Launch It: The Improved CD Hovercraft.

The CD hovercraft is a tried-and-tested Make, but technological improvements have tended to be in the method of connecting the balloon to the CD. I have attempted to apply some of Sir Christopher Cockerell's original developmental research to this old favourite.

Step 1 Materials and Tools

In addition to the basic materials (an old CD, a balloon and a plastic bottle cap and hot glue), you will need a sheet of paper or light card, a thin sheet of expanded polystyrene, ordinary glue and a sharp knife.

The type of glue is not vitally important, since it will not be under any strain greater than the weight of the polystyrene and paper. If you use a water-based glue, though, try and be very sparing with it, as excess water will make the paper "cockle" and cut the vehicle's efficiency.

Comments

[ilpug]

These are really fun to make. I recognize that set of craft knives, i bought mine for 99c at a discount store and most of them broke in a week. How did yours hold up?

[Kiteman]

Fine, I'm still (ab)using them.

[ilpug]

Wow. Maybe i am just more prone to breaking things.

[kiteguy]

Hummmm,

Quote: "being careful not to clean off any "ooze" before it dries: "

Perhaps this is one reason it would not "fly" as wanted.

[Wyle_E]

If you have a source of dry ice, a small plastic bottle of dry ice chips would last longer than the air in a balloon. The original version of this gadget is the "dry-ice puck" that's been used in physics classes for almost a century. It has a thick, polished steel puck instead of the CD, and a copper ball (remember copper toilet-tank floats?) to hold the dry ice. With that much mass, it would glide *slowly* for several yards without visibly slowing. One of these days I may dust off my old Unimat lathe and make one.

[Kiteman]

That is true, of course, but most readers won't have access to lumps of dry ice.

[hintss]

buy them at Ralphs?

[a918bmxr]

this is the latest in self propelled balloon hovercraft technology
(klik linc)
http://www.instructables.com/id/the-better-cd-hovercraft/

[Kryptonite]

I've tried this the "Original" way, and I think it worked better than yours, any ideas why? I thought that yours would go better, oh well, better luck next time.

[astro boy]

replace the cd with another piazza base more power or smaller hole longer run

[cowscankill]

do you kkow where polysterine can be found in a house? where i live, we don't have that kind of pizza stuff. Alos, is there anything else i can use? thanks

[shadowgravity]

isnt styrofoam polystyrene?

[Wyle_E]

Yes. It's clear that you want polystyrene foam, aka styrofoam, and not solid polystyrene. Open-cell foam (the original Styrofoam) won't work here, because it won't hold air. Closed-cell foam, used in disposable cups and plates, is what works.

[cowscankill]

uh...Dunno...

[Kiteman]

Ceiling tiles? DIY stores sometimes sell thin sheets of expanded polystyrene as insulation (maybe to go behind radiators), craft / modelling stores will sell it as a modelling material, or be able to advise on other alternatives.

[cowscankill]

oh! i found something! maybe a styrofoam meat tray. Mine had chicken :)

[Kiteman]

That's fine - as long as it'a big enough to cover the CD.

[cowscankill]

ok, i might try something i can find

[pyrotecnix]

dude no way i have the same blade kit thing as you soz i am a bit lame...

[zachninme]

This seems... too complicated... it seems your air channels actually allow too much air coming out too easily, decreasing run time. I'm not sure, but maybe...

[Kiteman]

The excess air-flow seems to be through the central hole, which is why I restricted it there.

However, v2 will involve few/narrower channels from the centre to the edge, a change of glue and possibly plastic to cover the bottom instead of paper.

[Weissensteinburg]

Hot glue dries a matter of minutes, if not seconds...

[zachninme]

But its not low-friction. You need something that will be smooth.

[Weissensteinburg]

It says you need ordinary glue, it can be used the same way as normal glue.

[Kiteman]

I couldn't use hot-glue on the base because the gun melted the 'styrene and it cooled too quickly, before I got it completely smooth.

[Weissensteinburg]

Ah, gotcha.

[ProfessorZ42]

Wow! Five projects for one contest, and all fantastic!

[Kiteman]

I seem to have had a rush of blood to my 'ibles, don't I? It could have been six, but the local plumbing supplies stores all close on Sundays. That will have to wait, now - I have costumes to make!

[bobbyk881]

fuji film rules !!!!!!!!!!! and its not badly printed

[Kiteman]

The balloon is badly printed.

[Weissensteinburg]

Then why is there a big bubble of "FUJIFILM" missing?

[thewoodcarver]

Kite you must want that prize , I started a tater launcher-gold bearing gravel sucker for this contest but cant get to my tools to cut/round off some parts (garage is full of someones couches and such)good luck and do a new vid when it is done , I will have some of the kids at school make a few of these

[MisterSlippy]

I believe this instructable calls for liberal use of the ubiquitous double-sided sticky tape! Excellent instructable, I like the design mods to the classic cd-hovercraft. Pity you had to rush it at the end there, though. Waiting anxiously for an update, lol