how high it was. You have done a great job with a difficult kit , so well done. I wouldn't have expected anything less. Thanks for the memories. There is still one of the props on a mount down at Dover harbour. Why did they not build a successor ? Cheers mate.
Cracking build, Greg. For an older Airfix kit, it's quite detailed, with lots of nice texture. Pity about the windows, though I guess that's par for the course for such a kit. Love how you handled the deflated skirts-not deflating at all! I might have used tissue paper soaked in white glue but your method worked a treat. May have a go if the kit is ever released again.
It is good to see this kit built to a very high standard and it looks really good. In a way I am glad you struggled with it because when I was 14 back in 1970 my grandmother bought this kit for me and I really struggled with it and made a terrible job. I don't think my grandmother was that impressed but, can you imagine trying to put this together with a tube of polystyrene cement, Humbrol enamel paint and no airbrush. Back in the day these kits were aimed at the younger generation but this kit needs an experienced modeler to beat it.
Travelled in these a few times as a nipper, teen and young adult.......very exciting; bloody noisy! The last time, we came back from France and the weather was just within limits......pretty hairy. I'm sure the pilot licked his finger and stuck it out the window and went 'oh, sod it.....lets go!'. We didn't see a thing for spray, it was louder than a loud thing with added deep bass booms as we went from wave top to wave top 😄 Curiously, the present Mrs Septic never wanted to go by hovercraft after that 🤔 Anyhoo........brilliant build, really nicely done, as always. Thoroughly enjoyed that 👌🏻👏🏻👍🏻
It’s a nice kit with the clear sections. But you have surpassed yourself with this one. It is stunning. Definitely worth having the Oxford diecast as well
Fantastic job Greg. Remember these flying out of Pegwell Bay in Ramsgate and the (I think) bigger ones going out of Dover. When the seas were rough, the skirts got ripped to buggery. Sounded like being next to a Lancaster bomber! With your Stuka …. Back when I was younger, building Airfix kits, we used to hang Allied planes from the ceiling. But the German stuff we filled them with ketchup and shot them with our air rifles. Happy days.
Greg’s models video time !! 🎉 as always you never fail to amaze me on what you achieve with these old classic’s, this takes me back 40 odd years when as a 15 year old I tackled this. No way was it anywhere near as good 😊 the mouldings look better than I remember 😅
I faced the same problem when assembling and painting the P51 D Phantom, the one made of transparent acrylic. What I did was paint half of the plane, leaving half transparent. What I think can be done is to leave some part of the plane unpainted, just with "dope" (paper stretcher). In my case, I didn't even use paint. I applied aluminum foil with adhesive to apply gold leaf. The result was very interesting and beautiful. I have an P51 D of Aurora and that I will keep part of it painted, part of it with the rivets that look like sandpaper for wood, and even the insignia are embossed in the plastic. Hugs, Greg... Cheers
Think the Austin is the 1100 Greg🤔 What a nostalgic build...I remember where I was, when I built this kit back in 1977. These kits and the Roy Cross box art are ultimate time machines. (TARDIS😄) Always enjoy watching how you improve these kits. Thanks mate.👍🙏
Tengo esta reliquia por segunda vez, la primera vez fue a principio de los 80 y ahora kla compre de segunda mano pero en perfecto estado, pero no me he atrevido a montarla, por miedo de hecharla aperder, lo cual no es una opción, ya que encontrar otra igual seria un milagro, pero gracias a tu video, hare una estrategia para montarla y no morir en el intento. Gracias y saludos desde Chile
Greg, not that I don’t love all your other, newer kit builds but man do I love when you take an old kit and make it shine. You are one of the best out there at that.
I'm watching your videos to get away from the current madness. I'm grinning from ear to ear watching your videos. Keep up the great work.Very 70's vibes from the internal colour scheme.
Current madness???
Crossed the channel many times on the hovercraft, and as always couldn't see sod all out of the windows Very disappointing.I preferred the slower crossing on the boats, and at least I could have chips and a few beers with our teachers, providing I paid.
Probably the trump victory @@DanWest-i7y
@@DanWest-i7y Orange Man Bad won .....REEEEEeeEE!!11!
