Ground effect vehicles

Claim 1

A GROUND EFFECT VEHICLE COMPRISING: A CORE STRUCTURE FORMING A PLENUM CHAMBER, A POWER PLANT MOUNTED ON SAID CORE STRUCTURE, AN AIRSCREW DRIVEN BY SAID POWER PLANT TO PROVIDE AN AIR STREAM TO PROPEL SAID VEHICLE, A LIFT-FAN DRIVEN BY SAID POWER PLANT TO PROVIDE A STREAM OF AIR THROUGH SAID PLENUM CHAMBER TO IN TURN FORM A SUPPORTING AIR CUSHION TO LIFT SAID VEHICLE, A CONTROLLABLE MOVABLE AEROFOIL SURFACE MOUNTED ON SAID CORE STRUCTURE FOR CONTROL LING SAID VEHICLE AND HAVING AT LEAST PART OF SAID SURFACE LOCATED IN SAID PROPELLING AIR STREAM, AN AUXILIARY MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID MOVABLE AEROFOIL SURFACE FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID AUXILIARY MEMBER DEFINING WITH A PART OF SAID AEROFOIL SURFACE A DUCT-LIKE PASSAGE EXTENDING ALONG SAID AEROFOIL IN THE GENERAL FOR-AND-AFT DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE, AND A STATIONARY DUCT LEADING FROM SAID PLENUM CHAMBER TO A POINT ADJACENT A PART OF SAID AEROFOIL SURFACE AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID DUCT-LIKE PASSAGE SO THAT A PORTION OF THE PRESSURIZED AIR IN SAID PLENUM CHAMBER IS DUCTED TO FLOW ALONG THE AEROFOIL SURFACE AND THROUGH SAID DUCK-LIKE PASSAGE TO PROVIDE AUXILIARY CONTROL FOR SAID VEHICLE.