Gas cushion vehicle

Claim 1

In an air cushion vehicle comprising (a) a deck; (b) a downwardly depending skirt about said deck defining a first plenum chamber, said skirt containing a second inflatable annular chamber; and (c) a fan unit housing containing a fan the axis of rotation of which is horizontal and having an air intake and an air exit end, said fan unit housing being mounted at the stern of the vehicle; the improvement comprising: (d) a third chamber located about said deck; (e) means communicating said air exit end of said fan unit housing to said third chamber for pressurizing the same; (f) a first aperture through said deck communicating said third chamber to said first chamber, said first aperture being located forward of said air exit end of said fan unit housing, whereby air exiting from said fan unit housing has to reverse directions and is aimed towards the bow of the vehicle as it passes through said first aperture; and (g) a second aperture through said deck communicating said third chamber to said second chamber, said second aperture being located rearward of said air exit end of said fan unit housing, whereby air exiting from said housing does not have to reverse directions in order to enter said second chamber.