| 摘要 |
<p>944,501. Air cushion vehicles. HOVERCRAFT DEVELOPMENT Ltd. June 11, 1959 [June 12, 1958], No. 18825/58. Heading B7K. A vehicle supported in close proximity to water by a pressurized gaseous cushion comprises means for forming a curtain or curtains of fluid at both the front and the back part of the vehicle and two walls which project below the bottom of the vehicle and are located on each side of the vehicle so that with the fluid curtains they form the boundary enclosing the pressurized cushion. The vehicle comprises a main body 2 having rounded ends and provided with side walls 3 which depend from the main body along its full length. The side walls are respectively provided with ports 4 and 5 and further ports 6 and 7 extend across the front and rear respectively, the ports being in communication with a duct 15 that extends round the periphery of the vehicle. The duct 15 is connected to a pair of main galleries 12 which are supplied with compressed air delivered by propellers 9 driven by gas turbine engines 10. The bottom of each side wall is shaped as shown in Fig. 7 wherein the port 4 is shown ejecting air to form a curtain, which is deflected outwardly by the pressure of the gaseous cushion 20. The front and/or rear curtains (the front port 6 being shown in Fig. 8) are arranged, after outward deflection by the cushion, to pass through one or more curved guide vanes (or banks of such vanes) whereby the curtain is again deflected inwardly. The side ports 4 and 5 carry deflector plates 25 which direct the side portions of the fluid curtain rearwardly to provide forward propulsion of the vehicle. The rear curtain also may be deflected rearwardly. The ports 4 and 5 are deflected as shown at 22 to ensure no break in flow between adjoining parts of the curtain. The front and rear portions of the curtain may be formed by blowing fluid jets through vertically disposed ports or slots positioned in the sides of fairing disposed on the mid-portion of the underside of the vehicle. Specifications 854,211, 919,350 and 944,502 are referred to.</p> |
