How It Works-Amazing Vehicles

Inside an LCAC

hovercraft

What are the

components of a

hovercraft that

enable it to float?

Air

Hovercraft float on top of a large

cushion of air that greatly

reduces drag and friction,

allowing the vehicle to travel

over almost any terrain.

Rudders

Flaps at the back control

the hovercraft like an

aircraft, directing airflow

in certain directions to

allow it to be steered.

Hull

The hull is where you’ll find the driver, passengers

and cargo of the hovercraft. It sits on top of the

cushion of air that keeps the vehicle aloft.

Lift fan

A ir is pumped into the plenum chamber by the main

fan in the centre of a hovercraft. A lthough some

hovercraft divert air from the thrust fans instead, lift

fan designs are much easier to construct.

Thrust fans

The hovercraft gains its

propulsion from these

backwards-facing fans,

normally mounted on the

back of the vehicle. Some use

ducted fans while others

favour naked propellers.

Lift

When the pressure of air underneath

the hovercraft is greater than the

weight of the hovercraft, the vehicle

will rise up to a height of a few metres.

Hovergap

When the amount of air

escaping through the gap

bet ween the skirt and the

ground (hovergap) is being

equally replaced by air from the

lift fan, the hovercraft is at its

maximum height.

Worldw ide

military forces

have many

different uses

for hovercraft

Smaller hovercraf t use mostly the

same techniques as their

larger brothers

© A n kara

DID YOU KNOW? American Bob Windt holds the record for the fastest hovercraft speed, reaching 137.4km/h (85.38mph) in 1995