Abstract: An air-cushion vehicle comprising a lifted structure, a central cushion, and a peripheral lift arrangement in which each lobe of the outer skirt projects outside the lifted structure and preferably surrounds an inner skirt.Each lobe extending downwardly is hollow with an open lower end and has a lower part to which is attached an upper part or cover connected along its upper edge to the lifted structure along a rectilinear horizontal line. The upper part or cover is also connected to the lifted structure along two spaced rectilinear segments at either end of the upper edge and disposed in respective vertical planes.

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.

Abstract: An air cushion vehicle comprises a structure to be lifted, a central lifting cushion, and a peripheral lifting arrangement constituted by a plurality of cells defined externally by an outer multi-lobed skirt.Each lobe of the outer skirt is constituted by an assembly of an upper part defined by a surface of revolution which diverges downwards with respect to the structure, and of a lower part defined by a surface of revolution which converges downwards with respect to the structure, so that the lobe projects outside the structure. The lifting surface of the cells and thus of the entire cushion is increased and they project externally of the structure thus protecting the structure against impact.

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.