Explanation of the principle of a hovercraft, from I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again:

If you throw a stone into a bucket of water the ripples travel outwards. It's the same with the hovercraft. If you throw a hovercraft into a bucket of water the ripples travel outwards.

Since its invention the hovercraft has progressed by leaps and bounds. Which is why it's so uncomfortable to travel in.



Seriously folks, the last cross-channel hovercraft has just been retired from service, and they are no longer used in the country of their invention. The superannuated vehicles may be palmed off on Cuba, which still uses them.