Surface effect boat with jet propulsion engines house in keel formed cavities

A surface effect boat which, in operation, rides on a cushion of contained pressurized gases, said boat having a water line, a bow and stern and comprising a hull and a deck extending horizontally and longitudinally above the hull, said hull including at least three longitudinally extending keels extending the full length of the boat and defining spaces between the keels, a bow plate closing one end of the spaces and a stern plate closing the opposite end of the spaces so as to define at least two downwardly opening cavities, and a single power source comprising at least two gas turbine jet propulsion engines, each of said engines being mounted on the boat, at the bow thereof, within a corresponding cavity between the keels, and being fixedly attached to an underside portion of the deck substantially above the water line of the boat, said engines producing high volume exhaust gases which pressurize the respective cavities with a pressure such that, as the boat is caused to gather speed in response to thrust forces produced by said engines, said pressure increases sufficiently to lift the boat in the water and to thereby substantially reduce resistance to forward motion, a gas pressure discharge tube being disposed in each of said cavities and being fixedly attached to and extending through said stern plate, a control valve being associated with each of said tubes for regulating said pressure, and said keels including inner side plates terminating and downwardly depending knife edge seals.