Hovercraft model

[td25c]

Was talking about this over on borisdavenport's boat building thread last night .

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/styrofoam-based-boat-building.65322/#post-679948

The boy and I dug around the shop this afternoon and sure enough had all the parts in stock for a simple prototype model .

Used a 30" diameter circle of 1/2 " OSB board for the deck , 110 volt leaf blower for power and old 8.25 X 20 truck inner tube for the skirt . Nothing fancy , just cut the center out of the tire tube and stapled it to the OSB board .
The hardest part is keeping balance on it but has no trouble lifting .
Didn't take long to throw together and surprisingly worked well for some afternoon entertainment

Would like to build a larger version similar to this model .
http://www.rqriley.com/pegasus.html

 

[RZucker]

That looks like real fun. Now you need some propulsion and steering.

 

[Tradesman]

Better hope the cord doesn't unplug if he gets out in the middle of the lake

 

[td25c]

Yeah RZ , we had a blast building it with just simple items laying around . The boy was wanting to give it a paint job after testing it out

I agree , need to figure out simple propulsion & steering system ?

The inner tube worked ok but was hard to keep balance . Might be lifting the deck to high off the surface ?
Will have to experiment with different skirt designs and a bigger version possibly .

 

[td25c]

We keep a short cord on it Tradesman

Wont get far before it unplugs itself at the shop .

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .

Careful mate, messing around with these things can become addictive.

I started out with a basic "prove the theory" one like yours and ended up building these . . .

 

[td25c]

That's pretty cool Scrub !
Seem like I remember you mentioning hovercraft in the past ?

Yeah , that's pretty much where we are at now is the trial & error learning stage . Can sure see how it could become addictive .

Any kit plans that you would recommend for a simple gas drive unit ?

Thanks for chiming in mate .

 

[3dknowledge]

It's very cool looking.

 

[ih100]

Yair . . .

Careful mate, messing around with these things can become addictive.

I started out with a basic "prove the theory" one like yours and ended up building these . . .

View attachment 164487

Scrub, when are you going to get that book written? The things you've been involved in, it'll be a good read. Where did the hovercraft fit in?

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .
Gotcha fellers. A couple of replies there I hadn't seen.

td25c . . . . I have been out of the scene for so long now I would be no help in choosing a kit. Folks who get involved with hovercraft are enthusiastic and (for the most part) genuine and devoted to the concept.

I think if you can find a kit that suits you and can establish contact with the actual designer you won't go wrong . . . it is in their best interests for you to end up with a machine that works.

1h100 . . . . I find that not a great deal of the machinery shenanigans fit into my tales. My stories are probably not at all what you would expect. For the most part the novels I suppose are love stories told from the male perspective and involving blokes with dozers, horses, big power catamarans and trucks, the machinery is the backdrop to the stories of their lives . . . I suppose in some ways like a lot of blokes on here.

I do have a blog under construction and when I become proficient at working WordPress I'll get some content on there in the way of articles and short-stories. I'll post a shameless self promotion link on the TGIF thread and perhaps some of the folks here make care to stop by and read a bit of off beat humour and enter into discussions about (say) machinery, barbecue, what they like to read and why and anything else that crops up from time to time . . . anything that is except politics and religion. (grins)

Cheers.

 

[td25c]

It's very cool looking.

We sure had some fun with it 3dknowledge !
I enjoy throwing something together out of junk we have laying around . If the kids like it that's even better .

 

[td25c]

Yair . . .
Gotcha fellers. A couple of replies there I hadn't seen.

td25c . . . . I have been out of the scene for so long now I would be no help in choosing a kit. Folks who get involved with hovercraft are enthusiastic and (for the most part) genuine and devoted to the concept.

I think if you can find a kit that suits you and can establish contact with the actual designer you won't go wrong . . . it is in their best interests for you to end up with a machine that works.



Cheers.

Yeah Scrub , that sounds like the way to go .
We might try this hoover kit next with the plans . Have several lawn mower engines in stock & ready for a project .
http://hovercraft.com/content/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5_33_39
http://hovercraft.com/content/index.php?main_page=product_plan_info&cPath=5_33_39&products_id=1

Keep us posted on the book / blog Mate !

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .
Good one td25c. That outfit has been around a long time. If you build that machine you may become well and truly hooked . . . it is very inexpensive father an son fun.

That is an interesting design where they are bleeding off lift air to provide the thrust. The problem with hovercraft is as soon as you grasp the fundamentals you can see ways to "do it better".

Cheers.