Homebuilt Hovercraft

[rogerwa]

Anyone ever built one of these things?? I am pretty charged about trying a prototype to see what kind of lift I can get. Two gas leaf blower motors is all he is using. Check out this site..<br /><br /> http://www.laserfire.com/hovercraft/

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

They did something like this on Myth Busters not long ago with vacuum cleaner motors. It worked - not very well, but it scooted around on the sidewalk. <br /><br />Gas leaf blower motors are much bigger than vacuum motors. <br /><br />Let us know how it works out and post pictures! Don't forget your helmet!

 

[llfish]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

What do you plan on using it for?

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

I'll have to wait until spring before I can get to it. I don't really have a real purpose, it just looks cool to do. I have a lake place and I think it would be neat to drive around and go over the lake. This time of year it would be great because the lake is hard and very flat.<br /><br />I think I will first try a prototype with an electric blower to see if it provides enough lift. If one Blower doesn't do it you could add another with not much weight. But if the protype shows that there is no way in heck that it will levitate then its time to reconsider.

 

[locknut550]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

iwould have used bigger engines like maybe 2 big chainsaw engines.it looks cool though. however i dont much like that prop being inches from my head.that screen looks pretty light if you crashed you could go right through it.

 

[JB]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

I built one back in the 60s. Used a Power Products (Tecumseh) 8.1ci. chainsaw engine.<br /><br />Waaay to much power! Danged thing tried to fly. Dumped me, then flipped up on its side and crashed into a CL fence and kinda got broke. <br /><br />I think I was lucky.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

I had a friend that experimented with ultra light aircraft in the 70’s. Spend his last 20 years limping around with pins in his legs and fused disks in his spine. I think you were lucky, JD.<br /><br />I was reading about these things last year. I wondered if hovercraft has priority at the boat launch. Apparently they don’t do will on an incline but you may be able to get up a boat ramp with enough forward speed. I imagine it could be scary for anyone standing around at the top of the ramp, don’t know how you would control it (i.e. stop) once you got up there.<br /><br />I think there is a thread someone on the iboats forums started by someone building or restoring a hovercraft. Don’t know how it ever turned out. I think I would be inclined to try a WIG so if it failed I could knock off the wings and have a canoe.

 

[Scowl]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

New man, here.<br /><br />18rabbit is indeed correct; they have trouble on inclines. Never took one on the water.

 

[Rudderman]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

I build a full size one a few years back. Wouldn't do it again, hovercraft are inefficient, noisy, expensive to run and they require high maintenance to keep them working (engines tend to give up after a while)

 

[Mark42]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

Those are cool. Do they work on water?

 

[Realgun]

Re: Homebuilt Hovercraft

Those are cool. Do they work on water?<br />

Yup Here you go!