Hovercraft

[kach22i]

UPDATE:
Ford Lake, Sunday October 08, 2006.

Took it out three or four times into the lake, same result everytime. Gets out there, starts to slow down, nose starts pushing water.

From what I can figure the lower front bow skirt drape edge where the pool noodle is, is being sucked down.

The bow drape going straight across, and the pool noodle addition were not my first configuration choices for this craft. I wanted to slope it inward like a boat but all the extra cutting and fitting would of taken more time than I wanted to spend this spring.

Worked great in the parking lot, and getting it on the trailer was pretty easy to.

I think it will work just fine on Gun Lake this winter. Come spring time, I'm doing some major modifications for water operation. It's going to look like a boat by the time I'm through with it.

The sharp lower tail/sponson corners with their weep holes are catching water too. You can see it in the second video pretty clearly. If I can shape it like a canoe, that's what I'm going to do.

6 Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQkzh0Yd0qE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq6yx7061lI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S8rW3cmhT0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eghLJ0dU0w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7YHk0hq7Ek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNUioMLU1_A

History of my project recorded here:
http://www.hoverclubofamerica.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=412

 

[Joey_V]

Kachi,

You are the COOLEST MLO member hands down. I dont care if Frank K. has the super Statement system, but you have a hovercraft!

Joey

 

[kach22i]

I'm glad you liked it. It would be way cooler if it was working as intended and I could once again take on passengers.

Maybe next year.

 

[twich54]

I'm glad you liked it. It would be way cooler if it was working as intended and I could once again take on passengers.

Maybe next year.

bring it to the ML gathering in Kansas, I'm sure we can find a lake somewhere !!!

 

[Robin]

Wow!

kach22i,

Awesome video clips. It seems sooooo cool. Do you Have special ear protection that you wear?

Exciting video views looks so fun...

 

[kach22i]

UPDATE: 06/29/2007

Current videos and pictures of the hovercraft project can be found in the link below.

http://www.carnuts.us/viewtopic.php?t=446

 

[kach22i]

UPDATE: 07/02/07

I've been meaning to do some work on the old Porsche and the old house, but the hovercraft is still fresh in my mind so I started to take it apart for repairs and updates.

To do list:

1. Replace stern skirt and modify the rear bottom hull lip so it does not chop it in half again. Thinking round tube covered in rubber all across the edge.

2. Repair bow skirt and add outer fabric wear material. I have several complex and cool ideas for this, but I have to make it simple so my wife doing the sewing will still say yes to helping out.

3. The side skirts have no wear at all. All the damage to the skirt was done by contact with the hull. There are a couple of holes made by sticks and sharp river rocks; changes in materials should take care of this.

4. I'm sealing up air leaks to get more lift (closing off weeps and duct joint leaks) and balancing out the air pressure between the captured air bubble under the craft and the bag skirts. This should give me more or better lift under conditions such as banking/turning and stopping.

5. Finish up duct lining and feather the edges for more thrust and revise the splitter so there is enough thrust to get over hump speed on water.

Link to pictures:
http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x295/kach22i/

In red felt tip pen, my moment of glory.