Hoping you recover from your Trump derangement syndrome you poor delicate little petal.
I remember building one of these back in the 70's when it came out. I was only 14 at the time, and I thought my model building skills were pretty good, or so I thought, having been building models since I was 10. However, this model was better than me. The glues we had back then were in tubes and very stringy if you weren't too careful. I did manage to complete it, and it looked okay. Not brilliant, but good enough. You have done an excellent job on a 50+ year old model. You've brought back some very fond memories of those days. Fantastic works, many thanks.
I was just about to mention the stringy glue as well. All my models ended up looking like they'd been welded together by a chimpanzee and then covered in giant spiderwebs! 😂
I remember going on the real one of these as a little boy with mum and dad. It was very noisy but really exciting. I remember the mist coming up from underneath the hovercraft creating rainbows out the window as we glided over the waves. Happy memories, it was a great piece of engineering and it looked absolutely huge as it transitioned from the sea onto the sloped hard surface where it spun round with those huge propellers in readiness for the next load. What a sight it was.
I love your ancient Airfix builds, but this one is the icing on the cake.
Just fantastic.
When I was about 13 or 14 , I was building Airfix kits frequently (I started from the age of 11) and had a good range of models on my bedroom shelves.
Nearing Christmas one year, I peeped into my Mothers wardrobe one day, and found many presents already wrapped.
Typically of the time (mid 1970's), the wrapping paper was quite thin and could often be seen through.
To my delight, I could make out this Hovercraft box plus the Boeing 747!
That was a good Christmas😁
😆
Same.....Airfix Mustang 1/24
Hi, just wanted to say that I love your videos .. the vintage kits focus carries me back to my youth and gives your channel a unique charm. Wish you the best.
Any time Rudel👍
Superb build Greg. The deflated skirt looks spot on. The finished scene is very nostalgic - memories of days when Britain actually built innovative machines (and models of them). As ever, thanks for sharing.
Great job on a difficult subject. This video took me back to my childhood when I travelled on these hovercrafts from Dover to Calais.
Great video and build as always Greg. Love how you turn these vintage kits out and show exactly how you do it as well. I look forward to the next one.
I ‘flew’ on two SR.N4’s back in 1981 when we went to France for a week’s holiday with High School. We had GH-2004 ‘Swift’ to France and GH-2007 ‘Princess Anne’ on the flight home. I remember it like it was yesterday, all very exciting and a totally different and unique way of travelling. Mr. Smith the deputy head was in charge of the trip and he chose the hovercraft route as he thought us kids would enjoy it far more than travelling via Ferry, plus it was much quicker. He was right in every way, although I could have stayed on the SR.N4 all day! It was a cracking trip. Time machine please. Nice model Greg!👍🏻
It's a real shame they've gone. I spent many a day going to work on the Isle of wight hovers, can only imagine the power of the giant ones 😎
One of the cars looks like an Austin/ Morris 1100/1300 rather than a Maxi. Looking at the box art it could be the Vanden Plas or MG versions.
Great model Greg, brought back a lot of memories of being a kid in the 70s. It's good to see all those early kits again and you do a lot better with them than I ever did. It's good to see you back best wishes from NZ.
À chaque fois vous faites des miracles à partir d'anciennes maquettes. Greg vous êtes un magicien !
Remember saving up my paper round money to buy this kit , I'm 63 now so great memories.
How long did it take you to save enough?
@@t55a2wish I could remember
Bloody hell. You must have the patience of a saint. I stopped building airfix decades ago. Their quality was never up to scratch. Especially after I discovered Tamiya. But well done. A top job!
Watching these builds of kits from a bygone age is very comforting.I remember this kit in the old Airfix catalogues when I was a lad.
How about a vintage Airfix motorcycle or car,or MTB.
You're the man to do it.Thanks, Greg.❤
Unusual kit, very interesting and very well done.
I remember it in the Airfix catalogue in the 70s. Fond memories.
I watched your video while home sick and it helped me feel more comfortable, thank you for entertaining me enough to watch more of your videos ❤
Thank you so much Greg. It is ALWAYS a great pleasure to Watch your builds.
