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View Full Version : Discussion Hello, Im new into hovercrafts. Any reliable hovercraft to buy?


bambino
Dec 11, 2008, 06:38 PM
Hi, I fly small size electric rc helicopters but have been interested in hovercrafts. It is just that I see none in the market. Hovercrafts seem hard to find in any LHS.


May you tell me please what hovercraft is good to buy for a beginner? Any well known brand out there you recommend me?



First of all, I would like to know how is it that single main motor hovercrafts counteact torque reaction. In a single main rotor helicopter you have tail rotor for this. In a coaxial helicopter, both reactions cancel out. How do you work it in a hovercraft for counteract torque reaction?

About 7 years ago I attempted to build one, but it didn't work well

This a diagram of the wannabe hovercraft I build years ago. It was all made of balsa wood, except for the skirt that I made out of that kind of trasparent plastic you use to cover your books.

It lifted, not much, but it lifted a bit. I chose this configuration to avoid setting the motor shaft on a vertical position, then avoiding hovercraft starting to turn.

However, I didn't set correctly the center of gravity so when it lifted, it was not evenly lifted. In addition to that, torque reaction complicated everything.

The arrows show the direction in which I thought air should flow. The screen (that triangle in the middle of the hovercraft) was set at 30° to deflect the airflow coming out from the motor, trying to avoid major loses in power.

I just started it once. As results were disappointing, I did not try it again nor I tried to improve it. I took out the glow 0.049 motor out of it.

Thanks to you all!

metroidrc
Dec 11, 2008, 08:16 PM
If you want something goes on water then you can get the scamper, otherwise the axon racer. :)

bambino
Dec 11, 2008, 10:01 PM
hi metro, thanks

I looked for scamper but it is about 158 british pounds.

http://www.sussex-model-centre.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=24506

Is there anything cheaper that goes on water also?

thanks!

Stef
Dec 12, 2008, 05:43 AM
Good performing model hovercraft made of foam are easy to design and build. Do a search on the internet to see what others have done. If you have an RC set up already a really nice HC could be done for less than $30.

metroidrc
Dec 12, 2008, 07:24 AM
wow 158 pounds is alot - considering it takes 8 hours to build!
Yes I'd say try building your own.

HoverTim
Dec 12, 2008, 02:54 PM
you could alway try a griffon 600 the are £50.00 for the kit and they are avalible from palaform see link http://www.modelhovercraft.co.uk/index.php?q=65.html thesr craft go well very light made out of depron see link for video
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KPh14DnIlmE&feature=channel_page
hope this helps