Light hovercraft powered by electric ducted fans

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of building a light hovercraft powered by electric ducted fans, specifically targeting the ability to lift off the ground to a height of 10 feet. Participants explore the required thrust, weight considerations, and the fundamental principles of hovercraft operation versus other types of flying vehicles.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to create a hovercraft capable of lifting 10 feet off the ground, noting the total weight of the craft and the need for sufficient thrust.
  • Another participant argues that achieving a 10-foot lift with a hovercraft is unrealistic, stating that hovercrafts are designed to skim the surface.
  • It is suggested that moving away from the ground effect would transition the craft from hovercraft to helicopter, which requires significantly more power.
  • A participant questions the weight of the deck for the hovercraft, but another notes the lack of information to assess whether 45 lbs is too heavy.
  • One participant shares their experience with a one-engine hovercraft using a Yamaha 440 snowmobile, indicating their weight and setup.
  • Another participant references a video showcasing a hybrid craft that can achieve some lift, suggesting that hovercrafts can operate in different modes.
  • A later reply clarifies that the lift achieved by hybrid crafts is due to ground-effect airplane mode rather than traditional hovercraft design.
  • A suggestion is made to watch a Mythbusters episode that features hovercrafts made from everyday objects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the feasibility of achieving a 10-foot lift with a hovercraft, with some asserting it is impossible while others reference examples of hybrid designs that can achieve greater heights.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not provided detailed specifications or calculations regarding thrust requirements, voltage, or power needs, leading to uncertainty in the discussion about the practical aspects of building the hovercraft.

artemis12
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I'm trying to make a light hovercraft powered by electric ducted fans that will have enough thrust to lift me like 10 feet off the ground. the only problem is I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I"M DOING. can anyone help me?

i weigh 134 pounds, and the craft will weigh around 50-80. that puts the weight without the batteries and fans at 184-214 pounds. i know i need more thrust than what the object weighs to get it to float higher, but the fans will weigh a lot also, won't they? so I'm guessing i need more than 250 pounds of thrust. Anyone know how much thrust, voltage, amps, and horsepower i need to float a 214+ pound object 10 feet off the ground?
 
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Welcome to PF, Artemis.
You're not going to get a hovercraft 10' off of the ground no matter what you do. Huge commercial vehicles with turbine engines don't lift that far. The whole point of a hovercraft is to just skim the surface.
 
Hovercrafts only work because they are so close to the ground.
When you get farther away you switch from a hovercraft to a helicopter -> which requires tremendously more airflow and therefore more power.
 
oh. ok
 


is 45lbs too heawy for the deck of my HC?
 


has anyone ever made a one engine hovercraft here!?
 


motomax99 said:
is 45lbs too heawy for the deck of my HC?
We have nowhere near enough information to answer that question - we know nothing about your hovercraft!
 


sorry my dad told me that too, i have a one engine split thrust hc with a yamaha 440 snowmobile and i way about 130lbs
 


Danger said:
Welcome to PF, Artemis.
You're not going to get a hovercraft 10' off of the ground no matter what you do. Huge commercial vehicles with turbine engines don't lift that far. The whole point of a hovercraft is to just skim the surface.

thats not exactly true you should check these out: http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=hoverwing&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iv#
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #10


Very cool hybrid craft, but what gets that craft a few feet off the ground isn't the hovercraft mode, it's the ground-effect airplane mode. Danger is absolutely correct: a standard hovercraft is limited to mere inches of altitude, inherrent in the design.

Btw, moving this to the aerospace forum.
 
  • #11


mythbusters made hovercrafts from everyday objects, maybe watch that episode
 

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