They were loud. LOUD loud. Inside and outside. But absolutely fascinating.
We took one on a family trip from Calais to Ramsgate and back again in the 1970ies.
Another thing beside the fuel costs and the noise and the somewhat cramped interior - which is why some people called it “The Concorde of the Seas” - is: the rubber skirt is only just a bit above whatever surface the craft is hovering over. Meaning the waves of a rough-ish sea will slap against the skirt. Adding to the noise and making the craft pitch, roll and yaw simultaneously in every possible direction. Plus, as it hovers above the sea, it will go up and down with the swell. Oh, and being buffeted by the wind for good measure.
On a calm sea it’s “oh, this is what a maglev must be like”. On a not-calm sea it’s “the novelty fairground ride you can park your car in”.
Fortunately, rough seas in the channel are just a myth.
A bit short on info regarding the museum, but a lot of information about the early development including some very interesting footage, Hovercraft™ then and now, and so on:
