10 crucial facts about hovercrafting

1. The first hovercraft was invented and patented by the English inventor Christopher Cockerell in 1952;
2. Finnish engineer DI Toivo J. Kaario, head inspector of Valtion Lentokonetehdas (VL) airplane engine workshop, began to design an air cushion craft in 1931;
3. A hovercfraft is technically a concept;
4. Two M-11 radial aero-engines were installed horizontally in the funnel-shaped wells on the platform which connected the catamaran hulls together;
5. As of 7th November 2005 the Dover-Calais cross channel company Hoverspeed, which once ran the Hovercraft, ceased operations of its last remaining service, the Seacat;
6. These fingers 'give' in order to take the impact of waves so that the ride is more comfortable;
7. Negative pitch will slow the craft down and is also the hovercraft's braking system;
8. The lift fans pump air down into the large space beneath the craft called the 'plenum';
9. The most expensive hovercraft ever assembled, the Jamal, was built in 1982 to the tune of $13,233.78. The craft partially imploded only minutes into its maiden voyage, causing some upset among its passengers. The project was generally considered a failure;
10. One hovercraft is roughly equal to one racing car, a fit leopard and a really fast space ship.