RE: GEVs

An interesting question.
A GEV must displace an amount of air equal to or exceeding its mass in
order
to hover. 

I would assume that the water would be displaced. Place a small puddle
of
water on a table (about 2" diameter), then take a can of compressed air,
point it at the edge of the puddle and release the air (not the can)
while
traversing the puddle. If it has enough pressure, you will see the table
surface while moving the straw across.

Don't forget that water is self-leveling, so you are pressing not only
against the water under you and the entire body of water. You would
reach
some equlibrium point. The area under any air cushion vehcile on water
is
always VERY slightly lower than that of the surrounding water due to the
water that is being displaced. The GEV would be designed with this in
mind.
Then again, I usuall add 'Amphibious' to my GEV's during the DS2 design
phase, so that they can shut down and float if they need to.

I don't think that it would present a problem. You will either have
enough
water to support the GEV or the pressure will displace the water and be
supported on semi-dry land.

Perhaps I misunderstood the question, but it seems like you are asking
what
if you took a battleship that you know will float in Lake Erie and put
it in
a pond. It would sink because there is not enough water to support it.
But
then a battleship is not designed to work on both land and water like a
GEV.

-----
Brian Bell
bkb@beol.net
http://members.xoom.com/rlyehable/ds2/	     
-----

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roger Books [SMTP:books@mail.state.fl.us]
> Sent: Friday, 1999.12.03 10:07
> To:	gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
> Subject:	Re: GEVs
> 
[snip]

> However, I am encountering another problem that could be
insurmountable.
> GEV over water, when the pressure required to hover (say 10psi)
exceeds
> the mass of the water underneath (not very well put, but I hope it
gets
> the idea across) wouldn't the vehicle sink?  Anyone know at what
pressure
> this would occur.
> 
> Roger (I don't remember the Slammers going over water, did I miss a
> story?)