What sort of things should I of when looking for a hovercraft?
How big or small should a hovercraft be
The size of a hovercraft depends mainly on what you want to do with it, and how you plan to get it to your chosen operational area.
Hovercraft 4 metres and less in length will carry only 1 or 2 passengers and less when the skirts are worn or you are operating on grass. Hovercraft 5.5 to 6 metres long can carry 6 passengers or the equivalent weight in cargo, up to 500 Kgs. Hovercraft 10 metres long will carry around 10 - 15 passengers.
Larger hovercraft have more ground clearance, at around 300 to 350 mm for a 6 mtr, 20 ft hovercraft, where as a 3-4 metre 10 - 12 ft hovercraft will have around 150mm clearance. This determines where you can drive the hovercraft, the size of rocks, undulations, waves you can go over while fully loaded.
Bigger hovercraft, have a smoother ride and are more comfortable for passengers, with the engines and props further away from their hearing. A bigger hovercraft may also have a large propeller for thrust, this makes the hovercraft much higher but is very much quieter and you won't need to wear earmuffs to kill the deafening whine of the ducted fan.
Ask yourself several questions!: Do I want to put it on a roof rack, will I tow it on a trailer or moor it or beach it when not in use, do I want to go by my self, take friends and family, race, take passengers, how many passengers, where do I want to operate, etc. For example, if you are only interested in Club activities then consider what types the club uses, they will have knowledge on the best for you.
If you want a larger hovercraft than the club members have then you will have to research a bit to ascertain the best craft for your needs. If you are happy about spending up big for a hovercraft then you can get a big one made for you, it takes several [6-9 months] months but you will be off and flying. Otherwise you will be at the same point as I was a few years ago,-> no info, -> no craft available, ->and no one to talk to.
A big hovercraft is heavier and takes more time to get going and more time to stop. A hovercraft travels verrrrrrry far verrrrrry fast and you will find that football fields are too small. A small hovercraft will travel across the field in less than 2 minutes and your reflexes will be very slow in the begining, expect crashes - often.
For roof racks the hovercraft can be only the width of the vehicle, maybe 1.5 metres. Maximum trailerable width in Australia without having to have special permits is 2.5 metres. To moor or beach the hovercraft, width does not matter until you sell it or want to move it by road then you must obtain road and towing permits.
Estimating the size of hovercraft to suit you. The width of a hovercraft is approximately half of the length. The maximum length of a roof hovercraft would be 2.5 to 3 metres, width would be around 1.3 meters wide. A trailerable hovercraft would be 3.5 to 6 metres long and about 1.8 to 2.5 metres wide.
The maximum load carrying ability of the average hovercraft using a Multiwing™ type fan in an integrated system would be around 8 - 10 lb/sq ft maximum and probably a lot less. Tests indicate that a good multiwing™ in a hovercraft will produce only 64 mm Wg.
A totally new design of lift fan specially for hovercraft is available, made in Australia, called the MAXI-LIFT fan, it produces around 160 - 180 mm Wg (from an 16 to 18 HP 4 stroke engine) depending on the duct clearance. With more powerful engines will produce far greater pressures at higher volume
eMail Hovergo SG for more information
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