India's First Hovercraft Nandi is Performing Donuts in This Rarity of a Clip.

The 1st ever Hovercraft built in India is captured in this gem, as it is put through its paces. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. He recalled how his newly-constituted team was tasked to "design and develop an indigenous hovercraft prototype as a Ground Equipment Machine". This would be the beginning of the indigenous development of India's Defence equipment. There are a lot of responsibilities As a Senior Scientific Assistant, Kalam was still a greenhorn. Without an Engineering base at his disposal, he had to go back to school to learn the ropes. 

When I was working in Aeronautical Development Establishment at Bangalore in the year 1958, I took up the development of Hovercraft. There was a need for a propeller that could create a smooth flow and balance the Torques. I knew how to design a conventional propeller from MIT, but I didn't know how to design a contra-rotating propeller. I was told by some of my friends that I could approach Prof. Satish Dhawan The director of the Indian Institute of Science gave me permission . The professor was sitting in a small room in the Indian Institute of Science with a lot of books in the background and a blackboard on the wall.

I was told by him that he would teach me the design if I attended his classes in the afternoon. to 3.30 p.m. For the next six weeks, on all Saturdays. He was a visionary teacher. The schedule was written on the black board. Before I start attending the course, he gave me the reference material and books I should read. I started attending the discussion and meeting him regularly after I thought this was a great opportunity. He would ask critical questions before the meeting began. For the first time, I realized how a good teacher prepares himself for teaching and prepares his students for acquisition of knowledge. For the next six weeks, this process continued. I have the ability to design a propeller. Dr.Kalam's team successfully demonstrated the fruits of it's efforts sometime in the early 60s, 6 months ahead of schedule. 

The video shows an important moment in India's technological history. The project of great potential was brought down by premature decision-making. One can read more about the circumstances surrounding it in the Wings of Fire. 

One of the first things he did was to achieve objectives of National self-reliance. The Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bangalore India had built at least 2 versions of the Hovercraft. Dr. Kalam mentioned in his book that the ADE GEM-1 was the first prototype. It contained a single point of air. He wrote in his autobiography that he wanted to build a bigger Powerplant. The lift of 1500mm was said to be generated by the final prototype. It would mean a beam of around 9 meters. The follow-on model had improved build quality. A single floor-mounted Stick Shift was used for the controls. The operator, going around in circles, doing donuts.

Utility of an Air-Cushion Vehicle is best demonstrated on transition surfaces, between water and dry land

 It wouldn't allow a Marine vessel into it, and it wouldn't provide traction for a wheeled transporter. A hovercraft works with the help of a lifting system. It consists of a Centrifugal Fan blower with a jack-up propeller that can accelerate large air volumes to sufficiently higher than atmospheric pressure. The nylon rubber apron is used to guide the air into the space underneath the ACV Hull. The Hull is suspended over a constant air cushion because of the Pressure differential. The lift is usually restricted to less than 16% of the Hull width to ensure stability.

Rudder controls are affixed to the Propeller. These are usually powered by Piston-Cylinder CI Engines. The Soviet-era Project 1239 is a different beast altogether. The monster is powered by 2 gas turbine engines and 4 diesel engines and has a full-load displacement of 1,000 MT. Indeed, the specifications are killer. The Sidewall ACV's operations are restricted to over water. Some studies that were carried out by the Kanpur-based Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment did not proceed beyond the 'Experimental' stage. A lost opportunity in establishing self-sufficiency in ability to build such Amphibious systems was a deciding factor in project undertakings. It is an ideal transport for patrolling the vast expanses of the marshlands of Sir Creek. 

The Indian Coast Guard currently operates 18 Griffon 8000TD-Class of Air Cushion Vehicle. The initial order of 6 was placed in 2003 and 4 of them were assembled in India. It got no share of the pie when ICG placed an even larger follow-on order of 12 with the British Co. Due to insufficient demand for hover crafts in the Indian market, GRSE decided to stop efforts to indigenize hover craft building. There is a pride of place in the Coast Guard's fleet for the recent inductions. The Army is interested in becoming an operator for the Border Security Force, which has a long-held intent of acquiring them. The ball rolling towards technological achievements was set in motion by a small attempt in the 60s to build a travelling transporter over air. Not pursuing it further is a big mistake.