<p><img src="http://englishrussia.com/images/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-5.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Air cushion vehicles are vehicles which can travel above both water and ground. It is compressed air which lifts them up above the surface. These ‘flying boats’ look really impressing.</p>
<hr />
<br /><span id="more-91995"></span></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-6.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The first test air cushion vehicle was designed in 1935 by a Soviet constructor Vladimir Levkov. Later, he built 15 vehicles with a displacement from 2 to 15 tons.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-7.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>This is how the air cushion vehicle works: 1 – propellers, 2 – air stream, 3 – ventilators, 4 – ‘skirt’ which keeps the air under the bottom of the vehicle.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-8.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The compressed air that keeps the vehicle above the surface is called ‘skirt’.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-9.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The thicker the skirt, the better off-road capabilities the vehicle shows.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-10.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>These ‘flying boats’ look really impressing with their huge propellers and tons of splashes, dust and snow depending on the surface they travel above.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-11.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>One of the largest air cushion vehicles is called Zubr. It is equipped with 50,000 hp engines and propellers of a diameter of 2.5 m.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-12.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Length: 57,3 m.</p>
<p>Width and height: 21,9 m.</p>
<p>Displacement: 555 tons.</p>
<p>Maximum speed: 111 km/h.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-13.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Air-cushion vehicles can travel above water with waves reaching 4 m in height, two-meter deep gullies and two-meter high bushes. Travelling over bogs is also possible.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-14.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Shallow waters, ice fields, sand and snow are all within the power of air cushion vehicles.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-15.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Unlike a helicopter or a plane, the air cushion vehicle does not need something to land on, like a helipad or a runway.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-16.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>This passenger air cushion vehicle travels between Novgorod and Staraya Russa.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-17.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Its average speed is 50 km/h.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-18.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-19.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-20.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>It does not need a moorage or specially equipped areas to cross the line between water and land.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-21.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The vehicle in the foreground is a Mars-2000 seating 18 persons.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-22.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-23.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The Volga River, winter, 2011.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-24.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>While the vehicle is running, the ice is cracking.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-25.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-26.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-27.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Air cushion vehicles are vehicles which can travel above both water and ground. It is compressed air which lifts them up above the surface. These ‘flying boats’ look really impressing.</p>
<hr />
<br /><span id="more-91995"></span></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-6.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The first test air cushion vehicle was designed in 1935 by a Soviet constructor Vladimir Levkov. Later, he built 15 vehicles with a displacement from 2 to 15 tons.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-7.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>This is how the air cushion vehicle works: 1 – propellers, 2 – air stream, 3 – ventilators, 4 – ‘skirt’ which keeps the air under the bottom of the vehicle.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-8.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The compressed air that keeps the vehicle above the surface is called ‘skirt’.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-9.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The thicker the skirt, the better off-road capabilities the vehicle shows.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-10.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>These ‘flying boats’ look really impressing with their huge propellers and tons of splashes, dust and snow depending on the surface they travel above.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-11.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>One of the largest air cushion vehicles is called Zubr. It is equipped with 50,000 hp engines and propellers of a diameter of 2.5 m.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-12.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Length: 57,3 m.</p>
<p>Width and height: 21,9 m.</p>
<p>Displacement: 555 tons.</p>
<p>Maximum speed: 111 km/h.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-13.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Air-cushion vehicles can travel above water with waves reaching 4 m in height, two-meter deep gullies and two-meter high bushes. Travelling over bogs is also possible.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-14.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Shallow waters, ice fields, sand and snow are all within the power of air cushion vehicles.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-15.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Unlike a helicopter or a plane, the air cushion vehicle does not need something to land on, like a helipad or a runway.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-16.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>This passenger air cushion vehicle travels between Novgorod and Staraya Russa.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-17.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Its average speed is 50 km/h.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-18.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-19.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-20.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>It does not need a moorage or specially equipped areas to cross the line between water and land.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-21.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The vehicle in the foreground is a Mars-2000 seating 18 persons.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-22.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-23.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The Volga River, winter, 2011.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-24.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>While the vehicle is running, the ice is cracking.</p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-25.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-26.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://media.englishrussia.com/112012/aircusionships/aircusionships-27.jpg" alt="" /></p>
