How to Make a Mini Hovercraft With Balloon Power

The hovercraft is a land and sea vehicle known for its ability to hover on a cushion of air. This air is pumped through heavy-duty fans on a hovercraft, but you can duplicate the effect using a few simple household materials, such as an old CD, some glue and a balloon.

Things You'll Need

• Old CD
• Pop-top from a water bottle
• Glue
• Balloon
• Elastic band

Instructions

1. Place the CD on your work surface. Dab some glue around the hole in the center.

2. Place the pop-top on the center of the hole, over the glue. Glue the piece into place with some extra glue to create an air-tight seal. Leave the glue to dry overnight.

3. Push the pop-top to the down position.

4. Wrap the mouth of the balloon over the pop top.

5. Wrap the elastic band around the mouth of the balloon to make this seal also airtight.

6. Grip the pop-top through the balloon and elastic band and pull up. Blow some air into the balloon through the bottom of the CD and through the pop-top to inflate the balloon. When it is full, push the pop-top down through the balloon to seal off the air.

7. Pull up the pop-top to start releasing the air and pushing the hovercraft up. The hovercraft is now hovering, and you can push it to make the vehicle float.

References

• Science Squad: CD Balloon Hovercraft