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Simple Rideable Hovercraft

Step 5Finished

Finished
Flip the hovercraft over so the plastic sheet is on the bottom. Place it on a smooth floor and stick the shopvac hose into the hole. Turn it on and the skirt should inflate. If not lift up the plywood and let it inflate. This hovercraft can easily lift one adult, and has lifted two adults with a lot of strain. The amount of total weight that a hovercraft can raise is equal to cushion pressure multiplied by the area of the hovercraft.

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13 comments
Aug 13, 2011. 12:19 PMspeedracer425 says:
finally a easier way to get to school
Jun 4, 2008. 11:50 AMKrispyKr33m says:
how fast will the hover craft. I 'm building one but i need to find out how fat a fan of that size will move it
Mar 8, 2009. 7:49 PMXkidXhavocX says:
it will go reall fast down hill... prettymuch like falling. cuz theres no friction but theres gravity effecting it.... it will move like water sliding across ice...(minus the freezing.)
Jul 9, 2008. 7:53 PMlnknprkfrk13 says:
These have no friction so pretty much anything will move it. I would strongly suggest getting a relatively strong fan, and if you can afford it, two fans.
Jul 11, 2008. 10:24 AMconrad2468 says:
oooooorrrr a lawnmower with a blade attached!
Aug 15, 2008. 8:33 AMKendallkip says:
then that would pretty much kill the hover idea from all the weight
Aug 15, 2008. 1:54 PMconrad2468 says:
great point....touche
Aug 18, 2008. 9:58 AMKendallkip says:
touche? lol do u mean DOUCHE?
Mar 8, 2009. 7:50 PMXkidXhavocX says:
lol
Aug 18, 2008. 11:43 AMconrad2468 says:
no....touché prounounced (tMM-sh') Used to acknowledge a hit in fencing or a successful criticism or an effective point in argument. A.K.A. good point...but i do see how douche would fit in there
Jul 2, 2009. 3:44 PMhobo8675309 says:
is it really speled that way?
Aug 11, 2011. 12:31 AMDu7raz says:
lol 'speled' :D
Jul 13, 2009. 2:14 PMdrakuz says:
nicejob private pile lol... im going to use that sometime... "speled" lol i think its funny
Jul 3, 2009. 2:08 PMconrad2468 says:
yes its really "speled" that way....
Jul 11, 2008. 4:09 PMlnknprkfrk13 says:
but I am a little more concerned with weight. The lighter the better.
Jul 16, 2008. 6:51 PMIH BoNe says:
when i did this project the more weight i added the more stable it was there for a there still is a weight limit but its okay to add weight as i said it makes it more stable.
Feb 22, 2008. 4:47 PMlathmos says:
I built one of these a long time ago, they work great...they just can't steer :-(
Oct 28, 2008. 3:44 AMRye2121 says:
add a handle or bike steering thing and then attach it to the hose nozzle.
Dec 14, 2007. 1:16 PMscott-band says:
Does this really work? It seems so simple.
Apr 16, 2008. 12:50 PMJAKEjones1 says:
(removed by author or community request)
Apr 16, 2008. 1:42 PMbmlbytes says:
I've made 2 of these in the past. I used cheep leaf blowers, but it is the same concept. They hover about a half inch off the ground and when you get on them, they sometimes (depending on your weight) will touch the ground. They still move with very little friction. I will see if I still have one, and will post a vid of it working if I can.
Apr 16, 2008. 2:08 PMbmlbytes says:
Here is a quick movie I made of it. Mine is pretty old and beat up, but you can see the anti-friction in it. I tried to stand on it, but it is hard to film and stand on a hovercraft at the same time. It also gets stuck if it starts to go sideways, you can see that at the end of the movie. It wouldn't do that if I made it a little better.


Mar 22, 2008. 6:59 AMlaxman735 says:
Wow, anyone could build this.

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Author:Spl1nt3rC3ll
I enjoy videography and art in general. My specialty is directing and editing, and I have multiple films under my belt. As you can tell, I prefer to be behind the camera rather than in its sight. I am...
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