Ground effect flying platform

A ground-effect vehicle capable of hovering above the ground comprising:

• a base frame;
• a skirt extending downwardly from the periphery of the base frame;
• air source means located on the base frame for injecting an air flow with a particular velocity downwardly through an aperture in the base frame to create an air cushion of high pressure air in a pressure space bounded by the base frame, the skirt and the ground, said air pressure being sufficient to lift the vehicle and to allow the air to escape under said skirt;
• and
• deflector means for diverting the downward air flow into an air flow parallel to the ground and reducing the velocity of said air flow as it passes under the skirt, said deflector means including first, second and third plates, said first plate being located in a plane substantially parallel to the ground when the vehicle is in level flight and being at the horizontal position of the aperture in the base frame, but vertically spaced therefrom, so as to form a horizontal discharge gap, said first plate having a circumference sufficent to give the discharge gap an area large enough to significantly reduce the velocity of the air flow, said second and third deflector plates being positioned along the circumference of the skirt generally parallel to and perpendicular to the skirt, respectively, the second and third deflector plates being joined at one end, the second and third deflector plates also being perforated and positioned to intercept the parallel air flow, the second and third reflector plates forming an intermediate pressure area within said pressure space so as to reduce the velocity of the air flow as it escapes under the skirt.