Abstract: A vehicle travelling on air cushions comprises a lifted structure and a lift arrangement which comprises at least one multilobular skirt having a plurality of first lobes open towards the inside of the vehicle. A lower part of each first lobe converges in a downwards direction with respect to the structure. At least in the vicinity of the rear of the vehicle, each open first lobe has within it an anti-damage lobe which diverges in a downwards direction with respect to the structure at an inclination such that the values of the angles formed between the respective outermost generatrices of the first and anti-damage lobes with respect to the vertical are substantially equal. The side edges of the anti-damage lobe are each connected along a rectilinear connection to the opposite side walls of the first lobe which converge in a downwards direction with respect to the structure. The anti-damage lobe is also at its lower part, and in a horizontal plane, connected to the base of the first lobe.

Abstract: A vehicle riding on air cushions in which the lift of a platform is ensured by an arrangement of flexible skirts defining a central air-lift area at substantially constant pressure and a partitioned peripheral air-lift area. A closed loop of adjacent tubular skirts is inserted between the central and peripheral air-lift areas to increase the flying stability of the vehicle.

Abstract: An air-cushion, or ground-effect, vehicle is described which includes a central cushion defining assembly of skirts and a peripheral cushion defining assembly of skirts.The skirts of the central assembly are of lobe-like section and the skirts of the peripheral assembly are cylindrical. Any given skirt of the peripheral assembly is in contact with each two, like, adjacent skirts and with two of the skirts of the central assembly.