British Hovercraft Corporation BH.7
BH7 of the armed forces of Iran | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | BH.7 Wellington class |
| Builders | British Hovercraft Corporation |
| Preceded by | SR.N6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | hovercraft |
| Tonnage | 18.3 tonnes |
| Displacement | 56 tonnes |
| Length | 23.9 m (78 ft) |
| Beam | 13.8 m (45 ft) |
| Height | 10.36 m (34.0 ft) (on landing pads) |
| Installed power | 4,250 shp (3,170 kW) |
| Propulsion | (Mk.2/4) 1 Rolls-Royce Marine Proteus 15M/541 gas turbine for lift and propulsion driving one four-bladed variable-pitch propeller |
| Speed | 58 knots (107 km/h) |
| Troops | 60 |
| Crew | 3 |
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The British Hovercraft Corporation BH.7 (also known as the Wellington class) is a medium size hovercraft. It was the first quantity-production hovercraft to be specifically developed for military applications.
The prototype performed its first flight in November 1969; the type underwent extensive testing by the Royal Navy. The type performed several military roles, including mine countermeasures, fisheries protection, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, border patrol, naval surveillance, and transport duties; a civilian version was also developed. Even before the first BH.7 had been completed, export orders were already being secured for the type. The Imperial Iranian Navy would be a key military operator, having placed multiple orders for models of the BH.7. It was also intended for the Wellington class to be used by civil operators.