Early Attempts

• In 1716 the first practical hovercraft design was recorded by Emanuel Swedenborg from Sweden. His contraption looked like an upside-down boat. The operator pushed on scoops to force air under the vessel, causing it to lift off the water. A prototype was never built because it would have required too much work to force enough air under the vessel to actually lift it up. Throughout the next century there were several other designs and patents awarded to inventors throughout Europe, but no operational models were ever constructed. Until the invention of the engine, no method existed to create enough air pressure to lift a craft.
  
  

Success

• As the 20th century began, several events led to the successful design and production of what would become the hovercraft. First, the internal combustion engine was developed and became more reliable. Second, the Wright brothers' flights in 1903 reinvigorated studies into how air could lift a vehicle. By the mid 1920s, there were patents in Europe and the U.S. for vehicles that were lifted off the ground by cushions of air. The engine of the hovercraft would force air into a rubber tube skirt under the vehicle, causing it to ride on a thin layer of air. The vehicle could be maneuvered easily, since there was no friction.
  
  

A New Industry

• By the 1950s, a new hovercraft or "air cushion vehicle" industry was born. After successful hovercraft uses during World War II, the industry proceeded to improve and perfect their designs for commercial use. The first hovercrafts were produced in England and soon spread across the world.
  
  

Sir Christopher Cockerell

• Sir Christopher Cockerell is considered the father of the modern hovercraft. In 1955 he perfected the basic design that is still being used today. His design called for an empty box under the vehicle with rubber skirting to seal it to the ground. Air is forced into the box, lifting the vehicle off the ground. He registered the name "hovercraft," which he later released into the public domain.
  
  

Modern Hovercrafts

• Today hovercrafts can be found carrying the hunter into the woods, the ice fisherman onto frozen lakes or just skimming across the ground for fun. They are also commercially used for search and rescue, eco-friendly tours and as public transportation.