ALL us “senior builders” buy these Old kits because we (read I😂) love The boxart from our youth. But YOU actually create them. Please do continue Sir🙏I hope you never get tired of this.
Many greetings from Denmark.
Wonderful build. Remarkable machine for it's time. I drew a sectional view of one of Cockerell's early hovercraft as a 2nd year Design student. The 'legend' says he used his wife's hair-dryer and an empty tin can to determine thrust values before committing to build a prototype that was also the subject of an Airfix kit. As always, a pleasure to watch a skilled craftsman at work.
Welch ein schönes Film.
Without dinglydong background music, just your calm and so good sounding voice! About a Man that realY care! Creating real ArtWork =)
Think this is the beautifulliest Hovercraft build out of that airfix box. I like it so much. I thik i had a ride to jersey? On a Hovercraft? Long time ago =)
All the best regards
Greetings from germany
I remember building this back in the 70's, brilliant job, Greg.
And me, didn't know whether to paint, or half paint the clear roof.
Thanks for all your sanity-inducing vids.
My junior school took us to France on the Hovercraft back in the early 70s.
I remember every time it hit a wave WHAM! the whole thing shook.
Remember the boys trying to sneek french flick knives from the french supermarkets back into England by hiding them down their boots, not me , obviously.
Love watching you struggle with these vintage kits-should do more its very entertaining
I really enjoyed this video. The assembly was interesting to watch and the display ended up being quite nice. I remember one of these tried to pass in front of us mid channel. That manoeuvre failed and the hovercraft had to abruptly stop to avoid collision. We passed it only about 30 meters away. It looked scary to me especially since it was so huge, but I guess they had full control. This happened in 1969.
Superb work. I like the see through clear part. Be a shame to hide all that interior detail. Excellent seaside diorama. Cars and people bring it to life.
Bill
Greg you have become the patron saint of the tough classic build. I bought an example of this kit last year on Ebay and was delighted to discover there were two kits inside the box. I eagerly set to work but the deflated skirts stumped me until you showed me the way in your video. You're as innovative as you are a craftsman. Can't wait to watch your next mission impossible.
Amazing craftmanship ! Well done ! Greetings from Germany
Stunning quality model making...fascinating to watch too!
I had this kit as a little lad back in the 1970’s! Great video mate, all the best from Brighton
Brings back great memories, My auntie Peggy used to live down the road from the hoverport in Ramsgate, when we stayed with her we always took the Hoverlloyd to calais for a day out... happy days❤
Just amazing build Greg. Big lessons learned here. Thank you. Your videos are inspiring.
I bout this in 1976 when I was in Belgium, I was only a child thinking it was a toy, needless to say I never built it properly. Went on the SRN4 a few times, one hell of an experience and great to see one of them at the Portsmouth hovercraft museum.
Greg you are martyred on the spurs of Airfix .
As always a fantastic build , thanks for all your time and effort on editing and putting this project together much appreciated.
Another great build. I remember building this as a callow teenager in the early to mid-70s, a slap together job painted with a hairy stick.
Mate, you never fail to impress. You tell it how it is and go your own way. Very clever using painted Tamiya masking tape to cover the interior wall panels! Beautiful! Keep it up mate.
I really enjoyed watching this model be created as its not the normal tank, plane or car. Excellent camera work showing all the details and exactly what you were doing, nice inside shots. It looked very unique when finished. I remembered seeing the box on the shelf of my local modeling shop a long time ago, but never realised it would end up being so big.
Brought back so many memories of taking this beauty across the channel! What a great build you offered us in this video!
I made this kit in 1976. Better still, together with my parents and brothers we rode the real thing to and fro the UK two years earlier. I found the first sight of the Hovercraft, arriving at the French platform, nothing short of sensational. The journey over the Channel took 45 minutes, if memory serves me right.
What a beauty Greg. I remember making a right pigs ear of this kit when I was a kid. Fast forward to this summer and I managed to grab a pair off eBay for 85 quid. One started and the other, 100% complete and old/new. A chance to redeem myself. I thought for one crazy moment, you were going to extend it! I'm more than happy with this vid. as usual, Fantastic Greg. Thank you.
