About TPD/ACV Designs
Brief Company Background: ACV and TPD Designs
is a partnership between Chris Fishlock and Franz Wetzel who both
worked for Canair Hovercraft Inc. back in Ontario and British Columbia.
Chris's Dad, Ron Fishlock is a seasoned hovercraft designer who
designed the Canair series of commercial hovercraft. Ron supplied
ACV Designs with several of his successful small hovercraft designs
and from time to time provides advise, guidance an answers inquiries.
Ron has been working in the commercial hovercraft
industry since 1964, starting out with Hovercraft Development Ltd.
(HDL), the foremost R & D center and also the licensing body
back in the UK during the 1960's through 80's.
Ron became hooked on Hovercraft and started building
working models at the age of 11 when he saw the Saunders Roe SRN1
operate on TV for the first time. It was not until he joined HDL
that he began to build recreational craft which he used for fun
and racing at events put on by the Hoverclub of Great Britain.
It was thanks to Ron's mother back in 1964, when
she wrote to Christopher Cockerell, (the inventor of the Hovercraft)
that Ron was given the opportunity to be interviewed at HDL. He
was 17 years of age and was offered a job as a technical assistant
working on the test tank and in the skirt laboratory. Several years
later, he moved on to Hovermarine, spent a short time with Air Cushion
Equipment, then back to Hovermarine Transport before emigrating
to Canada.
In Canada he worked for a couple of small hovercraft
companies before becoming a partner in his own company, Canadian
Cushion Craft Ltd. Ron has consulted for companies such as DeHavilland
Aircraft of Toronto, and has subsequently worked in a number of
other industries such as those developing Pulsed Lasers, Scanning
Electron Microscopes, Deployable Emergency Locator Transmitters
and Military Radio Frequency Finders. Ron’s most recent work was
as the founder, designer and for the first 6 years, President, of
Canair Hovercraft Inc. Ron designed all four light commercial modular
hovercraft from the four seat, fully enclosed Canair 504 to the
largest fly-by-wire twelve seat, Canair 512. (Below)
Education: As mentioned above, Ron received
most of his formal education in the U.K. where he ultimately achieved
a national certificate in Mechanical Engineering with endorsements
in Navel Architecture at Southampton’s Collage of Technology.
Patents: Ron is named as inventor and co-inventor
on 8 patents related to Hovercraft (Air Cushion Vehicle) skirt systems.
Professional Memberships: Ron is a member
of the Canadian Air Cushion Technology Society through the Canadian
Aeronautics and Space Institute.
For more info on Ron Fishlock go to the FAQ
Designer Page