Abstract: An air cushion vehicle comprising a structure to be lifted, a central lifting cushion and a peripheral lifting arrangement including a plurality of lifting cells defined externally by an outer multilobed skirt. Each lobe of the outer skirt comprises an upper part defined by a surface of revolution which is slanted downwardly and outwardly with respect to the structure, and a lower part defined by a surface of revolution which is slanted downwardly and inwardly with respect to the structure, so that the lobe projects outwardly of the periphery of the structure. According to the invention, the upper part is defined by at least two surfaces of revolution having respective axes of revolution coplaner with a vertical plane containing the axis of revolution of the lower part.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 29, 1982
Date of Patent:
September 18, 1984
Assignee:
Societe d'Etudes et de Developpement des Aeroglisseurs Amphibies, S.E.D.A.M.
Inventors:
Guy Herrouin, Andre Lafont, Serge Cruchant