Great build. I went on the hovercraft a few times as a small boy and got this kit for my birthday when I was six. Built it with my Dad, well he built it while I helped. Strangely I can't remember the roof been clear cutaway like that on mine but many, many years have passed. Well done.
Fantastic! At 10(?)I did it all by myself without dad's wisdom and wondered in my naivety why everything was transparent so I just smeared red and white paint over everything .Hoverlloyd/ messed-up version!
Yeah now you mention it I'm thinking we must have painted the whole thing too!
Genius job on the skirt! Museum standard display model to my eyes. Well done!
Love watching your videos Greg. But this one is just a pleasure to watch. Not only a great Subject and of the age of the kit, but the end result looks absolutely Brilliant. Keep up the excellent work and letting us in on your builds for as long as it makes you happy👏
Thank you for this build! For something from 70s looks just breathtaking! It is also a quite unique subject, I enjoyed a lot reading history behind it. 30+ years of service is really impressive for such type of vehicle.
I remember lusting after this model and getting it for my birthday as a teen in the 70's. You did a bit better job than I did! A couple of years later I crossed the channel in one too.
Tremendous work again Greg!! It's been worth the wait! Thank you for sharing your amazing talent and thanks for the effort it also takes to produce the video. Take care.
Excellent build! I remember doing this model when I was a kid. Living in Margate we used to go over to Pegwell Bay and see them arrive and depart. You could go right up to the fencing and when they turned around to leave you got sprayed with water and warm air. 👍
I remember this. I was a big model maker myself, and late 60's, hovercrafts where a fascination of most schoolboys. They had only been invented 15 years, but Concorde, Harrier jump jets and Apollo soon put it to the back of most kids minds
I remember trying to build this kit as a kid in the 70s, It made me cry
I lived in Ramsgate and travelled on that Hovercraft. Think it took 35 minutes to get to France which in those days was amazing. Lovely to see someone taking such care over the model.
A piece of art,great modelling Greg,thank you for bringing back the memories. Greetings from Germany.
Great result with a classic Airfix kit! I loved your work arounds with the deflated skirt and the clear parts - great save! 😮
All the best.
Awesome - that kit rings a bell on two fronts,
1. School trip to France around 1980/81 on the full size machine,
2. The very same model which my dad built, I remember the see through/cut away, and steerable props etc.
Sat on my shelf for many years.
Good build!
Absolutely brilliant, thank you. I was never great with Airfix kits. I think I had this one as a kid but didn’t progress far with it. I would never have known how to assemble it correctly as your video shows. Later, I went with a group of friends on a day trip to France on one of the Seaspeed SRN4s. Unfortunately, the Channel was too choppy for the return trip so we were put on a ferry instead. I remember the hovercraft being very noisy and the cabins quite cramped.
Love your work Greg. I look forward to the next upload. Many thanks from New Zealand.
Fantastic. I have always been fascinated by these hovercrafts, massive and powerful. Great stuff. I didn't know that such models existed. The final result is Great as usual. Congratulations!
Lovely build Greg! You seem to be able to overcome any obstacle.
The UK may be a mess but, let me tell you, it's little better here.
Cheers, Peter
Thanks😎👍
Wow! Greg, what a blast from the past. When I was a schoolboy it was the rich kids who got one of those for their birthday. Did they make SRN4s on The Island? I used to go there for work from time to time, to Cowes or Osborne House. We used to take the slow ferry over in the morning and enjoy a cooked breakfast, ignoring the bar which opened on board at 9am. The trouble was that the free lunch at Osborne House was at 12:15 and I'd hardly digested my big breakfast by then. Hydrofoil at the end of the day to get home quicker.
Love your videos, keep up the good work.
Peter.
Yes, Saunders-Roe as it was called back then 😎
Have a vague memory - a ghost memory - of building this kit back in the 1970s. And yet I don’t recall ever owning the finished model, nor do I have the box or any surviving parts today. Pretty sure I’d have kept those tiny cars.
Shame the original hovercraft is no longer running. It was a huge adventure to experience - something like flying a zeppelin across the channel.
