Importance

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Abstract

An elongated vehicle body has a forward bow portion, a stern, and a lower portion with the floor and sides runners defining a longitudinal rearwardly opening air channel in the underside thereof. The bow portion has a duct with a driven impeller therein communicating with a plenum chamber in turn communicating with the air channel. Valves are provided at the outlet for directing air flow from the plenum chamber selectively downwardly, rearwardly and forwardly and also for developing a vacuum under a forward portion of the vehicle to pull down a bow wave that may develop under forward movement of the vehicle. The runners have lateral openings adjacent the rear portion of the vehicle and actuator controlled rudders are disposed at these openings for movement inwardly to steer the vehicle and outwardly beyond the outer side of the runners for establishing a reverse thrust of the vehicle. Steering controllers are provided at these lateral openings that have at least two passageways therethrough for selective engagement with angled valve seats at the rear opening. A pair of trim flaps at the rear are mounted on laterally extending pivots and support depending steerable rudders.

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First Claim