Patent ID: 7428939

Claim:
A flexible inflatable skirt cell system for a hovercraft having a hull with a bow, stern and two sides in its periphery comprising: a flexible skirt having a flexible upper panel section and a flexible lower finger section, said upper panel section extending around said bow, stern and two sides of said hull adjacent to said periphery and said lower finger section extending around said hull below and adjacent to said upper panel section and being connected to said upper panel section from a forward-abeam location and forward along said two sides and across said bow; means for creating volumes of pressurized air having at least one first air flow duct and at least one second air flow duct, said first air flow ducts being coupled to said pressurized air volume creating means for passing portions of pressurized air under said hull inside of said flexible skirt to form a pressurized air cushion to support and transport said hull thereon; an inflatable cell system interposed between and connected to said upper panel section and said lower finger section from said forward-abeam location rearward along said sides and across said stern of said hull, said inflatable cell system having a juxtaposed series of interconnected inflatable cells coupled to said second ducts for selectively inflating said cells; and at least one propulsion system mounted on an aft portion of the hull and extending below said flexible skirt to interface with water over which the hovercraft travels.