Re: GEV capabilities

In a message dated 11/16/1998 11:26:48 AM Central Standard Time,
ScottSaylo@AOL.COM writes:

> Any GEV vehicle would require ducted fans or turbo fans to hop over
>  obstructions, couter-act side tilt, etc. Ducted fans could be used
today
for
>  VTOL craft, but still have bugs to work out. (After all helicopters
work
>  NEARLY all the time)
>	As far as side tilt rolling over a GEV, it isn't much different
than 
> rolling
>  any other vehicle, except it slides instead of rturning turtle. The
fans
>  should be able to crab it up the hill at a reduced movement rate.
>  
>  
The reason why hovercraft are so bad at climbing hills (except through
momentum) is that as soon as you start moving up a incline, a component
of
your lift thrust vector suddenly begins to push you down hill,
counteracting
your propulsion fans.  To overcome that you'd have to install almost
enough
thrust to make the whole thing fly, making it, in effect, a VTOL.

Mike Jasinski