page_title: Griffon Hoverwork
section_title: Models
hierarchical_section_title: Griffon Hoverwork / Models
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of the solent flyer hovercraft operated by hovertravel approaching ryde
context_page_description: Griffon Hoverwork Ltd is a British hovercraft designer and manufacturer.
  It was originally founded as Griffon Hovercraft Ltd in 1976, based in Southampton. The firm set about the development of its own product range, launching its first diesel-powered hovercraft, the 1000TD, in 1983. During 2008, Griffon Hovercraft was acquired by the Bland Group; in the following year, it was merged with two other hovercraft specialists, Hoverwork Ltd and Hovercraft Consultants Ltd; the combined entity was branded Griffon Hoverwork Ltd. The company's primary facility is based along the River Itchen in Southampton.
  At present, Griffon Hoverwork supplies a range of hovercraft, boats and other specialised marine services to governments, NGOs, and private companies for use in humanitarian, search and rescue, security and commercial roles. Being one of the oldest hovercraft manufacturers, Griffon Hoverwork's products have been used in various parts of the world. By August 2016, the company's existing market share extended into 41 countries while around 180 hovercraft have been delivered to end users. Perhaps its most commercially successful vehicle has been the Griffon 2000TD hovercraft.
context_section_description: Griffon Hoverwork produces a range of hovercraft that vary from a 380kg payload to 35-75 tonne payloads. Their hovercraft are typically built with aluminium hulls, while parts of the cabins are constructed from glass-reinforced plastic with a bespoke design specialised to the role each given craft shall be used for. Griffon Hoverwork has designed each vehicle to facilitate a wide variety of fit-out configurations to suit various military, paramilitary, industrial, commercial, logistical and commuting purposes. Hovercraft provide a high level of versatility over challenging environments impassible to most other vehicles, such as marshland, tidal estuaries, shallow water, ice, and rapids.
  The company was the first hovercraft manufacturer to power their craft with marine diesel engines which, they have claimed, provides a greater level of durability while operating within salt water conditions. Over time, Griffon Hoverwork has incorporated various advances into its product range. The 995ED hovercraft features an adhesive-bonded aluminium hull to decrease craft weight and thereby increase its viable payload; it is the first commercially available hovercraft in the world to be controlled through azimuthing propeller ducts instead of traditional rudders. The company's more recent hovercraft, such as the 995ED and the larger 12000TD, have adopted an electric transmission to deliver power from the diesel engines to the propulsion, maneuvering thrusters, and lift systems.
  Griffon hovercraft have been predominantly used for civilian transport, military, and life guard operations. They are commonly regarded as commercial craft for heavy duty applications, although considerations have also been made towards their use as leisure craft; passenger-orientated models typically feature noise-minimisation measures, increased external visibility, and accessibility accommodations. Furthermore, the company's product range is designed to meet exacting engineering standards; larger vessels are typically classified to Lloyd's Register standards or other customer-specified standards; they also meet compliance with various environmental, safety and reliability standards.
  Specialised boats have been offered, capable of achieving speeds of up to 70 knots. The company also performs experimental design work. They designed and produced an experimental trimaran ferry boat for operation on the River Thames in London, hovering crop-sprayers, hovering cricket-pitch covers for Lord's Cricket Ground, and a hovering reed-cutter for a company in Austria.
caption: Hovertravel 's Griffon 12000TD, Solent Flier
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