Hybrid air vehicle having air cushion landing gear

A hybrid air vehicle adapted to land on, take off from and taxi along a landing surface, said vehicle having a gas-filled contoured flattened hull including a pair of longitudinally extending side lobes defining, on the underside of the hull, a longitudinally extending central recess, a payload module received in said central recess and air cushion landing gear units on the underside of said side lobes of the hull, the landing gear units being spaced from the payload module on opposite sides thereof, and combining to provide separated air cushions for supporting the air vehicle above the landing surface during landing, taking off and taxiing procedures, wherein said longitudinal central recess extends at least for the length of the payload module and the payload module is substantially fully contained within the recess.