This DIY Hovercraft Project was done on a budget and the results are very good based on the amount of money that was put into it.
"The workings of a hovercraft are fairly straightforward: one high-power motor with an airplane propeller forces air down through the hole in the center, which pushes the bottom of the hovercraft off the ground. This greatly reduces friction, allowing the hovercraft to scoot around without much trouble. It also makes it much more difficult to control, however: when the hovercraft turns, it will keep traveling in a straight line unless more thrust is applied. Since we are used to controlling cars or boats, the newtonian behavior of a hovercraft is challenging indeed. The body of the hovercraft is made out of styrofoam, cut with a saw and sanded to smooth the edges. The skirt on the bottom is made out of pieces of a plastic GAP bag, attached with Scotch tape and hot glue. The radio control unit was scavenged from an old boat I had, along with the drive motor mounted on the wooden supports, while the lifting motor was from my physics teacher. The battery is 300 mAh 6V NiMH (or NiCd, I forget), and I have a pair of them. They were about $6-$10 each (again, forgot) and about $12 for the 2 1/2 hour charger. The servomotor for steering was from an old RC car I had"
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I would like to see this hoovercraft eventually be able to hold people. Then we could have hooverboard’s like Back to the Future instead of Segways.
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Excellent! I’m going to try this, as soon as I find an old RC Car.
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i wonder what it takes to power it on water , ideas any one?
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why not to put driving motor on steering servo, will give much more turning power
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Leon, I would think it would work fine on the water, if I understand you write. IT might run slower, but it wouldn’t take any more power to get it moving, I wouldn’t think.
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@Brandon – how about the fact that water might have waves… anyways i would love to see one of those diy hovercrafts on water.
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You are working out good for it.
Good effort
But I have seen this kind of boat in cinemas…
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