A hovercraft is one of the children of the air cushion vehicle (ACV) family that flies above the earth's surface on a cushion of air. It is powered by an engine that provides both the lift cushion and the thrust for forward or reverse movement. The hovercraft child is a true multi-terrain, year-round vehicle that can easily make the transition from land to water because it slides on a cushion of air with the hovercraft skirt and only slightly brushes the surface.In its simplest form, a hovercraft is composed of a hull that can float in water and is carried on a cushion of air retained by a flexible 'skirt'.

The air cushion (or bubble), trapped between the hull and the surface of the earth by the skirt, acts as a lubricant and provides the ability to fly or slide over a variety of surfaces.Hovercraft are boat-like vehicles, but they are much more than just a boat, because they can travel over not only water, but grass, ice, mud, sand, snow and swamp as well. Hovercraft have been around for over 50 years, and although most people think of hovercraft as large military or ferry type vessels, technology has made hovercraft more affordable for leisure, rescue, survey and commercial use. When hovercraft were first introduced, they resembled flying saucers that had the ability to levitate, so many engineers were captivated and inspired to make their own versions; even pupils created hovercraft at school to understand product design and engineering aspects. Small hovercraft developed, and enthusiasts raced them at weekends, to see who could go fastest.