1/2a Hovercraft!
 

It is a 1/2a hovercraft powered by a cox .049 product engine. The construction is pink insulation foam, balsa and ply. The skirt is just fabric pinned onto the sides of the craft and then folded and pinned to created a pocket of air. It holds air very well for only being pinned. Control is provided by way of a 2 channel Futaba radio and two standard sized Futaba servos(s3003). One channel controls the rudders and the other actuates the lift deflector which controls the hover height and allows the un-throttled craft to stop quickly.

This thing really zips along at top speed. The craft stops in only 2-3 lengths when the lift deflector is shut. It turns very well and can even do 360s nearly in place (rotates around its nose.)

I have some pictures that I can post if anyone's interested. I also have a short movie of it running but don't know how movie posting works (or doesn't work). The movie is in .mov format if that helps.

RE: 1/2a Hovercraft!
 

I wanna see a picture of this thing and the video..[sm=sleeping.gif]

RE: 1/2a Hovercraft!
 

I could possibly email the movie if that's ok. Here are the pictures.

RE: 1/2a Hovercraft!
 

Not unlike my first hoovercraft!
http://w1.372.telia.com/~u37213169/sv4.JPG

//Rydh

RE: 1/2a Hovercraft!
 

Brilliant hovercraft controls, badenglish. I like the door control, very good idea. That with the rudders must give pretty good speed and directional control.
I made one using a 26" bicycle tube as a skirt. The deck is 1/2" foam, the engine is a Cox .049 facing directly upwards in a duct made of a gallon jug's middle third, and it has no controls. I start it up and kick it around like a giant air hockey puck. Where the bicycle rim normally contacts the tube, on the inside of the tube, I cut about 15 holes 3/8" in diameter to let air into the skirt and pressurize it, then a few 1/4" holes are in the bottom of the tube to allow a little air out, and let dirt out, and also to allow me to fasten the skirt to the foam. It's hilarious to watch it spin around and ricochet off the curbs like air hockey.
Tom

RE: 1/2a Hovercraft!
 

Hey, I did a science project on these things once... but they were VERY primative compaired to even these things... I keep looking but I am not seeing something... how are you inflating the skirts?

-Josh

RE: 1/2a Hovercraft!
 

Hi.

I'm currently building an HC (and have been doing so for about a year now!) but I keep redesigning it before its finished.

I'm having massive difficulty designing / fabricating a skirt for it.
Could someone give me any pointers?

My HC is about 24" by 18" and has one 5 pole 7.2 volt motor turning a 9" prop which provides both lift and thrust.

Nice pictures by the way.