US 7,428,939 B1Granted

Waterjet drive hovercraft with adjustable trim system

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy

InventorJohn Ducote

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Abstract

A flexible skirt-cell system is provided for a hovercraft having a propulsion system mounted to interface with water and a flexible skirt having an upper flexible panel section and a lower flexible finger section. The panel section extends around the bow, stern and two sides of the hovercraft hull and the finger section extends around the hull below the panel section and is connected to the panel section from a forward-abeam location and forward along the two sides and across the bow. Fans create pressurized air that is fed through air ducts to form a pressurized air cushion that supports the hovercraft. Interconnected flexible cells are connected between the panel and finger sections from the forward-abeam locations rearward to the stern. Additional air ducts pass pressurized air from the fan units to inflate the cells, thereby elevating the stern and raising the propulsion system above the water.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A flexible inflatable skirt cell system for a hovercraft having a hull with a bow, stern and two sides in its periphery comprising:

a flexible skirt having a flexible upper panel section and a flexible lower finger section, said upper panel section extending around said bow, stern and two sides of said hull adjacent to said periphery and said lower finger section extending around said hull below and adjacent to said upper panel section and being connected to said upper panel section from a forward-abeam location and forward along said two sides and across said bow;
means for creating volumes of pressurized air having at least one first air flow duct and at least one second air flow duct, said first air flow ducts being coupled to said pressurized air volume creating means for passing portions of pressurized air under said hull inside of said flexible skirt to form a pressurized air cushion to support and transport said hull thereon;
an inflatable cell system interposed between and connected to said upper panel section and said lower finger section from said forward-abeam location rearward along said sides and across said stern of said hull, said inflatable cell system having a juxtaposed series of interconnected inflatable cells coupled to said second ducts for selectively inflating said cells;
and
at least one propulsion system mounted on an aft portion of the hull and extending below said flexible skirt to interface with water over which the hovercraft travels.

2 more elements

A method of raising from the water's surface at least one water propulsion unit on a hovercraft having a hull with a bow, stern, and two sides in its periphery, to permit land passage of the hovercraft, comprising the steps of:

providing a flexible skirt having a flexible upper panel section and a flexible lower finger section, said upper panel section extending around said bow, stern and two sides of said hull adjacent to said periphery and said lower finger section extending around said hull below and adjacent to said upper panel section and being connected to said upper panel section from a forward-abeam location and forward along said two sides and across said bow;
creating volumes of pressurized air;
passing portions of said created pressurized air through first air flow ducts into an area under said hull inside of said flexible skirt to form a pressurized air cushion to support and transport said hull thereon;
connecting a juxtaposed series of inflatable cells of an inflatable cell system to and between said upper panel section and said lower finger section from said forward-abeam location on said two sides rearward along said sides and across said stern of said hull;
and
coupling second airflow ducts to said inflatable cells;
passing additional portions of pressurized air through said second air flow ducts into said inflatable cells;
inflating said inflatable cells with said additional portions of pressurized air;
and
raising each propulsion system from the water's surface.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.