GB1359193A - Ground-effect craft - Google Patents

Abstract

1359193 Ground effect craft SOC D'ETUDES ET DE DEVELOPPMENT DES AEROGLISSEURS MARINS TERRESTRES ET AMPHIBIES 27 July 1971 [29 July 1970] 35069/71 Heading B7K A ground effect craft comprises; a platform 100; means defining a plurality of air cushion spaces below said platform; fan means for supplying said cushion spaces with compressed air; an inflatable ring 130 mounted at the periphery of the platform said ring being flexible, but being capable of supporting the craft at rest when inflated; a plurality of flexible connecting means linking the ring 130 to the platform but allowing local flexing of the ring relative to the platform; and a peripheral skirt 310 forming part of the cushion space defining means suspended from the periphery of the ring. The platform 100 is circular and the ring 130 is an inflated flexible toroidal bag advantageously divided by radially extending partitions and the attachment of the ring 130 to the platform is shown in Fig. 7 where flexible connecting means comprises a plurality of tongues 117 glued to the ring 130 and respectively linked by radially extending cables 116 to fixing points 118 rigid with the plate 110. The plate is provided with a peripheral channel 112 housing a hollow rubber ring 114. A plurality of flexible strips 113 are wound round the ring 114 and are glued to the ring 130 at 113a, a cover 115 being bolted to the channel 112 to clamp the two thicknesses of the strip 113 therebetween. The skirt system further includes a flexible internal skirt 320 fixed to an annular support 321 which in turn is fixed to framework 120 and a plurality of flexible "sattelite" skirts (330), Fig. 4 (not shown), arranged in the space between the peripheral and internal skirts and distributed evenly around the space. The sattelite skirts are attached to the radially outer part of the ring 130 and to the annular support 321. Air is supplied to the space from underneath the internal skirt 320 (arrow f2) and from above it (arrow f1) through a gap between the ring 130 and the annular support 321, the size of the gap being controllable by selectively hingeable flaps (901), Fig. 8 (not shown), which are attached to the ring 130 and are biased to open the gap. A fan 230 moves air down a vertical duct 231 the bottom of which deflects air towards the periphery of the craft and is provided with flaps (800), Fig. 6 (not shown), for selectively restricting or blocking segments of the duct 231 to control support trim. The fan 230 is driven by a turbine engine 250 which also drives two propulsion fans 24 arranged in respective compartments on each side of a superstructure of the craft and angled inwards at an angle of about 8 degrees with respect to the central axis AA of the superstructure. Fuel for the engine 250 is fed from two toric tanks 700, one on either side of the axis AA, which are pressurized from a bleed from the engine, an auxiliary fuel tank feeding the engine by gravity when the engine is being started. In another arrangement, the fuel tanks may be behind the engine and linked to a ballast tank in the front of the craft for preserving trim. Alternatively forward and rear fuel tanks may be provided. An aperture (600), Fig. 6 (not shown), in the plate 110 housing a filter is provided beneath the engine to allow passage of cushion air to cool gearing and a clutch associated with the engine. The plate 110 is provided with vents 500 each having associated therewith a device 510 for selectively blocking the vent, or allowing passage of cushion air therethrough and either forwardly or rearwardly of the craft for manoeuvring. The craft further comprises a tail fin 260 with tailplanes 260a to compensate for natural lift at high speed or with a headwind.