PITCH CONTROLLED GROUND EFFECT VEHICLE

摘要

PITCH CONTROLLED GROUND EFFECT VEHICLE A vehicle utilizing a pair of counter rotating lift fans (36) driven by an air cooled internal combustion engine (34) provide compressed air into a plenum under a shell (26) moving the vehicle away from the surface upon which it is resting with the gas escape velocity evenly distributed around a peripheral skirt (28). A separate forward thrust fan (68) driven directly by a rotating pedestal mounted engine (56) provide the forward propulsion. An aileron (72) is rotatably mounted directly behind the thrust fan (68) and provides controlled response to the pitch direction of the vehicle by changing the angle of the air flow discharge. The vehicle contains a pair of movable keels (82) for operation on the water and side wings (86) to extend the effective surface of the craft.