Check Out Oita’s Hovercraft Exclusively with its Designers

Check Out Oita’s Hovercraft Exclusively with its Designers

Welcome back to Explore Oita Japan
In an episode of last season
we showed you the new Space Port Oita
and the hovercraft line
that would be coming with it
Now, that hovercraft line
is almost finished
we’ve been given a chance
to take a look inside of it
Let’s go!
[Explore Oita Japan]
Oita City is the heart
of Oita Prefecture
Also, it’s the most populated city out of
the Prefecture’s 18 cities and towns
This new hovercraft line will connect
Oita Airport to West Oita
with easy access to central Oita
where countless urban fun awaits you
But first of all
let’s meet our special guest
What’s your favorite part
about this specific hovercraft?
The favorite part about this for me
is that I designed it
I’m here with Mark Downer
the engineering director
of Griffon Hoverwork Ltd
He actually designed
this very hovercraft
and I’m very excited to ask you
some questions about this
Can you explain to us
how exactly a hovercraft works?
Sure. Most people believe
that the skirt around it
the black rubber skirt
is really high pressure
but it’s not
It’s very low pressure
There’s just enough air to lift it up
So there’s 2 engines
Each engine runs 2 lift fans
which are at the back of there
There’re 2 lift fans there
They suck air in and blow
lots of air out of the bottom
and the air escapes
It’s constantly escaping underneath
and the hovercraft is lifted up
The same engines drive the propellers
which give us the thrust as well
So it’s very much a very low pressure
system to lift the hovercraft up
make the least amount
of disturbance on the water
and make it go as fast as it can
Interesting
So how fast
can the hovercraft go there?
With all the passengers on board
it will do 45 knots
It’s quite quick
Compared to 15 years ago’s hovercraft
the technology
that we now use is different
They’re much quieter
The way that we make
most of the hovercraft quieter
is using only 2 engines rather than 4
So there’s less engines
The engines at the back
The propellers are much larger
than they were before
and most of the noise of a hovercraft
comes from the speed
that the propeller is going
We were able to
slow that down significantly
and it makes it a lot quieter
On my experience with customers
coming on the hovercraft
for the first time is excitement
They’re really excited
to go on it the first time
Most people haven’t had
the opportunity today
It feels more like getting on
an airplane than maybe onto a boat
and when it lifts off
That’s quite exciting
It slips away
It’s really quick, very quiet
Fantastic views all the way
across Beppu Bay to get to the airport
Interesting
I’m pretty interested
Do you mind if we could
take a look inside?
– Yes, absolutely. Love to show you
– Thank you
What you’re going to do
is as you come through here
To start with, there’s
a luggage compartment in there
to put all your luggage on
and come off the airport
and then you come into
the hovercraft itself
There’s a nice big area on both sides
to take a wheelchair
Barrier free access seats
across the front for everybody
All very well laid out
Have a seat
It’s a…
– good place to sit right at the front
– Uh-huh
I think if I’m honest, I tend to sit
somewhere near the window
so I can see the best views
but it’s great in here as well
I see the seat is very ergonomic
I feel at home
It’s very comfortable, isn’t it?
If you come on board
and you’ve got a choice of seats
I’d go and sit on the side here, sit there
so you can get the best views
They’re not reclining
but you can lift the armrest up
and then there’s a…
They’re all fitted
with drink holders
– Here what’s this little black bag?
– Underneath?
Underneath, every single seat
there’s a life jacket
– Really?
– Yes
Very much the highest standards
that you can get nowadays
to the international
high speed hovercraft
Is there ever any kind of movement
back and forth when you ride?
– No, it’s very smooth
– Really?
So not like a boat really
Even when it’s very rough
it’s very smooth compared to a ship
Crewed from upstairs
Pilot and co-pilot all upstairs
There’s the latest technology
for radar and navigation
that they can use to get backwards
and forwards to the airport
2 people up there
that will operate the hovercraft
Interesting
Piloting a hovercraft
is a very different skill
The background of a mariner
is still important
so they still have to be qualified
as someone
that can drive
a boat of the same size
But it’s much quicker
and it’s not in the water
so it skids sideways
It’s really a very different
experience to drive
It’s more like driving a boat
and a helicopter at the same time
That’s sort of it
Oh my goodness!
It’s quite warm
I’m with James Bond
in his secret layer
So yes
2 engines, 2 diesel engines
both engines produce
about 1,000 horsepower
each diesel engine
What exactly does
1,000 horsepower mean?
I guess that’s
about 10 times most cars
Oh my goodness!
Where are these engines made?
Are these also British?
– They’re made in Germany
– Germany, OK
They’re made in Germany
Propellers are made in Germany as well
It’s an unmanned machinery space
so there’s cameras so that
the pilots can see what’s going on
There’s sensors in here
Everything is controlled
from the wheelhouse
There’s no need
for anybody to come in
The only time that anybody comes in
is to do maintenance
and check before the craft
leaves each day
I see interesting
So much wider outside here
How loud or I guess
how quiet would it usually be in here?
It’s about the same as a coffee shop
– A coffee shop?
– Yes I guess so
– It’s about 75 db
– Yes
which is about the normal
sort of thing for a coffee shop
you know, a busy coffee shop
but it’s very quiet
That’s crazy that it’s so quiet in here
considering how big those engines are
– How close they are to here as well
– Yes
The timetable that we’re expecting
is to be quite strict on the time
that it leaves
and gets to the airport
We’ve practiced many times
going between here and the airport
so far it takes around 30 minutes to get there
depending a little bit on the wind
I think the timetable will be set
so that the hovercraft will always
arrive on time and be very reliable
to get you
to the airport on time
Thank you so much for showing me
the inside of this hovercraft today
I had an amazing time
I can’t wait to see you next time
you come back to Oita, Japan
Real pleasure to show you around
– Thank you
– Take care
Now, I’m in front of
Hover Terminal Oita
where the hovercraft
will come to park
But you might have noticed something
There’s no water here
If there’s no water then
how would the hovercraft park here?
The answer is they hover
Hovercrafts can hover
not over only water but also land
and by doing so
they can come all the way up here
for the convenience of the passengers
to get off
right in front of the terminal
While checking out this cool terminal
I also had the opportunity to meet Ms. Isayama
from Oita Prefecture as well
It’s beautiful in here too
I can smell the scent of trees too
It’s filled with natural light
What experience would you like to
deliver to visitors here?
Hovercrafts will not only reduce the travel time to the airport
but also offer passengers the opportunity to enjoy views of steam
rising from Beppu Bay and the beautiful mountains in Oita
[Music]
Wow, oh my gosh!
The view from here is crazy!
This is the Hover Terminal Oita
where the hovercraft from Oita Airport will arrive
When you first
come into this building
something that you might notice
is these massive pillars
and these pillars are actually
made out of cedar wood
The reason for that
is Oita Prefecture is famous
for its cedar wood production
So the designers of this building
took that into consideration
and when they designed this
they made it feel like
you’re walking through a cedar tree forest
I hope this terminal will become
more than just an airport gateway
but rather a symbol representing Oita
something that can become popular
among the people of Oita as well
I hope the building
will become something like that
The design of Hover Terminal Oita
took inspiration from a spacecraft taking off
which also matches with the soaring spirit
of Oita Prefecture
The structure is filled with
natural light and panoramic views
When the hovercraft line
starts to operate here
I’d imagine that there’d be plenty of
development in this area
leading for it to be something
that you can enjoy
as just a standalone destination
And finally
with just a 15-minute bus ride
you can make it
all the way to central Oita
with endless things for you to enjoy
[Music]
This is Explore Oita Japan
Thank you for enjoying
this tour with me
I’ll see you next time
[Explore Oita Japan]

