GB1109561A - Improvements in and relating to gas-cushion vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,109,561. Air cushion vehicles. HOVERCRAFT DEVELOPMENT Ltd. 18 May, 1966 [9 April, 1965], No. 15131/65. Heading B7K. In an air cushion vehicle having the cushion space bounded by side-walls 12, each side-wall comprises rigid portions 12a, 12b disposed fore- and-aft of a portion 12c formed from flexible sheet material. The forward and aft ends of the cushion space 13 are defined by hinged flaps 14 and each flexible portion 12c may be in one piece or, as shown, a plurality of individual strips laced together. In operation over water, the rigid portions 12a, 12b are partially submerged and at higher speeds the portion 12c may be partially retracted to reduce drag. To this end a roller 21, operated from motor 24, has a number of cords 26 attached thereto at spaced intervals along its length and each cord is secured to the lower edge of the flexible portion so that operation of motor 24, either manually, or automatically in response to a speed-sensing device, would raise or lower the skirt. A fan F delivers air to the cushion plenum chamber and a water screw 18 is mounted on each portion 12b and is driven by an internally-housed shaft S, wheels 16 being provided to enable the vehicle to negotiate ramps. For such land operation, propulsion is by an air propeller unit P. The flexible side wall portions and the front wall may be formed of individual contiguous inflatable U-section strips. A wall constructed as shown in Fig. 1 may be used to divide the plenum chamber laterally.