Shock Mitigation Directory

Air & Amphibious Craft

Hovercraft

Hovercraft or air cushion craft are used as specialised commercial and military transport. A hovercraft can transport high loads of personnel or equipment at speed.

Supported by a cushion of air, hovercraft are unique in their ability to travel equally over land, ice and water at constant speeds with seamless transition between surfaces.

Wing In Ground (WIG) Effect Craft

A Ground Effect Vehicle (GEV) attains level flight by a cushion of high pressure air created by the aerodynamic interaction between the wings and surface of the Earth.

Wing In Ground effect craft (WIGs), also known as Wing In Surface Effect (WISE), are hybrid air cushion craft offering speed, fuel efficiency and smooth ride. The surface-skimming capability of WIGs allows them to pass over mud flats, sand bars, ice and shallows. WIG can be seen as a transition between a hovercraft and an aircraft.

Amphibious Craft

Amphibious craft have the ability to operate on water or on land. Advantages of amphibious craft include rapid deployment and retrieval from land to water plus transition of the littoral zone. Amphibious capability can be added to existing marine craft hulls or to existing land vehicle chassis.

Typical designs incorporate a planing hull form on water with wheels or tracks that enable the craft to move across land, including the ability to operate on gradients and uneven surfaces particularly when entering or leaving the water. PWC / quad bike size vehices have potential for high mobility in search & rescue or para-military operations.

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