Hovercraft Griffon 2000 TD

Date of Issue: May 05, 1995
Scott #: 2098

The hovercraft 2000 TD is used in the British-Nicaragua Expedition in 1995 in San Juan River, Nicaragua.

This is the most popular craft of the extensive Griffon range, produced by Griffon Hovercraft Ltd, located in Britain, manufacturers of the largest range of amphibious, diesel-engined hovercraft available in the world today. Cruising at high speed, they operate best where it is difficult, if not impossible, for conventional boats to operate, like over land and shallow water, sand, mud, rocks, weeds, logs, debris and rapids.

Source: Scott catalog, griffonhovercraft.com

British-Nicaragua Hovercraft Expedition - 1995

Many thanks to Dr. Jean-Michel MAES, Nicaragua for sending me this Special Cover as part of cover round robin held at MyPhilately.com.

A British team lead by Mike Cole, Director of Peace and Hope Trust, operating in Nicaragua since the end of the civil-war, made this expedition to find a way of linking the isolated Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua with the more affluent Pacific coast.

In 1995, he used two hovercrafts (Griffon 2000 TD - shown in the stamp, and RR501) in San Juan river in Nicaragua, to successfully cross Nicaragua and demonstrate the ability of the vehicles to provide the desperately needed link between the separate regions.

The expedition showed how hovercraft could be used to establish a communication link between the isolated villages of Nicaragua and its larger cities.

Source: hoveraid.co.uk