air-cushion vehicle

air-cushion vehicle
air-cushion vehicle [er′ koosh΄ən]
n.
a vehicle that travels just above the surface of land or water on a cushion of air provided by a downward jet from its engines, propellers, etc.

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Vehicle supported above the surface of land or water by an air cushion, produced by downwardly directed fans, enclosed within a flexible skirt beneath the hull.

The concept was first proposed by John Thornycroft in the 1870s, but a working model was not produced until 1955, when Christopher Cockerell solved the problem of keeping the air cushion from escaping from under the vehicle, and formed Hovercraft Ltd. to manufacture prototypes. Problems with skirt design and engine maintenance have restricted the vehicle's commercial application; today hovercraft are used mainly as ferries.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • air-cushion vehicle — [er′ koosh΄ən] n. a vehicle that travels just above the surface of land or water on a cushion of air provided by a downward jet from its engines, propellers, etc …   English World dictionary

  • air cushion vehicle — air cushion vehicle, a vehicle that travels a few feet above the surface of land or water on a cushion of air produced by a system of fans; ground effect machine; hovercraft. Abbr: ACV …   Useful english dictionary

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  • air cushion vehicle. — See ACV (def. 2). Also, air cushion vehicle. [1960 65] …   Useful english dictionary

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