Fixed wing ground effect craft

Claim 1

A WINGED GROUND EFFECT VEHICLE HAVING A FUSELAGE WITH A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND FURTHER COMPRISING: A WING ASSEMBLY CARRIED BY SAID FUSELAGE AND INCLUDING A LOWER PANEL MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PORTION OF THE CHARACTER TO BE DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY, AND BEING MOUNTED IN A MANNER DEFINING A POSITIVE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FUSELAGE AXIS, PROVIDING, THEREBY, A POSITIVE ANGLE OF FORWARD ATTACK AND DEFINING THE TOP BOUNDARY OF A SUPPORTING GROUND EFFECT AIR CUSHION REGION BETWEEN SAID PANEL MEMBER AND A TERRESTRIAL SURFACE THEREBELOW, AN UPPER WING SURFACE MEMBER JOINED WITH SAID LOWER PANEL MEMBER ALONG MUTUAL LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES AND DEFINING IN COOPERATION WITH SAID LOWER PANEL MEMBER A RELATIVELY THICK AIRFOIL SECTION, AN AIR PRESSURE RESERVOIR PLENUM DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER MEMBERS WITHIN SID AIRFOIL SECTION, SAID LOWER PANEL MEMBER BEING PORTED TO DEFINE ELONGATED AIR OUTPUT DUCTS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID RESERVOIR PLENUM AND SAID SUPPORTING AIR CUSHION REGION, SAID DUCTS BEING ADAPTED TO DIRECT A CURTAIN JET OF AIR DOWNWARDLY AND SOMEWHAT INWARDLY TOWARD THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID AIR CUSHION REGION; AT LEAST ONE FORE-AND-AFT ALIGNED AIR SUPPLY DUCT DISPOSED THROUGH SAID AIRFOIL SECTION AND HAVING AN INLET PORT DISPOSED THROUGH SAID UPPER SURFACE MEMBER NEAR SAID LEADING EDGE AND AN OUTLET PORT DISPOSED NEAR SAID TRAILING EDGE; AIR PASSAGE MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID PLENUM AND SAID SUPPLY DUCT; VALVE MEANS FOR AT LEAST PARTIALLY CLOSING SAID OUTPUT PORT OF SAID SUPPLY DUCT; AND FAN MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID AIR SUPPLY DUCT FOR DRAWING AIR THERETHROUGH IN SELECTED PROPORTIONS FOR FORWARD THRUST AND SUPPLY TO SAID SUPPORTING AIR CUSHION.