Amphibious vehicle that travels over water…

Amphibious vehicle that travels over water, mud, ice or land on a cushion of air trapped beneath it by a flexible rubber skirt. British engineer Christopher Cockerell patented the principle in 1955 after experimenting with tin cans and a blower. The first full-size prototype crossed the English Channel in 1959. Large versions carried cars across the Channel until 2000, and a service still links Hampshire with the Isle of Wight.

The answer in 10 letters