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Avon Fire and Rescue Service’s New hovercraft set to save lives in Western-super-mare
 The Avon Fire and Rescue Service (“AFRS”) has purchased a Griffon 380TD hovercraft to operate along the shoreline of Weston-super-Mare.
The hovercraft, which will cover an area of the shoreline from Brean Down to Sand Bay, is equipped to deal with a range of incidents including rescuing people who have became trapped in the mud and providing support to the area during times of inland flooding.
The 380TD is the smallest craft in the Griffon range, capable of carrying 6 persons or a payload of 450kgs.
The 380TD is a rugged rigid-inflatable hovercraft and benefits from having two diesel engines, one for lift and one for thrust, improving craft control in a rescue scenario. With the hover-on hover-off trailer, one person can quickly and easily transport and operate this unique vessel virtually anywhere.
Avon Fire & Rescue Service’s hovercraft will be used to complement the services already provided by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) and HMS Coastguard.
AF&RS Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive, Kevin Pearson, described the hovercraft as a major asset to the service.
He said: “The hovercraft will increase the flexibility of Avon Fire & Rescue Service’s rescue capacity. As well as assisting us with incidents along the shoreline, we will be able to use the vehicle in more remote locations, where fire appliances may not be able to reach.
“Not only will it mean we can reach trapped casualties in just a few minutes, but it will also ensure the safety of our firefighters, who until now have had to walk out onto the mud and risk becoming stuck themselves.”
“Clearly with the flooding we saw last summer a hovercraft would have been a huge asset on inland waterways, but we also believe the hovercraft could be used to ferry equipment and staff to incidents such as animal rescues on soft ground or road traffic collisions that may involve a beach. “ .........................................................................................
A New Model Has Been Introduced At The Top Of The Griffon Range - Griffon 8100TD.
 A new model has been introduced at the top of the Griffon range: the Griffon 8100TD. There has been a sustained interest in carrying a little more payload than the 8000TD from both commercial and military market sectors. In response to this Griffon has designed a new, larger craft, based on the experience gained with the successful Griffon 8000TD. The craft has a longer and wider hull with increased freeboard. The operational width of the craft is the same and it uses the same proven skirt as the 8000TD. The engine power is increased with the new Iveco Vector 20 engine, giving 1000bhp each, a 25% increase over the MTU’s fitted to the 8000TD, with very little weight increase. The payload of the Griffon 8100TD is 12 tonnes and can carry up to 98 passengers in its commercial role. An order for three of these craft has been placed with Griffon by the Swedish Government procurement agency - this photo is the first of this three craft order being delivered in Sweden. .........................................................................................
Two New Griffon 2000TD MkIII’s in Service with the Polish Border Guard
 Two Griffon 2000TD MkIII’s are now being operated by the Polish Border Guard in Gdansk.
The Mk III 2000TD is similar to the Mk II but has the new water-cooled V6 Deutz 1015 engine. Externally the only noticeable difference is a restyled engine cover which houses the charge-air cooler.
The accommodation is entered via a gull-wing door on either side of the wheelhouse which is equipped with 3 crew seats. This space is air-conditioned. Aft of an internal bulkhead and door is a load space with removable seating for 12 passengers. Behind this is an external load deck to carry either two motorcycles or bicycles. Which is protected with a fabric cover. Loose equipment is carried below this deck. The craft are equipped with a comprehensive navigation and communications package.
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The new Griffon 380TD Hovercraft
 The 380TD is the smallest craft in the Griffon range, capable of carrying 6 persons or a payload of 450kgs. They operate best where it is difficult, if not impossible, for conventional boats to operate i.e. over land, sand, mud, rocks, weeds, logs, debris and rapids. Manufactured in a combination of aluminium and composite (FRP) materials, the 380TD is ideally suited to applications such as survey, dredging and civil engineering support, mud and weed sampling, pipeline inspection and rescue.
The new 380TD is a rugged rigid-inflatable hovercraft and benefits from having two diesel engines, one for lift and one for thrust, improving craft control.
With the optional hover-on hover-off trailer, one person can quickly and easily transport and operate this unique vessel virtually anywhere. .........................................................................................
Pakistan Navy buys Griffon Hovercraft
 The second Griffon 2000TD(M) hovercraft has just been shipped to the Pakistan Navy forming part of their extensive fleet. These craft are to operate in the harsh environment in the Southern region, offering the Pakistan Navy extended capability in areas which were previously unreachable with conventional craft. .........................................................................................
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