Hovercraft

Too cool not to share.

Not mine, etc...

http://newlondon.craigslist.org/boa/4665199798.html

I've always wanted to build one. One of these days....

I believe Jeremy Clarson described these things well when he said: "If you see something n the hozizon, you are going to hit it." or words to that effect.

Neat.... Do someone have hovercraft races? I know... A hovercraft at the Challenge!

I think UNH competes every year in a turf-n-surf race.

Totally Grassroots stuff there.

I want that for going to work in the middle of January after 12" of snow have fallen over night. Can you imagine sliding down the freeway as people are getting stuck left and right all around you

I hear the proper way to store these is full of eels.

There were DIY hovercraft plans in Popular Mechanics back in the late 60's/ early 70's, IIRC. Lightweight tube frame, aluminum skin, steering rudders and vertical shaft engines. Pretty neat.

I'd scour through my grandfathers books and magazines on our Sunday visit as a kid, always something interesting. He (and his books) had a great influence on developing my interests in things mechanical.

I may still have that PM issue w/ those plans stashed away somewhere.

A weird old private airport I used to hang out at had one they built out of scrounged aircraft parts. It was pretty cool.

And yeah, Clarkson was interviewing Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley from the HP movies), who also happened to have a hovercraft. The consensus between them was "If you can see it, you're going to run into it." Rupert also has a 1970s Bedford ice cream truck that he drives around, just because he thinks it's cool. Sounds like our kind of guy.

I had an RC hovercraft. It's kind of like a driving a drift car with no brakes. Controllable if you plan well ahead and give yourself plenty of room.

I would buy the hell outta that one BTW.

Yeah everytime I see one come up near me for sale I have to tell myself no. I built a little one out of a pair of electric leaf blowers. Great for my then 6 year old niece. She couldn't go too far with it. I started gathering gas blowers to up the ante, but never got around to it.

I built a hovercraft for my 8th grade (1969) science fair project. I lived north of Phoenix and built it out of junk that I found thrown out in the desert. It didn't work very well and it was crude but on the outdoor basketball court it would slide around a little. :) Won the science fair.

Spinout007 wrote: Yeah everytime I see one come up near me for sale I have to tell myself no. I built a little one out of a pair of electric leaf blowers. Great for my then 6 year old niece. should couldn't go too far with it. I started gathering gas blowers to up the ante, but never got around to it.

Like this?

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

I built one very similar to that for a school project in middle school. Used a vacuum cleaner motor for lift. was great until you got to the end of the cord.

rcutclif wrote: In reply to Adrian_Thompson: I built one very similar to that for a school project in middle school. Used a vacuum cleaner motor for lift. was great until you got to the end of the cord.

I had a hovercraft vacuum cleaner.

It worked great and hovered perfectly. The real problem was that they didn't think the idea through or test it enough. With almost no rolling resistance, every time you did a big sweep with the wand, the hose would yank the floating canister across the room and directly into the back of your ankles. EVERY time. I got it for free and gave it away with a year's worth of bags for it. I imagine no owner ever kept it longer than they had to.

I ordered plans last winter for one that's supposed to be powered by a riding lawnmower engine. (www.hovercraft.com). Haven't started yet.

Oh E36 M3, I want one

^That's a combination hovercraft/ground effect craft.

GameboyRMH wrote: ^That's a combination hovercraft/ground effect craft.

YEah, an ekranoplan on steroids. Looks awesome fun. Do you even need a microlight licence for something like that, I assume it's got a ceiling of 10' or so.

Anyone else remember the Flymo hovering lawnmower?

pinchvalve wrote: Anyone else remember the Flymo hovering lawnmower?

No one who survived.

pinchvalve wrote: Anyone else remember the Flymo hovering lawnmower?

They're still a big seller in England, believe it or not....

pinchvalve Anyone else remember the Flymo hovering lawnmower?

That is downright terrifying. Possibly fun in a fire it up then flee the scene kind of way.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson: Their website says that it requires no license but I was shocked at the price. $65,000 for the full kit and you still need to finish it off and drop an engine in.

The only way you can make an ekranoplan cooler is by combining it with a hovercraft. That's awesome.

Maybe building a hovercraft would be a good way to bond with my little nephew. My sister's son has been ruined, he's had no gearhead or dangerous experiences. But there's still hope for my nephew on the other side, it's time for the risky toys. I think it needs to be done.