What is the best design for a miniature hovercraft for a race?

[kach22i]

The more remote the place, the more likely you will find a hovercraft.

You just missed this:

Aug
17-19
Northwest Hover-In
Woodland, WA - The largest hovercraft event West of the Mississippi River. This year's event will be at the Pekin Landing on the Lewis River in Woodland, WA just off the I-5 free-way. Click on the link for more details.

For Canadian brotherhood try this:
http://forums.hovercraftcanada.ca/phpBB2/index.php

Kind of slow there but Mario the forum master is a good guy.

http://forums.hovercraftcanada.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=37

Hi Neil,

I seem to have run dry on the information for you, I've not given up yet but the guy from your area never got back to me regarding the club. My suggestion is, if you are near Langley BC the club that I knew ran their activity from the airport, one person you could contact is Lew Adkins from Canhover Sales in Surrey B.C.. The club has been very active and I cannot believe it just disappeared. Good luck in your search.

Mario

NOTE: At the recent rally in Michigan I talked to the founder of the Canadian hoverclub (not Mario). He said the BC (West Coast) kind of do their own thing and have elected to do so on their own.

 

[Danger]

The more remote the place, the more likely you will find a hovercraft.

This isn't exactly what you'd call 'remote'. There are over a million people in Calgary, and everything for 100 miles around it is either residential or farmland. The parts that are isolated are covered with trees. We have exactly 2 rivers and one smallish lake.

You just missed this:

Even if I'd known about it, I couldn't have gone.
Thanks for the Canuk link. I'll probably visit there quite a bit, but there's no point of joining until I'm ready to start finalizing my design. I tried to find a club of some sort around Calgary, which is the only area available to me, but nothing turned up. It seems unlikely that there'd be one, given the aforementioned geographical difficulties.

 

[kach22i]

Thanks for the Canuk link. I'll probably visit there quite a bit, but there's no point of joining until I'm ready to start finalizing my design. I tried to find a club of some sort around Calgary, which is the only area available to me, but nothing turned up. It seems unlikely that there'd be one, given the aforementioned geographical difficulties.

Just sign up and post on the Canadian link that you are looking for hovers meet up with. It's the American link that requires you to be an actual member - wish they would change that.

In my opinion you need to get your feet wet/muddy long before you "finalize" anything. You need to dispel any preconceptions as soon as possible and still be able to keep yourself from creeping into the "group think" which is undermining the creativity of this hobby.

 

[Danger]

In my opinion you need to get your feet wet/muddy long before you "finalize" anything. You need to dispel any preconceptions as soon as possible and still be able to keep yourself from creeping into the "group think" which is undermining the creativity of this hobby.

Agreed. It's just not that easy to do. I'll certainly continue reading those forums that you posted.
You still haven't commented upon my 'pre-curtain' shield idea. Practical or no?

 

[kach22i]

I certainly value any advice/experience that you have to offer. My solution to plough-in might not be practical, so feel free to dissect it mercilessly (as with any of my plans). In the design that I'm thinking of, the curtain is actually of smaller perimeter than the deck, most of the difference coming from the front being set back some 12"-18" from the bow of the hull. I plan to hang strips of tough rubber, such as mud-flap material, from the bow that are just long enough to pass under the bottom edge of the front curtain segments. It's my hope that at high speeds they'll be forced under at an angle and thus act as a boat prow. As a side-benefit, I figure that they'd cut down on abrasion of the curtain on dry land.

What you are describing sounds similar to a stern located anti-drag flap. Anti-drag flaps often cause more drag than they avoid and are considered an unnecessary and poorly designed band-aid by most.

Your concept might be similar in intent (but not in form) to an anti-plow device which was racecourse developed and patented by Ralph DuBose (Hman on the HCA forum). You can look it up on the Internet, might have to load an image viewer for some of the patent sites.

Ralph one year actually had a hinged piece of plywood on the bow, no idea was too impractical for him, and he stuck with it and finally found something, which worked. My point being is that you have to try these ideas for yourself and not let people tell you they will work or have them talk you out of ever trying. Every failure brings you one step closer to success because you now know what will not work.

In short my two cents is that heavy rubber bow strips will cause drag (look up anti-spay flaps), tuck under the craft and induce a "plow-in" event. This is the opposite of what your goal is, right? That's only my opinion and believe you must learn these things first hand. Dive in, dive in the waters fine.

EDIT:
Click the link below, great videos and pictures of an all around anti-spay skirt (double fabric):
http://www.hoverworks.co.nz/video.htm

 

[Danger]

The video that came up on the link was about the variable-pitch prop, not a skirt, but I assume that one of the accompanying clips is what you meant. This stupid PC at work doesn't play sound, so I'm going to hold off watching the rest until I get home. By the way, though, that Pacific Explorer model shown in the one clip is almost identical to the one that I'm trying to design, except a fair bit bigger. (And, since the Superbird is my favourite car, mine is going to have fins. )
I'm going to start doing up some sketches so we can discuss particular things with a visual reference... so long as nobody minds that we've pretty much hijacked the thread.

 

[kach22i]

The video that came up on the link was about the variable-pitch prop, not a skirt,

The variable pitch is one feature of that craft, the other which I described and is in the GALLERY or picture section shows an wrap-around anti-drag skirt. This is not the typical drape of extra cloth left flapping about, thought for sure you would see a direct connection to your concept.

Hovercraft - 31 flavors.

 

[ank_gl]

so long as nobody minds that we've pretty much hijacked the thread.

yes, you certainly DID hijacked it, but i am kinda enjoying both of your views here. so keep on

 

[Danger]

I'm learning as much here as you are.

 

[kach22i]

I'm learning as much here as you are.

If money is no object ($200) and math does not scare you (way over my head), some of the best descriptions of hovercraft personality disorders are in a book called: Theory and Design of AIR CUSHION CRAFT, by L. Yun & A. Bliault on Arnold Press ISBN 0-340-67650-7, ISBN 0-470-23621-3 (Wiley).


FYI: a PM the Canadian hoverclub founder...

Hi George,

Back when I was running the club there used to be quite a large group in that area. My employer used to have an office in Calgary and whenever I visited we'd get together at a local pub. Alas, that was more than 8-years ago and I've since lost touch.

Perhaps Mario still has some connections with the current club?

 

[Danger]

If money is no object ($200) and math does not scare you (way over my head)FYI: a PM the Canadian hoverclub founder...

You might have missed the part about me not being able to afford to travel. As much as I love books, I wouldn't shell out $200 for a car. I have mentioned here before that the only trouble that I got into in high-school was for assaulting a math teacher in the beginning of grade 10. Consequently, I have a grade 9 math education.

 

[ank_gl]

well maths is not the case with me, $$, availablity and time is

 

[kach22i]

You might have missed the part about me not being able to afford to travel. As much as I love books, I wouldn't shell out $200 for a car. I have mentioned here before that the only trouble that I got into in high-school was for assaulting a math teacher in the beginning of grade 10. Consequently, I have a grade 9 math education.

I can't tell if you are joking, I find it odd to find you in a Physics forum. Then again I had to take every Calculus class twice (up to Calc-4) and still got no higher than a "C" even when it was my only night class. If I go to hell, I will be taking Calculus with Hitler (& GWB?) I'm sure of it.

I'll try to quote a few key sentences about "plow-in" later on which you may find interesting.

 

[Danger]

I can't tell if you are joking

I'm kidding slightly about the car—I've gone as high as $2,500 for one that I really wanted. The rest is real.

I find it odd to find you in a Physics forum.

Me too, but apparently I'm here to stay.