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They are able to traverse many different types of terrain on land and can also travel on water. Hovercraft are often referred to as Air-Cushion Vehicles.

The hovercraft was invented in 1952 by the British inventor Sir Christopher Cockerell, who was knighted for his services to engineering in 1969. By simple experiments involving a vacuum cleaner motor and two cylindrical cans he proved the workable principle of a vehicle suspended on a cushion of air blown out under pressure, making the vehicle easily mobile over most surfaces. This would enable it to operate over soft mud, water, and marshes and swamps as well as on firm ground.

The British aircraft manufacturer Saunders Roe developed the first practical man-carrying hovercraft, the SR-N1 , which carried out several test programmes in 1959 to 1961 (the first public demonstration in 1959), including a cross-channel run. It was found that the craft's lift was improved by the addition of a 'skirt' of flexible fabric or rubber around the hovering surface, to contain the air.

The SR-N1 was powered by one (piston) engine, driven by expelled air, and could carry little more than its own weight and two men. The first true passenger-carrying hovercraft was the Vickers VA-3, which in the summer of 1961 carried passengers regularly along the North Wales Coast from Wallasey to Rhyl. It was powered by two turboprop aero-engines and driven by propellers. During the 1960s Saunders Roe developed several larger designs which could carry passengers, including the SR-N6, which operated across the SolentThe Solent is a stretch of sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of Great Britain. It is a great centre for yachting and is renowned as one of the most expensive waters to cross by ferry in the world. It is sheltered by the Isle of Wight, and from SouthseaSouthsea a seaside resort located at the southern tip of Portsmouth in the County of Hampshire in the United Kingdom. History In 1544 Henry VIII built the fort which became known as Southsea Castle. Although it would not have been called that at the time to RydeSee also Ryde, New South Wales. Ryde is a seaside town and the largest urban area on the Isle of Wight with a population of approximately 26,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of th on the Isle of WightThe Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England opposite Southampton. Colloquially, it is known as 'The Island' by residents. Its population was 132,731 in the 2001 census (and 126,600 in 1991). The Island has a single MP (currently Andrew T for many years. Operations commenced on 24th July 1965 using the SR-N6 which carried just 38 passengers. Two modern 98 seat hovercraft now ply this route, and over 20 million passengers have used the service as of 2004.

By 1970Events January events January 1 Construction begins on Arcosanti, by Paolo Soleri, in Mayer, Arizona, located 65, miles north of Phoenix, Arizona. January 1 Unix epoch at 00:00:00 UTC. January 12 Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian civil war. January the largest British hovercraft were in service, the ' Mountbatten classThe Mountbatten class hovercraft or SR-N4 was built by BHC, the British Hovercraft Corporation. BHC had been formed by the merger of Saunders-Roe and Vickers Supermarine in 1966, work on the SR-N4 had begun in 1965 and the first trials had taken place in' SR-N4, regularly carrying cars and passengers across the English Channel from Dover to CalaisThis article is about the French city. Alternate meanings: Boreads (mythical), Calais, Maine, Calais, Vermont Calais is a city in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the departement of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sous-prefecture''.. This service ceased in 2002 when the Channel tunnel took over the fast transit of cross-channel traffic.

The commercial success of hovercrafts suffered from rapid rises in fuel prices during the late 1960s and 1970s following conflict in the Middle East. Alternative over-water vehicles such as hydrofoils (marketed as the Seacat in Britain) use less fuel and can perform most of the hovercraft's marine tasks. Although developed elsewhere in the world for both civil and military purposes, except for the Solent crossing hovercraft disappeared from the coastline of Britain until a range of Griffon Hovercraft were bought by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

There are an increasing number of small homebuilt and kit-built hovercraft used for fun and racing purposes, mainly on inland lakes and rivers but also in marshy areas and in some estuaries.

Hovercraft typically have two (or more) separate engines. One engine - called the impeller - is responsible for lifting the vehicle by forcing air into the skirt. One or more additional engines are used to provide thrust in order to propel the craft in the desired direction.