The Hoverlloyd craft Swift GH-2008 on the pad at Pegwell Bay Hoverport, year 1980.
A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces. Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull (air cushion) that is slightly above atmospheric pressure. The pressure difference between the higher pressure air below the hull and lower pressure ambient air above it produces lift, which causes the hull to float above the running surface. For stability reasons, the air is typically blown through slots or holes around the outside of a disk- or oval-shaped platform, giving most hovercraft a characteristic rounded-rectangle shape. Typically this cushion is contained within a flexible "skirt", which allows the vehicle to travel over small obstructions without damage. A Lithuanian Coast Guard Griffon Hoverwork 2000TD hovercraft with engine off and skirt deflated The same hovercraft with engine on and skirt inflated The first practical design for hovercraft was derived from a British invention in the 1950s to 1960s. They are now used throughout the world as specialised transports in disaster relief, coastguard, military and survey applications, as well as for sport or passenger service. Very large versions have been used to transport hundreds of people and vehicles across the English Channel, whilst others have military applications used to transport tanks, soldiers and large equipment in hostile environments and terrain. Although now a generic term for the type of craft, the name Hovercraft itself was a trademark owned by Saunders-Roe (later British Hovercraft Corporation (BHC), then Westland), hence other manufacturers' use of alternative names to describe the vehicles. Often referred to in the plural as 'Hovercrafts', the correct plural is 'Hovercraft' (in the same manner that 'aircraft' is both singular and plural). Read more :
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Photo credit: © lugris / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: acv, air-cushion, boat, calais, car, channel, craft, dover, english, ferry, hovercraft, hoverlloyd, lugris2, manica, transport, vehicle
