1959: Hovercraft marks new era in transport
A revolutionary new form of transport 鈥 the hovercraft 鈥 is officially launched off England鈥檚 south coast in June 1959.
The hovercraft was invented by boat-builder Christopher Cockerell and was described as a cross between an aircraft, a boat and a land vehicle.
Dubbed a 鈥渕an-made flying saucer鈥, the vehicle was propelled on a cushion of air created by its own fan power, allowing it to operate on both sea and land.
大象传媒 Archive: Originally broadcast on 11 June 1959.