Hydro-air vehicle

Claim 1

A RAILWAY VEHICLE ADAPTED TO RAISE ITSELF BY GAS UNDER PRESSURE FROM A TRACK HAVING OPPOSED SIDE FACES AND TO HOLD TO THE COURSE OF THE TRACK ON A BEARING FORMED BY THE GAS BETWEEN THE VEHICLE AND THE OPPOSED SIDE FACES OF THE TRACK, SAID VEHICLE INCLUDING HOLLOW DOWNWARDLY OPEN GAS ENCLOSURE MEANS SO CORRESPONDING TO THE TRACK AS TO EXTEND OVER THE TRACK AND ALONG THE OPPOSED SIDE FACES OF THE TRACK TO ENCLOSE PLENUM SPACE IN THE HOLLOW THEREOF BETWEEN SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS AND THE OPPOSED SIDE FACES OF THE TRACK, SAID PLENUM SPACE WHEN SAID GAS ENCLOSURE MEANS IS RAISED FROM THE TRACK BEING OVER THE TRACK IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE OPPOSED FACES OF THE TRACK WHILE SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS FORMS A LIFT GAP WITH THE TRACK FOR GAS TO ESCAPE FROM SAID PLENUM SPACE TO THE ATMOSPHERE, AND MEANS FOR VERTICALLY LIFTING AND HORIZONTALLY PROPELLING THE VEHICLE, THE LATTER SAID MEANS INCLUDING PRESSURIZING MEANS ON THE VEHICLE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PLENUM SPACE FOR MAINTAINING GAS UNDER PRESSURE IN SAID PLENUM SPACE TO LIFT SAID VEHICLE UPWARD ONLY IN THE REGION OF GROUND EFFECT OF THE LIFT GAS UPON THE TRACK INTO A HORIZONTALLY IDLE HOVERING POSITIN WHEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY ALL VERTICAL THRUST OF THE VEHICLE EXERTED UPON THE TRACK BY THE VEHICLE IS IN THE DOWNWARD DIRECTION AND FOR THE VEHICLE TO STABILIZE ITSELF LATERALLY OF THE TRACK BY THE EFFECT OF THE LIFT GAS UPON THE OPPOSED FACES OF THE TRACK WITH THE VEHICLE FORMING A LIFT GAP WITH THE TRACK, AND SAID MEANS FOR VERICALLY LIFTING AND HORIZONTALLY PROPELLING THE VEHICLE FURTHER INCLUDING HORIZONTAL PROPULSION MEANS ON THE VEHICLE FOR THE VEHICLE TO HORIZONTALLY PROPEL ITSELF ALONG THE TRACK WHILE SAID GAS PRESSURIZING MEANS MAINTAINS GAS UNDER PRESSURE IN SAID PLENUM SPACE AND GROUND EFFECT LIFT OF THE VEHICLE RELATIVE TO THE TRACK FOR THE VEHICLE TO FOLLOW THE TRACK IN GAP FORMING RELATION TO THE TRACK.