Ground effect vehicle with integrated directional and propulsive thrust means

Claim 1

A VEHICLE FOR TRAVELLING OVER A SURFACE WHICH IS AT LEAST PARTLY SUPPORTED ABOVE THAT SURFACE BY A CUSHION OF PRESSURISED AIR COMPRISING A BODY, MEANS FOR PERIPHERALLY ENCLOSING A SPACE BENEATH SAID BODY WHEREIN A CUSHION OF PRESSURISED AIR IS FORMED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION, AN AIR INTAKE IN SAID BODY, A PORT IN BOTTOM OF SAID BODY COMMUNICATING WITH THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY SAID AIR CUSHION, A DUCT CONNECTING SAID PORT AND SAID INTAKE, MEANS FOR DRAWING AIR INTO SAID DUCT THROUGH SAID INTAKE AND EXPELLING SAID AIR DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID PORT INTO SAID SPACE SO AS TO EXERT A THRUST ON THE VEHICLE, A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL VANES CARRIED BY A MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID PORT, SAID VANES BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID MEMBER FOR SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT ABOUT AXES LYING IN A COMMON HORIZONTAL PLANE TO VARY THE VERTICAL DEFLECTION OF THE FLOW OF AIR EXPELLED THROUGH SAID PORT, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID MEMBER AND VANES AS A WHOLE RELATIVE TO SAID PORT TO VARY THE HORIZONTAL DEFLECTION OF SAID FLOW OF AIR, WHEREBY THE MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION OF THE HORIZONTAL THRUST PRODUCED BY SAID FLOW OF AIR MAY BE VARIED WITHOUT VARYING THE ATTITUDE OF THE VEHICLE.