Abstract: An air cushion landing system for aircraft, ground effect machines and the like utilizing boundary layer control around the outer sides of an inflated bag to improve its aerodynamic characteristics. This is achieved by air jets along the outside walls of the bag, the jets being normal or essentially tangential to the outside wall surface of the bag depending upon the aerodynamic effect desired. Preferably, the air jets are produced by simply permitting air, used to inflate the air cushion landing bag, to escape through orifices in the side walls of the bag.

Abstract: This invention relates to ground-reaction machines, such as hovercraft, and is particularly concerned with flexible enclosure arrangements, often referred to as skirts, for enclosing a fluid cushion beneath the loading platform of the machine. According to the invention, air fed into the arrangement to form the cushion, is channelled or directed by cells having walls which are linked in series along the periphery of the platform. This ensures the feed and enclosure of a single undivided central cushion at a pressure which is substantially uniform and of which the boundaries represent an auxiliary structure. In a preferred construction, each of the cells is bounded by two flexible walls, all the horizontal sections of which are of bi-convex, lenticular shape.

Abstract: The invention relates to aircraft and more particularly an air-cushion landing gear comprising a system of landing gear units suspended from an aircraft, with at least two of the units being spaced transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and one of them being arranged on the axis ahead of the aircraft center of gravity; each landing gear unit comprises a platform with an annular inflatable cell attached to its underside and used, when inflated, as a flexible curtain circumscribing an air cushion space under the platform, the inflation of each cell and the formation of the air cushion is accomplished by an independent injecting device built in the platform; the spaced-apart cells are provided with an operating device for decelerating and controlling the movement of the aircraft on the runway surface; such a design of the air-cushion landing gear makes it possible to easily and rapidly adapt modern planes and helicopters to such a landing gear with the take-off, landing and taxiing t

Abstract: An air-cushion vehicle is provided with an inflatable flexible skirt of bag-like form. The bottom of the skirt defines a convex face in close proximity to the surface over which the vehicle travels so as to form an atmosphere-seeking plenum gap. The flexible skirt is impermeable except for the convex face which is perforated so as to allow skirt inflation air to bleed through the face and suppress any vibration induced by the Bernoulli effect.

Abstract: The inflatable cell portion(s) of an air cushion type undercarriage for airplanes, air cushion vehicles, or the like, of the type which are formed with air outlet openings in the ground tangent areas thereof are individually provided with air flow control devices having highly abrasive tear-resistant bottom surfaces disposed externally of the cell fabric, in lieu of the conventionally employed coverply or "wear strips". The devices of the present invention receive the ground contact abrasion and tear-inducing stresses normally imposed upon the cell fabric, and protect the latter in improved manner; and are simply snap-fitted (and thereby detachably locked) into the cell fabric apertures, and may be easily replaced as required.

Abstract: A mooring and landing device for aircraft which are capable of vertical dent for landing comprising an inflatable tube-type device, or trunk, attached to the bottom surface of the craft. The trunk is in the shape of a doughnut and the open interior compartment formed by the inflated trunk and the bottom surface of the craft is evacuated to a pressure lower than atmospheric so that the difference between the compartment pressure and the atmospheric pressure moors the craft to the ground. The trunk is inflated to a pressure greater than atmospheric and may be formed with a plurality of holes to provide an air cushion for lubrication purposes.

Abstract: The skirt of a surface effects vehicle is made up of a plurality of oblong lements which are slanted toward the stern of the vessel. Each element partially rests against and/or supports the adjacent elements. This configuration reduces skirt drag, cushion leakage, skirt wear, as well as reducing the impact forces transmitted to the vehicle itself and increases obstacle heights which can be successfully crossed.