I made that as a kid. Bloody nightmare! Loved building the interior, & it should have made an excellent model but that clear top-part killed it for me. I was very poorly moulded, just like yours. I was in my early teens & wasn't, particularly, skilled so never managed to it to fit properly without leaving a huge gap between it & the curved walls of the forward superstructure without applying a worrying amount of pressure. Often I would hear a loud crack as the joint between the hull & the walls give way, or the top would come unglued. After multiple repairs, I finally took a hammer to it. Man that felt good!
I have this kit. Can’t wait to watch this! 👍👍👍👍
I am pretty sure if you watch one of the 1969 or early 70’s James Bond movies (Her Majesty’s Secret Service?) Bond drives a Triumph Stag off one of these Hovercrafts.
Hello Greg. A british classic, perhaps above most others. Thank you for building this classic old kit. Not easy to make I believe but very nice. Another example of how an old Airfix kit can be treated with style.
This kit turned out smashing.
I built this kit as a kid and it looked nothing like your Grey. Mine was a hot mess.
I certainly enjoyed this one as always.
Hi Greg, many thanks for sharing those videos. Greetings from Denmark!
I remember "flying" on one of these like it was yesterday, even though it was over 50 years ago. I even remember its name "Swift". It flew from Ramsgate to Calais. On the way there we were in an inside cabin. The crew said the return journey was going to be "a bit rough" so they moved us to window seats, which was fantastic, until it got a bit rough! No more flights that day!!
Saw these big old jet powered hovercraft as a boy at Pegwell Bay while sitting in the viking ship overlooking the hoverport & was pleased you did the Seaspeed version , I never did build this kit as that great big clear roof put the fear of failing in me , great job Gregg I can smell the kero mixed with sea spray even after all these years 😂❤❤
Magnificently built! Well done.
Another great build! As always great video, always a good day when I see a new video of yours pop up in my notifications
Cheers George😎
I went with some SEALINK AB's who were to paint it, to have a look around one of these just before the end of their service.
1989?
You could hear them from all over Dover and I regret not taking up the offer to do some real low level flying to Calais.
Marvellous model reminiscent of one seen in the ticket office complete with cutaway.
Thank you very much Greg.
The last 'flight' was in 2000 I think.
Great build, looks fantastic. Thanks for the post
Stunning model!
I visited the hovercraft museum earlier this year the SRN.4 is an incredible machine
I do hope airfix rerelease this kit
Magnificent effort Greg, Thanks for going the distance, Time and effort has Shown us it CAN be done 🫶.
Beautiful work Greg. I always enjoy your old and unusual builds 🙂👍
Thanks Aleš😎
what a great build! I had this kit as a child and never managed to build it - lots of it is in my craft box until today.
This kit looks terrific. I wouldn't mind picking one of these up myself
Absolutely fabulous ! One of your best yet 😊
Great build, in fact your internal wall tape was a good call in my opinion. Love the skirt, keep looking out for this kit quite rare, I did it twice as a kid, I'd like to do the Hoverspeed livery. My grandparents lived in Thanet and sometimes you could hear the Hovercrafts from afar.
Hi Gregg. Yet another superb build. I was fortunate enough to travel on one of these back in the 70's. It was a rough journey and the Hovercraft was bouncing across the tops of the waves , so lots of jerks and heavy bouncing. The one thing that I remember the most was when it lifted up onto the inflated skirt. I couldn't believe how high it was. You have done a great job with a difficult kit , so well done. I wouldn't have expected anything less. Thanks for the memories. There is still one of the props on a mount down at Dover harbour. Why did they not build a successor ? Cheers mate.
Very cool subject! I think you did that kit some wonderful justice!
Cracking build, Greg. For an older Airfix kit, it's quite detailed, with lots of nice texture. Pity about the windows, though I guess that's par for the course for such a kit. Love how you handled the deflated skirts-not deflating at all! I might have used tissue paper soaked in white glue but your method worked a treat. May have a go if the kit is ever released again.
That's a very good idea, tissue paper, will remember that for next time👍
Wow that's awesome. An absolute stunning piece of work.
It is good to see this kit built to a very high standard and it looks really good. In a way I am glad you struggled with it because when I was 14 back in 1970 my grandmother bought this kit for me and I really struggled with it and made a terrible job. I don't think my grandmother was that impressed but, can you imagine trying to put this together with a tube of polystyrene cement, Humbrol enamel paint and no airbrush. Back in the day these kits were aimed at the younger generation but this kit needs an experienced modeler to beat it.
