The British aircraft and marine engineering company Saunders-Roe built the first practical man-carrying hovercraft for the National Research Development Corporation, the SR.N1, which carried out several test programmes in 1959 to 1961 (the first public demonstration was in 1959), including a cross-channel test run in July 1959 piloted by Peter ("Sheepy") Lamb, an ex-naval test pilot and the Chief Test Pilot at Saunders Roe.
ເຮືອບິນອັງກິດແລະບໍລິສັດວິສະວະກໍານ້ໍາ Saunders-Roe ໄດ້ສ້າງເຮືອລໍາຊາຍຜູ້ປະຕິບັດທໍາທໍາອິດສໍາລັບບໍລິສັດການພັດທະນາການຄົ້ນຄວ້າແຫ່ງຊາດ, SR.N1, ເຊິ່ງດໍາເນີນໂຄງການທົດສອບຫຼາຍໆຄັ້ງໃນ 1959 ຫາ 1961 (ການສະແດງສາທາລະນະຄັ້ງທໍາອິດຢູ່ໃນ 1959) ລວມທັງການທົດສອບຂ້າມຊ່ອງໃນເດືອນກໍລະກົດ 1959, ທົດລອງໂດຍ Peter "Sheepy" ລູກແກະ, ທົດລອງທົດລອງເຮືອກ່ອນແລະທົດລອງທົດລອງຫົວຫນ້າ Saunders Roe.