Ships – Hull or hull adjunct employing fluid dynamic forces to... – Having airfoil
Patent
1996-05-06
1998-03-17
Cummings, Scott
Ships
Hull or hull adjunct employing fluid dynamic forces to...
Having airfoil
114273, 440 37, 180126, 180127, B63B 116
Patent
active
057274959
ABSTRACT:
A surface effect vehicle includes a vehicle body having opposed longitudinally extending sides and a longitudinally extending deck having an upper and lower surfaces extending widthwise between the sides. The lower surface together with opposed inner surfaces of the sides form a downwardly depending air entrapment chamber extending longitudinally beneath the lower surface. The chamber is reactive to provide substantial surface effect ram air lifting force on the vehicle in response to forward motion of the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle includes an airfoil spaced above and interconnected with the vehicle body to provide substantial out of surface effect lifting force on the vehicle in response to such forward motion. Further the vehicle vertical stabilizers serving not only to provide vertical stabilization but also to interconnect the airfoil with the vehicle body. Additional stabilization may be achieved by the provision of opposed stabilizing sides each extending longitudinally forward from a corresponding one of the vertical stabilizers and downwardly from a corresponding end of the airfoil. Such stabilizing sides together with a lower surface of the airfoil form a longitudinally extending, downwardly depending, air channel above the upper surface of the deck. In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle body includes a pair of pontoons to provide flotation in water. Each pontoon may include an intermediate bottom portion which sits lowermost when the vehicle is idly afloat, a forward bottom portion which extends upwardly and forwardly from the intermediate portion, and an elongated rearward bottom portion which extends upwardly and rearwardly from the intermediate portion.
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