The hovercraft project...

[Chalky.]

Well now.

I've decided that my life is unfullfilled, and so need a make a hovercraft.

This is going to be quite a long project, I don't anticipate building it until September next year. Until then my time will be spent on research and getting materials.

I don't want some shitty thing that just hovers and poodles about, I want to make something that its very easy to die on, really hard to control and completely rapid!

Start of with the engine/engines.

At the moment, I don't know what power it'll need. I think the easiest way to go would be to have two, one for lift and one for thrust. The other option is to have one more powerful engine, with 2/3 of the power from it going towards thrust, 1/3 ducted away for lift. I like the idea of the lift and thrust being independant myself.

The base.
Without doubt, it needs to be light. One option is to use an old boat hull, or something along those lines. Gives a good solid base and shouldn't be too heavy. The other option would be to make my own base, probably out of polystyrene and plywood. Still undecided at the moment.

The skirt.
To put it basically, what the thing floats on. There are several different options, the main 2 being segmented and bagged. The easiest, and the one I'll probably go for is bagged. You basically start off witha strip of material, attach both the long sides to the edge of the hull, cust some holes in the bottom for the air to come out of, and you're away. I plan on using tractor tyre inner tubes at the moment.

Will play around with some diagrams later.

That's the long and short of it, I know there's some clever old people on here so advice etc appreciated.

Love and hugs x

[The Artist]

There are various guides for hovercrafts on tinternet.

I would use one engine for lift and one for thrust but it will be heavy so you need decent sized engines. Probs 15-20hp for lift at least and at least 10 for thrust.

It will be interesting and awesome to see you hovering down edleston road.

[Chalky.]

[The Artist]

50cc isn't going to be enough to lift you and a hull though and a big engine.

Also, plywood ftw. Much lighter than fibreglass boat hull. Also plywood looks better.

[Bendy]

We built a hovercraft at school, it was from BP-supplied plans as they had this 'hovercraft championship for schools' thing going on.

From memory, the hull was plywood with some polystyrene for added buoyancy, fan duct was fibreglass and the engine was from an RD350 with no gearbox (nicked from the woodwork teacher's shed, if legend was to be belived.) There was a steel frame to hold the engine which extended up to hold the front of the duct and keep engine and fan in line, other than that it was held together with nails, glue and the belief of the pilot.

Single engine is so much easier to deal with, you just have the big slot into the skirt behind the fan so, as you say, 2/3 air goes out the back for thrust and the remaining 1/3 into the skirt for lift.

Make sure you go for independent 'cells' in the skirt - it's a load more sewing but means you can pop a bag and keep going - burst a single skirt and you're in unhappy land.

The only bit of the build that really required any precision was the fan and duct, everything else was pretty ropey Fun though. We never got to race it as we only got it finished after I'd technically left school (went back some weekends in the summer hols to get the bugger finished!) but a few test flights on the field out back suggested it would have been a giggle.

[Chalky.]

[Chalky.]

[The Artist]

Bigger the engine, the more precise and dangerous the fan has got to be to make sure it lifts and pushes your craft.

Will be epic if it works.

[Chalky.]

Soemthing like this

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YAMAHA-FZ600-RUNNING-ENGINE-FZ-600-/190438671725?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2c5707856d

Gearbox... leave it in top gear all the time I suppose?

[The Artist]

Make sure you get one with carbs, wiring loom etc like I have for my project.

[Chalky.]

Might be worth picking up a cheap mot failed whole bike, didnt think about the loom. Could get away with not having it I suppose though

[Bendy]

[400bandit]

Personally I'd go with a 2-Stroke engine for power to weight ratio.

Joe
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(+ a XS650 in lots of pieces in my garage and other places...)