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Having collected a few of the Dinky 290 and 281 SR.N6 Hovercrafts, I have listed the general timeline below for variants. Bear in mind that they can be taken apart easily so interiors and skirts can be swapped around ...... if there are any others, please let me know and I'll update the list. I have seen one Dinky SR.N6 with a grey base but can't remember which variant it was attached to.

1st issues: Metallic red with blue skirt and yellow interior, transparent plastic film labels with SRN6 in white. Correctly profiled roof and a smooth top surface to the auto rotating radar. Baseplate is metallic pale blue or metallic purple. (RARE with this baseplate)

2nd issues: as above but with satin black baseplate.

3rd issues: Metallic red with blue skirt and yellow interior, dark blue paper labels with SRN6 in white. Correctly profiled roof and a smooth top surface to the auto rotating radar. Baseplate is gloss black.

4th issues: Matt army green with black skirt and faun interior, green paper labels with ARMY XV 614 in white with Union Jack. Modified roof front to accomodate gun instead of radar and modified centre intake cowl to accomodate mid mounted radar. The radar has a textured top surface but does not auto rotate. Baseplate is gloss black. This version also has a flexible green aerial.

5th issues: Metallic red with blue skirt and yellow interior, dark blue paper labels with SRN6 in white. Modified roof front and centre intake cowl (due to re-tooling for the army version) and textured top surface to the auto rotating radar. Baseplate is gloss black.

6th issues: as above but with black skirt.

7th issues: Gloss or satin red with black skirt and faun interior, blue paper labels with SRN6 in white. Modified roof front and centre intake cowl with textured top surface to the auto rotating radar. Baseplate is black. (RARE main colour)

8th issues: Gloss or satin army green with black skirt and faun interior, green paper labels with ARMY XV 614 in white with Union Jack. Modified roof front and centre intake cowl with a mid mounted radar. The radar has a textured top surface but does not auto rotate. Baseplate is gloss black. This version also has a flexible green aerial.

9th issues: Gloss or satin army green with black skirt and faun interior, green paper labels with ARMY XV 614 in white with Union Jack. Modified roof front and centre intake cowl with a mid mounted radar. The radar has a textured top surface but does not auto rotate. Baseplate is gloss black. This version also has a flexible black aerial.

The Dinky model looks far nicer than the Matchbox Superkings version even though the Dinky depicts a rarer 7 bay window arrangement whilst the Matchbox depicts a more common 8 bay arrangement of the commercial passenger fleets. Some of the 8 bay commercial SR.N6's were lengthened to 12 bays in their later years.
I find it strange that most Dinky versions found for sale have the propeller broken or missing whilst the Matchbox versions are nearly always intact.
Here is an early version of the Dinky 290 (chosen for its correct roof profile but unfortunately this meant a blue skirt) that I am repainting into early British Rail Seaspeed livery. Just need to change the skirt and get some decals sorted.

Four of my Dinky SR.N6 hovercrafts ..... the British Rail repaint now has a black skirt robbed from a military "Army" version which itself is being repainted into a "Royal Navy" version with a blue skirt.
Left to right: Early version with a pale metallic blue baseplate / British Rail repaint / Later version in metallic red with modified roof and textured radar / Later version in satin red with modified roof and textured radar.

I bought a tatty Army version to rob the black skirt for the British Rail Sea Speed repaint. Not wishing to waste the rest of it though, I decided that a Royal Navy military version would perhaps cut a dash with the blue skirt. After cobbling together some decals in the style of the Army decals and salvaging two broken propellers, this is the result. Paint is grey primer and white primer with the white having a coat of clear gloss. I may gloss the grey yet and seal the decals (labels).

There is a way to get the radar to rotate on the Army version. It is a bit hit and miss and you have to slightly prise out the radar (not too much or it will drop off its pin and you'll then have to drill the rivets under the housing to retrieve it).

Dismantle as much as you can after removing the bottom screws.
Carefully remove propeller if it still has one.
Carefully manipulate out the prop drive shaft without bending it.
Check propshaft length against centre of radar pin and slip on a tight (very small) rubber band or rubber sleeve around propshaft so that when refitted, the edge of the band is at the front end of the centre line of radar pin.
The pin should half drop onto the band and will turn clockwised when pushed.

Hello AJR, what a great posting of some unusual models. It is so easy to forget such models like Ships, Planes, Trains and those Hovercraft models have come from the same companies that produce the cars we mostly talk about on the forum.

I don't collect those models, but can understand your enthusiasm and the research you must have done to bring such a good posting to the forum and with excellent pictures.

I imagine models of Waterbourne vehicles are subject to the same production issues and marketing re-issues as our cars, with odd casting modifications and the hard to find issues and is there a 'Holy Grail' issue everyone is searching for...

Thank's for bringing this here, it is very interesting and I look forward to more information about the Dinky Hovercraft models and some more pictures.

GHOSTHUNTER.

A word with Mr Flowers at the weekend sorted me out with some propellers to finish off my fleet. It turns out that the Dinky 724 / 736 Sea King Helicopter rear rotor blades are the correct size and a straight fit onto the shaft albeit five blades instead of four. Available from Mr Flowers in blue or black flexible plastic @ £2.30p each.
So, after piecing together four good props from many bad ones, I bought two 5-blade props and fitted them to my military versions. They don't look bad at all and certainly better than no props at all. And so, after a swap around of props, these are the results.

Great tip with the replacement props and I agree with the same thought process...a similar prop is better than no prop at all!

The military versions look really well finished with the Army and Navy trimming obvious. What does the white example represent, UN rescue craft maybe?

Ghosthunter.

What does the white example represent, UN rescue craft maybe?

The white version is meant to represent a British Rail Sealink / Seaspeed version (I need to sort out some decals). The Royal Navy is one of my bespoke repaints as well, the other four are originals.
The aerials on the military versions are not available as a spare either. I do have one original in green but it has snapped ... (how does unbreakable nylon snap?). I have just ordered a couple of shorter black aerials from the Dinky 602 Command Car which will most likely look better than the originals anyway.

Thank's. I should have backtracked slightly to your second post where you do speak of the intensions for the white model.

Ghosthunter.