Ground effects vehicle

Claim 1

A GROUND EFFECTS VEHICLE COMPRISING AN INVERTED SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR DISHED SHELL OF RIGID MATERIAL PROVIDING A DOWNWARDLY CURVED OUTER RIM AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRAL OPENING OF SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR FORM PROVIDED THEREIN DEFINED BY A DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING NECK ON SAID SHELL, A ROTARY FAN DISPOSED ON A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS IN THE NECK DRIVEN BY AN ENGINE MOUNTED ON THE SHELL ABOVE THE FAN AND ADAPTED TO DISCHARGE AIR DOWNWARDLY SO AS TO BUILD UP AIR PRESSURE UNDER SAID SHELL FOR BOTH LIFT AND PROPULSION PURPOSES, A PASSENGER SUPPORT CARRIED ON TOP OF THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID SHELL OVER THE ENGINE WITH ENGINE CONTROL MEANS OPERABLE BY THE PASSENGER TO SPEED UP OR SLOW DOWN THE ENGINE SPEED, SAID SUPPORT ALLOWING FREE INLET OF AIR TO THE FAN BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT AND SHELL, AN ANNULAR SKIRT OF FLEXIBLE RESILIENT MATERIAL DEPENDING FROM THE DOWNWARDLY CURVED RIM PORTION OF SAID SHELL AND CURVED INWARDLY TO SCOOP UP AIR FLOWING OUTWARDLY FROM THE FAN ALONG THE GROUND UNDER SAID SHELL AND DIRECT IT UPWARDLY TOWARD THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SHELL SO AS TO CREATE VORTEX AIR CURRENTS UNDER SAID SHELL ON SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXES, SAID SKIRT PERMITTING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM AIR DISCHARGE IN ALL DIRECTIONS UNDER ALL PORTIONS OF ITS LOWER EDGE WITH THE VEHICLE HOVERING MOTIONLESS, BUT SAID SKIRT SERVING TO SHUT OFF DISCHARGE AT ANY SELECTED PORTION OF ITS LOWER EDGE BY TILTING OF THE SHELL BY THE PASSENGER, WHEREBY THE VEHICLE IS PROPELLED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LOWERMOST EDGE PORTION OF SAID SKIRT BY THE AIR DISCHARGED AT THE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE HIGHERMOST EDGE PORTION OF SAID SKIRT, VANES IN RIGID RELATIONSHIP TO SAID SHELL EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OF SAID SHELL UNDER THE NECK PORTION IN THE PATH OF THE AIR DISCHARGED DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FAN, SAID VANES DEFLECTING THE AIR SO AS TO SET UP IN SAID SHELL A COUNTERACTING TORQUE IN A DIRECTION TENDING TO NEUTRALIZE THE SHELL''S TORQUE REACTION FROM THE FAN, AND REINFORCING RIBS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID SHELL RADIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID VANES AND PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY SUFFICIENTLY TO DEFINE PIESHAPED AIR POCKETS IN WHICH TO LOCALIZE VORTEX AIR CURRENTS UNDER THE SHELL.