Build thread: RC Hovercraft

[slackerz]

Heres our materials!!! Build is STARTING TONIGHT!!!

[slackerz]

more

[slackerz]

Reporting 5% complete. Installed fans. They pump out a really SURPRISING amount of air!

[slackerz]

The snail-like fans look like turbochargers!!!

[Leo]

I built engine hovercraft many years back with some success (hovering at least).
I visited Toy R Us a few days ago, thinking that it might be possible to make used of a kid's swimming board as a hull, modify a bit for the air duct then add in the skirt. The swimming board is already come with very good "hovercraft shape" I think it can work well. The small one only ~$10 whereas the big one is ~$30.
I estimate the big one possible for the engine size of 40~60.

[dirtdynamics]

Any updates ???????????

[Artyspec]

we apologize for this but we are putting this build on hold for at least a few days, the reason being that we found out that our fans were not pumping out enough air. We are putting on 2 more snail fans. This project is now running at 200% our original budget...

[Leo]

we apologize for this but we are putting this build on hold for at least a few days, the reason being that we found out that our fans were not pumping out enough air. We are putting on 2 more snail fans. This project is now running at 200% our original budget...

Those ventilation fans are design with low noise in mind, thus the air flow wont be high. You can check easily with the desh top pc. The air flow is relatively low.
I have seen some design in web, they just use only one hovering fan. The fan is from those use in the PC but they change the motor to RS550 or 600. With the motor, the airflow sure sufficient.
If you continue to add in more fans, then it become like adding many steam engines to the aircraft and hope it will fly.

[Leo]

See this

http://www.aeroglisseur.com/index_e.htm

[Artyspec]

I personally love the silence! But the 1A(12watt) fans do give quite a decent amount of thrust actually. I think i am gonna try to use a single 550 motor for thrust and a 400 motor for lift. It's gonna be rly noisy. Here are some update pictures, the set up u see is temporary just to see that thing move.

[Leo]

I personally love the silence! But the 1A(12watt) fans do give quite a decent amount of thrust actually. I think i am gonna try to use a single 550 motor for thrust and a 400 motor for lift. It's gonna be rly noisy. Here are some update pictures, the set up u see is temporary just to see that thing move.

Nice work.
From the pic, dont seem to see the recess at the bottom. So how are you going to create the air cushion? Other hovercrafts are hollow at the bottom in order to have the "air pocket". Roughly, the lift of hovercraft = air pressure in the pocket X area under the hovercraft. Thus it only needs a very small power to lift up the craft as compared to heli.
Very eager to see it working.

[Artyspec]

There are many many holes underneath.

[Leo]

So how is the progress? Hover already? or just sitting on the ground like the air mattress?

[w_kby]

Looks interesting,... wonder if it can really work as it looks huge.

[dirtdynamics]

Bro........what happened ?