Started mid October 2004, first hover 11 November 2005
The Hovercraft Build
Drag the slider to go from day one to finished
A 3 man hovercraft built from scratch in my garage. The plans came from ASV Australia and I stuck to them right up until it was time to mount the duct. From that point on I was working off the top of my head, which could be classed as a scary thought.
The main things I changed from the plans were the duct, rudders, length, width, steering, fan assembly and the motor.
Start from the beginning →- 13
- months from first cut to first hover
- 71
- individual skirt segments
- 1800cc
- Subaru EA82 motor
- 9
- blade Multi-Wing fan
The build, chapter by chapter
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Chapter 1
Hull
Bare sheets of ply stitched together with wire, then filleted, glassed, foam filled and decked over.
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Chapter 2
Duct and Rudders
The big 950mm duct arrives and gets mounted, plus the panels behind it and a pair of full size rudders. This is where I went off the plans.
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Chapter 3
Fan Frame and Drive Train
Welding up the fan frame, fitting the 9 blades and working out how to get the power from the Subaru to the fan.
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Chapter 4
Steering and Seating
Steering column, rudder cables and a throttle on the steering wheel, then the seat, dash and bulkhead.
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Chapter 5
Engine Bay and Electrics
Finding the balance point, then the motor goes in for real with the exhaust, radiator, engine cover, wiring and gauges.
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Chapter 6
Painting
Off to the spray booth. Sealer, primer, more hours of sanding than I want to remember, then the yellow goes on.
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Chapter 7
Reassembly
Back home and bolted together again, plus a fan guard, upholstered seat, towing eye and hand rails.
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