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View Full Version : Discussion yet another "my first hovercraft"


Xmodgeek
Jan 10, 2009, 03:23 AM
It's been a while since I've been here, not much progress on my VTOL project. But figured I'd post my physics project in the mean time.

Well it was build in a bit of a hurry. I had all semester to do it but procrastination won out again and I was spending the last 3 days of in a mad rush to get it done. I started Saturday cut out the rough shape out of foam board and another that was about 2" smaller around the perimeter, added some supports, taped a some fabric around it added a IPS motor and presto hovercraft.

The fabric leaked air badly so I put a backing of silicone on it to seal it(that added about 7oz...), that took all day Sunday and Monday... Well lucky we ran out of time in class Tuesday for me to demonstrate the hovercraft because I blew the motor trying to get it lift. So I visited to local hobby shop and my $100 budget when out the window but it was worth it :cool:

I still had to use an IPS motor and prop for movement and had to have another heavy battery because the LiPo would have fried them. I didn't event have time to mount the servos I hot glued everything down at the last minute :D

Wish I would have looked here first tho, looking at the hovercrafts here mine's like a tank lol. I can't wait till I cut half the weight off and get another brushless motor.

The day of the demonstration it worked vary well on concrete but not grass and was a bit slow. was funny to see it struggle to fight the wind but it worked. I got a 99% for a grade the -1% was for spelling on my report -_-

With the success of that I have 2 friends that want to make one :D


Any suggestions are welcome, I do plan on adding a cowling around the lift fan and completely revamping the push motor and rudder. I'm wanting to use this as a test bed for my VTOL prop designs too.

Hope to get a video up tomorrow when it's light out.

metroidrc
Jan 10, 2009, 07:33 AM
NICE! get some video now!

MustangAce17
Jan 10, 2009, 09:04 AM
Josh,nice job buddy,get that thing finalized and bring it down so we can check it out,I have a digital video camera

Xmodgeek
Jan 10, 2009, 10:15 PM
I got quite a bit of video today but at the vary end with 1:36 mins remaining of memory I had a bit of a mishap. I was filming it by my mom's van, it's nice smooth and level concrete there. As I was trying to turn the pusher prop hit the bumper and couldn't turn. so I was going to nudge it a bit so It would in stead of taping it with my foot I was compelled to reach down and move it by hand (yeah, yeah I know it was stupid....) I remember I was reaching for the battery but guess I misjudged it and reached for the edge of the intake hole... So got my middle finger cut up a bit. Not too bad, but it's going to be sore for a week or so. It was a 480 brushless with a 3-cell LiPo at 1/3 throttle.


Here's a video of the hover craft in action (right before the mishap). It goes off camera when it hits my finger... I'm working on editing the other one now but doing it left handed will slow me down a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v0VJElRGo0


To any one interested here's a pic of my finger. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h91/WD-40_2006/DSCF0329.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h91/WD-40_2006/DSCF0355.jpg
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h91/WD-40_2006/DSCF0362.jpg

metroidrc
Jan 10, 2009, 10:27 PM
bloody gore by hovercraft! wow! gotta love drama...

MustangAce17
Jan 10, 2009, 11:00 PM
ouch Josh,i would suggest being a little more careful next time. Anyways,if you get rid of that heavy nicad to drive the ips you'd have better lift,we have an 800 2 cell lipo that can out perform that nicad 2 to 1,for $20 it's a major improvement. I showed Joe the pics and he said the nicad needs to go:)

Xmodgeek
Jan 10, 2009, 11:11 PM
Yep yep. saving up my lunch money so to speak to get another brushless motor to push it along. That IPS motors about dead any ways.

Xmodgeek
Jan 11, 2009, 12:17 AM
bloody gore by hovercraft! wow! gotta love drama...

lol yeah had some fun with the video.

DGrant
Jan 14, 2009, 09:44 PM
Great little project... sorry about the finger though.. but I admire the way you play it off in the vid.. with the little narations/words... pretty cool man. Just stay off that finger for a while.. it looks sore.

Xmodgeek
Jan 17, 2009, 05:12 PM
Last night I went to a friend's house and tried out my hovercraft on a pool. I worked but after a min or so the skirt began to fill with water from the mist being sucked back in the intake. so it stated to... well not hover. lucky it was near the side so I turned off the lift fan (See I learned from my mistakes :P) and grabed the super structure for the pusher fan... well it couldn't support the weight of the water logged craft and tor off as I was pulling it out. Wish I had my camera....

Here's what's left. I have the technology I can rebuild it.

HEADING LOCK
Jan 27, 2009, 03:25 PM
way cool, vert innovative.