Hovercraft

vehicle capable of movement within ground effect at speed or stationary over all surfaces without contact

A hovercraft is a vehicle supported and moved by a cushion of air blowing downwards.[1] They are used on water, land, ice and other areas where the surface is smooth. A difference in air pressure between the ship and the atmosphere creates lift, causing the hovercraft to float above the surface it is set on, allowing it to ride on different surfaces. They are often used as ferries and by militaries for amphibious, or on water and on land (like an amphibian can live in water and land) missions. A hovercraft can move cargo, people, and cars.

A small hovercraft Hivus-10 (9 passengers) in Finland.
Military hovercraft
A48 passenger hovercraft in front of Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin
Hivus-10 hovercraft on Taimyr peninsula in April 2013

The English engineer Sir Christopher Cockerell invented the modern hovercraft.

References

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  1. Wragg, David W. (1973). A Dictionary of Aviation (first ed.). Osprey. p. 18. ISBN 9780850451634.