Simple Rideable Hovercraft

A large hovercraft that you can ride! I made this before I found instructables so these pictures are the best I could do.

Step 1: Materials

1. Shopvac.
2. Plywood, 3ft or 4 ft square, 3/8in or 1/2in thick.
3. Coffee can lid or other small plastic disk.
4. Tarp 1ft larger then the wood.
5. Electric saber saw, drill, razor, staple gun, duct tape.

Comments

[speedracer425]

finally a easier way to get to school

[Sir-Jackington]

Pretty nice though I think it would look better with a Henry Hover. I was also wondering if you had any ideas on making like a battery powered one so you could ride about streets on it?

[dragonsniper]

use a gas powered leaf blower instead of the shopvac

[rocketman221]

that would need a very large battery and it would probably be to heavy to ride on

[XkidXhavocX]

use a car battery or two and just use a small transformer to up the amps to about 2x and youl have one hellof a hover craft.... just try not to touch the terninals on the batteries or the transformer.... it would give you a deadly zap...

[tristantech]

another argument about electrocution. Here we go again....

[ReCreate]

No, Not really, The Voltage Would Be Way Too Low to push enough current through your skin

[drakuz]

voltage doesnt kill people. current kills people. low current means it requires more time as it is just slowly dmg'ing you. ima radar tech in the navy

[ReCreate]

Umm...yeah, The voltage is low, Therefor low current goes through...

[drakuz]

for example btw. in relation. all tesla coils are HIGH voltage Low current. think of voltage as the speed at which water travels and current is how wide the river is. mississippi: low voltage, high current.

[ReCreate]

umm...yes? I know how it works, I'm just horrible at explaining

[drakuz]

ahh well the navy raped my brain with this crap lol. i actually didnt want to be a radar tech. i wanted to work on a .50cal ha! personally dont care too much for those aspects of electronics. but, once i learned it, it became very useful

[drakuz]

not true. this is the formula:
V/IxR
V over I, R
voltage over current times resistance.
if voltage goes up. current goes down. visa versa.
resistance increases with voltage.
Ohm's Law Ftw: http://www.the12volt.com/ohm/ohmslaw.asp

Current is also called amperage: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-amperage.htm

[ReCreate]

*facepalm* Yes i know this, I am just bad at explaining it XD

[andros1200]

Thats incorrect. Amperage is the amount of current flowing through a given point in 1 second. Amperage is what kills you. Voltage is pretty much how much your muscles will spaz, its not what does the damage.

[ReCreate]

Well, That is almost exactly what i thought my point was, what i said *facepalm*

[drakuz]

Current is also called amperage: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-amperage.htm

[andros1200]

I meant to say Amperage is the amount of electrons... nevermind Just nevermind.

[ReCreate]

Yeah...What i said

[jimmy dean]

Amperage is the unit of measurement that measures current.

[ReCreate]

Yes?

[lnknprkfrk13]

Would a couple of car batteries work?

[rocketman221]

that would probably run it for a short time, but it would make it very heavy.

[minerug]

How about a garden leaf blower?

[rocketman221]

the mythbusters did something like that and it used a gas powered leaf blower. it would probably work better than a shopvac.

[lnknprkfrk13]

Oh, I wasn't thinking of gas powered, but electricity is better for the earth. But I guess you're right, without a really powerful and light battery it won't work.

[Bosun Rick]

This is as positive and constructive as I can get on this matter; If you are worried about the Earth & the ecology, what are you doing looking at Hovercraft building instructables?

The BEST way for the Earth is to stay home in a natural cave, naked, and eat only vegitation and animals that have died of natural causes. Don't forget to hug your favorite tree each morning too!

[jimmy dean]

Except that the electricity you're using to charge the batteries was most likely created using some sort of fossil fuel and is therefore just as harmful to the earth.

[minerug]

What gas the leaf blower uses depends on the emmissions i think..

[junits15]

ya but most of them use gasoliene

[I_Like_Lotsa_Spahgetti]

Yeah, I wish that i could use a gas powered blower but in Los Angeles, California it is illegal to have a gas powered blower. As if the cars don't do 3 times as much damage as a blower. But we have a Prius!

[tristantech]

Why are gasoline leaf blowers illegal in LA? is this one of those emission restrictions?

[I_Like_Lotsa_Spahgetti]

Yeah. because cars don't do enough

[I_Like_Lotsa_Spahgetti]

Oh yes, and i have a question: if I have a boogie board will it work? or does it have to be a circle. I think it will work because i have a box fan on the back of my ideal craft.

[junits15]

It might work. In fact it probably will

[Bartboy]

Does i work on water?

[BIGHAIRYDUDE]

no

[tristantech]

not a bad idea.. i know there's some crazy sport where they ride these hoverboats with giant 10 foot fans in the swamp

[Kendallkip]

BREAK OUT BUSTER! omg mythbusters reference

[littlechef37]

..extension cord+water= OWIIEEEEEE