N500 Naviplane

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The N500 Naviplane was a French hovercraft built by SEDAM (Société d'Etude et de Développement des Aéroglisseurs Marins) in Pauillac, Gironde.

Two models were built:

• N500-01 - "Côte d'Argent" First flight on April 19, 1977 on the Gironde, demonstrating a speed of 40-45 knots (74-83 km/h). She was destroyed by a fire at its construction site on May 3, 1977.
• N500-02 - "Ingénieur Jean Bertin" (built 1977). Built for Seaspeed by SNCF. Transferred to Hoverspeed in 1983 after a number of modifications but is returned to SNCF later that year after Hoverspeed decides she is not suitable for their services. Broken up in 1985 at the Boulogne Hoverport.

The N500 was the world's largest hovercraft; it could transport 400 passengers, 55 cars and 5 busses. It was also the fastest and reached a speed record for a travel from Boulogne to Dover at an average speed of 74 knots (137 km/h).^[1].

The mass of the N500 was 260 tons, it was 50 m long and 23 m wide.

Contents 1 Specifications (N500) 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Specifications (N500)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Payload: 85 tons ()
• Length: 50 m (46 m)
• Wingspan: 23 m (22 m)
• Height: 17 m ()
• Empty weight: 118.25 tons ()
• Max takeoff weight: 240 tons ()

Performance

• Maximum speed: 75 kts
• Range: 5 hours ()

[edit] See also

• Mountbatten class hovercraft

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Transcript of a SEDAM publicity brochure
• N500 Naviplane gallery
• Images of the transfer of the "Ingénieur Jean Bertin" from its production site to Boulogne