Patent ID: 7032698

Claim:
A hovercraft comprising: a hull having a forward end and an aft end, first and second lateral sides and upper and lower sides, a central longitudinal axis between the first and second lateral sides, a support structure supported by or formed unitarily with the hull; a cavity disposed within the hull and having an opening in the lower side, the cavity being surrounded by the hull in a first side portion, a second side portion, a forward end portion and an aft end portion; the hull further comprising a circumferential lower side portion extending from the first and second side portions, forward end portion and aft end portion, the circumferential lower side portion surrounding the cavity opening; a thrust-lift fan assembly including: a thrust-lift fan housing mounted to at least one of the hull and the support structure, the thrust-lift fan housing including a thrust-lift fan duct; a thrust-lift fan motor disposed within the thrust-lift fan housing and drivingly coupled with a thrust-lift fan, the thrust-lift fan being supported for rotation within the thrust-lift fan duct; the thrust-lift fan duct having an inlet, an aft outlet, and a bottom outlet in fluid communication with the cavity and a supporting surface under the hull; a steering fan assembly including: a steering fan housing fixedly mounted to at least one of the support structure and the hull; a steering fan motor having an axis of rotation generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis and being drivingly coupled with a reversible steering fan supported for selective rotation in one of a first direction and in a second direction within the steering fan housing; whereby operation of the thrust-lift fan causes air to be expelled through the bottom outlet to generate a lifting force on the hovercraft sufficient to lift the hovercraft from the supporting surface and also causes air to be expelled through the aft outlet to generate a propulsive force on the hovercraft to propel the hovercraft in a forward direction; and whereby operation of the steering fan in the first direction of rotation generates a first side force tending to steer the hovercraft toward one of the lateral sides and in the second direction of rotation generates a second side force tending to steer the hovercraft toward the other lateral side.