How to Make a Hovercraft

One of the most interesting projects to take on is to make a hovercraft. They can be made for your science project or just for having fun with your friends. You get to work with serious tools and equipment and still enjoy the whole activity. Read on to learn how to make a hovercraft.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Two shaft engines for vertical and horizontal placement
• Foam
• Pieces of plywood
• Screws
• Handyman's kit
• Cloth for the skirt
• Nylon string
• Bolts
• Drill
• Sewing machine
• Metal sheets
• Small air condition fan
• A saw
• Bicycle brakes
• Pulley
• Fan duct
• Air deflector
• Pipe
• Brackets

1. Start by making the base of the hovercraft. Place foam in between two plywood pieces and drill screws on all four sides to keep it together. Sew the cloth pieces for the upper and lower portion of the hovercraft with a nylon string according to the required dimensions. Fix it to all the sides and the top with screws. Add a big rectangular piece of plywood on the top and hold it down by drilling bolts down to the base.
2. Attach the fan at the bottom of the engine with bolts. Make a hole in a metal sheet and place the engine on it in such a way that the fan goes down through the hole with the engine resting on the metal sheet. Make another hole in the plywood contraption that goes all the way to the base, and then add the whole horizontal engine to it.
3. Fix the fan in the fan duct with a pulley attached to it on one side. Graft one end of the pulley to the other engine. Rest that engine on a small wooden frame that is fixed to the main plywood piece.
4. Cut out a small wooden circle in two halves. Place a pipe in between and fix it with the help of brackets in such a way that it can move as directed. Fix air deflectors in between the pipe and the vertical engine. Attach rope on both sides of the pipe with hooks, connect it to the deflectors and continue running it along the sides of the plywood leading to the vertical engine. Fasten it to the base of the fan duct so that moving the pipe would make the hovercraft take a certain direction.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the base of the hovercraft light so that it can hold the weight of engines and a person on it.
• Fan should be placed above the base of the hovercraft.
• Use expert advice if working on this project for the first time.
• Keep the project low cost but use reliable material.
• Drive the hovercraft in an open vacant space.
• Do not attempt to make the fan yourself unless you are an authority in the field.