hovercraft

There are several alternative ways of containing the cushion of air beneath the hull of a hovercraft. The passenger-carrying hovercraft that sails across the English Channel has a flexible skirt; other systems are the open plenum and the peripheral jet.

A passenger hovercraft on the route from Portsmouth to Ryde on the Isle of Wight, which is off the south coast of England. Hovercraft are faster than traditional ferries.

Vehicle that rides on a cushion of high-pressure air, free from all contact with the surface beneath, invented by English engineer Christopher Cockerell in 1959. Hovercraft need a smooth terrain when operating overland and are best adapted to use on waterways. They are useful in places where harbours have not been established.

Large hovercraft (SR-N4) operated a swift car-ferry service across the English Channel 1966-2000, taking only about 35 minutes between Dover and Calais. They were fitted with a flexible ‘skirt’ that helps maintain the air cushion.

A military version made of fibreglass, the M-10, is tough manoeuvrable, and less noisy.