Surface effects air vehicle

In an air cushion support system of the type including a rigid vehicle body, bottom means defining a plurality of parallel, elongated and horizontal downwardly projecting bottom surface members defining downwardly opening channels therebetween, said bottom means including a plurality of elongated horizontal flexible inflatable members disposed and extending along between pairs of adjacent bottom surface members, said body including means operative to apply fluid under pressure to said inflatable members to inflate the latter, said inflatable members, when inflated, including portions projected downwardly below said bottom surface members, the undersurfaces of said inflatable member portions including means defining friction brake surfaces, said vehicle further including means operative to downwardly discharge air under pressure below and between said bottom surface members for buoying said vehicle on a cushion of air beneath said bottom means, said body comprising a central fuselage of an aircraft having opposite side outwardly projecting horizontal wing structures extending generally transverse to said bottom surface members, said fuselage being generally rectangular in plan shape and including an upwardly longitudinally arched upper wall, said upper wall including a plurality of transversely spaced upwardly projecting supports spaced intermediate the front and rear ends thereof, a stationary transverse upper wing member supported from and extending between said upwardly projecting supports, a plurality of turbofan engines supported from said fuselage between pairs of adjacent upwardly projecting supports, said fuselage including hollow opposite side walls into which at least a portion of the bypass air from two of said engines is ducted, said means operative to apply fluid under pressure to said inflatable members comprises means in said fuselage operative to communicate said inflatable members with the interiors of said hollow side walls.

In an air cushion support system of the type including a rigid vehicle body, bottom means defining a plurality of parallel, elongated and horizontal downwardly projecting bottom surface members defining downwardly opening channels therebetween, said bottom means including a plurality of elongated horizontal flexible inflatable members disposed and extending along between pairs of adjacent bottom surface members, said body including means operative to apply fluid under pressure to said inflatable members to inflate the latter, said inflatable members, when inflated, including portions projected downwardly below said bottom surface members, the undersurfaces of said inflatable member portions including means defining friction brake surfaces, said vehicle further including means operative to downwardly discharge air under pressure below and between said bottom surface members for buoying said vehicle on a cushion of air beneath said bottoms means, a plurality of turbofan engines supported from said body for propelling the same, said body being generally rectangular in plan shape and including hollow opposite side walls into which at least a portion of the bypass air of two of said engines is ducted, said means operative to apply fluid under pressure to said inflatable members comprising means in said fuselage operative to communicate said inflatable members with the interiors of said hollow side walls.