"Hovercraft Propulsion" Topic

I have seen a lot of air cushion tanks on the forum and in peoples stores, and most of them look really cool, and I could see myself owning them proudly but for one detail. How do they go?

Modern hovercraft have big fans that push the craft around, but I haven't really seen anything to push the armored hovercraft models. What am I missing? I there some propulsion theory that I didn't get, or are we pretending that they just go? Nothing wrong with that, but I'd like to know what's up.

Thanks

You mean like Hammer's Slammers? They have fans along the body of the vehicle and can tilt the rotors/nacelles to change vector.

Part of the problem is my hovercraft is full of eels.

Agreed, the Slammer's blowers can individually tilt each fan and get thrust that way.

My ekranoplan 'hovertanks' (aka Shadowrun 'Thunderbird' Low Altitude Vehicles) have jet engines and use wings for lift.

One has to remember that hovercraft DOES NOT equal ground effect vehicle (GEV).

It looks like we have been over this before.

TMP link

I should do my homework huh?

That's why my design included a pair of jet engines on the back:

Part of the problem is my hovercraft is full of eels.

LOL

"One has to remember that hovercraft DOES NOT equal ground effect vehicle (GEV)."

Hovercraft are a subset of Ground Effect Vehicles, a term which, at one time at least, also included the Wing-in-Ground airframes. Hovercraft use the plenum to maintain the rolling air cel, while WIG craft are essentially aircraft that can only generate enough lift to fly while in Ground Effect.

Vectored thrust lifters (such as the NAC designs from OGRE/GEV) are neither fish not fowl, though some may be able to benefit from the ground effect. They are not inherently GEVs, however.

Late last century, I saw a design on TV, which had actually been built and was functioning, which had a barely-visible vent in the back for thrust. Some thrust was redirected from the main fan to propel it forwards, with, IIRC, fins inside the duct for vectoring.

This is quite a concept. I love it.

One method that has been virtually ignored since the inception is the Manchester Technical Institute "hovertrack"; They posited a system that used rubberised belts held at front and rear by rollers that added traction to the hovercraft by being forced onto the ground by the downward airflow in the plenum chamber and skirt, and propelled the craft by moving like conventional tracks.

Prototypes worked well, and today new materials would make belt wear less of an issue.

Got any concept pictures of that hovertrack?