*Subtitles are available in Japanese, English and Thai. Please enjoy the video with subtitles on.

In this video, we’ll introduce the high-speed hovercraft that travels between Oita Airport and west Oita City, offering a one-of-a-kind mode of transportation.

【Contents】
0:29 Introduction to Oita Prefecture’s Hovercraft
2:38 Tour inside the Hovercraft
6:50 Hover Terminal Oita (Oita Airport)
7:54 Hover Terminal Oita (West Oita Port)

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This hovercraft can run at high speeds on both water and land and is the first fixed route hovercraft to appear in Japan in 14 years. In fact, the only passenger hovercrafts in the world now are in England and 2024’s Oita hovercraft.

Our host went to check out this hovercraft and the hovercraft terminal!

Hovercrafts use an aircushion to run over both water and land. A powerful fan blows air into the bottom to make it float, while a huge propeller at the rear pushes it across the water. It is much faster than a regular passenger boat, and if the conditions are right, it can continue onto shoals and land without losing speed.

First, our host received a lecture on how hovercrafts work by Mark Downer, the engineering director of Griffon Hoverwork Ltd. Griffon Hoverwork is a hovercraft manufacturing company established in southern England, and Downer is the designer of Oita’s hovercraft.

Oita Prefecture currently has three hovercrafts, which are colored a futuristic white, navy blue, and red. They were given the names Baien, Banri, and Tanso by the public, and our host was able to see Banri up close with the guidance of Downer.

Oita’s hovercraft can reach a maximum speed of 45 knots (51.8 miles). They can travel between west Oita and Oita Airport in around 30 minutes, which is a big cut from the 60-minute bus ride that was used up until now. It feels more like an airplane than a boat, cruising smoothly and comfortably, even when leaving port. The sound onboard is 74dB, which is around the same as a busy café, ensuring a pleasant journey while arriving exactly on time. This oversea route, which was once discontinued, is a big help for traveling locals, and it can hold up to 80 passengers and is wheelchair accessible.

Next, our host visited the hovercraft terminal, and interviewed Ms. Isayama from the Oita Prefecture Transportation Policy Division, along with Mr. Inada, who is the Terminal Architects Design Manager.

There are hovercraft passenger terminals at both Oita Airport and west Oita. These unique terminals were built with local cedar wood and feature a shimmering space-inspired design, and the hovercraft is able to ride up right next to the boarding gates. Along with saving time, passengers can enjoy fabulous views of the oceans and mountains, including Beppu Bay. Both the hovercrafts and terminal buildings are a delight for the eyes!

Oita Airport connects the sea, land, and even space, while Oita Prefecture offers hot springs, beautiful nature, and more. It’s now more convenient than ever to reach both, so we hope to see you in Oita soon!

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