Had and made this kit as a kid. Loved the damn thing! Thanks for the nostalgia!
Travelled in these a few times as a nipper, teen and young adult.......very exciting; bloody noisy! The last time, we came back from France and the weather was just within limits......pretty hairy. I'm sure the pilot licked his finger and stuck it out the window and went 'oh, sod it.....lets go!'. We didn't see a thing for spray, it was louder than a loud thing with added deep bass booms as we went from wave top to wave top 😄 Curiously, the present Mrs Septic never wanted to go by hovercraft after that 🤔
Anyhoo........brilliant build, really nicely done, as always. Thoroughly enjoyed that 👌🏻👏🏻👍🏻
Yes, the Isle of Wight Hovers are the same, rarely see anything out of the windows as they hover over the Solent sideways on windy days.😁
Brilliant ,
Hoping this will re,appear as a vintage classic
If the moulds are still good 😊
Wow, totally magnificent! I remember having a flight from Dover to Calais on one in the eighties with my car and Family!
Superb build Greg, really inspiring , the model pieces look like they were really well designed , almost tempts me ...
You've made an absolutely super job of this aging model. It must need some room to display
I put all my built models in home made foam boxes. I'm running out of space😎
Great build mate love when you do the old Airfix kits. Great memories thanks👍.
Cracking job, especially with the skirt!
It’s a nice kit with the clear sections. But you have surpassed yourself with this one. It is stunning. Definitely worth having the Oxford diecast as well
Yes they finish the kit off nicely.
Great Job Greg, really enjoyed this one , for what it’s worth you got the deflated skirt looking great
Cheers 😎
Fantastic job Greg. Remember these flying out of Pegwell Bay in Ramsgate and the (I think) bigger ones going out of Dover. When the seas were rough, the skirts got ripped to buggery. Sounded like being next to a Lancaster bomber!
With your Stuka …. Back when I was younger, building Airfix kits, we used to hang Allied planes from the ceiling. But the German stuff we filled them with ketchup and shot them with our air rifles. Happy days.
😁👍
Greg’s models video time !! 🎉 as always you never fail to amaze me on what you achieve with these old classic’s, this takes me back 40 odd years when as a 15 year old I tackled this. No way was it anywhere near as good 😊 the mouldings look better than I remember 😅
Cheers Dave👍
I faced the same problem when assembling and painting the P51 D Phantom, the one made of transparent acrylic. What I did was paint half of the plane, leaving half transparent. What I think can be done is to leave some part of the plane unpainted, just with "dope" (paper stretcher). In my case, I didn't even use paint. I applied aluminum foil with adhesive to apply gold leaf. The result was very interesting and beautiful. I have an P51 D of Aurora and that I will keep part of it painted, part of it with the rivets that look like sandpaper for wood, and even the insignia are embossed in the plastic.
Hugs, Greg... Cheers
Thanks for that idea👍
Think the Austin is the 1100 Greg🤔 What a nostalgic build...I remember where I was, when I built this kit back in 1977. These kits and the Roy Cross box art are ultimate time machines. (TARDIS😄) Always enjoy watching how you improve these kits. Thanks mate.👍🙏
The Austin 1100, if you stood close by and quietly listened, you could hear them rot.
+2 for the 1100
I can tell it isn't a maxi. It hasn't got holes in it. Dad had a maxi. We watched the tarmac whiz by beneath us....
Amazing work, especially love how you did the skirt!
A most excellent build! The number of times I tried to make this as a kid and gave up in frustration 😖
Tengo esta reliquia por segunda vez, la primera vez fue a principio de los 80 y ahora kla compre de segunda mano pero en perfecto estado, pero no me he atrevido a montarla, por miedo de hecharla aperder, lo cual no es una opción, ya que encontrar otra igual seria un milagro, pero gracias a tu video, hare una estrategia para montarla y no morir en el intento.
Gracias y saludos desde Chile
Great results Greg, well done on the skirts, that made all the difference. Cheers Bob 👍