Air lifted and propelled vehicle

Abstract

The disclosure concerns a vehicle which is both lifted and propelled by air flow. The vehicle comprises an upper deck, a depending peripheral side wall and a flexible, perforated sheet secured beneath the bottom of the side wall, thereby defining an open plenum. A propeller in an air flow directing cowl seats atop the deck and part of the air flow is directed into the plenum and the remainder of the air flow is directed to move the vehicle. The underside of the upper deck disperses air in the plenum. Alternatively, the propeller is part of a duct which directs air into and disperses it around the plenum. The cowl includes an air dam for trapping reverse flowing air. A rudder directs the motion of the vehicle. The plenum narrows in width toward the front and diminishes in height away from the plenum inlet through the upper deck. In an alternate embodiment, the cowl has louvered exits along both lateral sides, and selective opening and closing of these louvered exits turns the vehicle, brakes it or even causes it to move in reverse. The main exit from the cowl is then provided with a shutter which is movable to control the speed of the vehicle and which when closed cooperates with the louvers for moving the vehicle rearwardly. In another alternate embodiment, the vehicle has a plurality of separate ones of the plenums beneath its deck. Finally, a train of the vehicles may be made, with a single airflow supplying air to all the plenums.