SEMINAR ON

HOVERCRAFT
 Introduction

A Hovercraft is a vehicle that

 Flies like a plane but

 Float like a boat

 Drive like a car

 It can hover over or move across land or water surfaces while

being held off from the surfaces by a cushion of air.

 A Hovercraft can travel over all types of

surfaces including grass, mud, muskeg, sand,

quicksand, water and ice .Hovercraft prefer

gentle terrain although they are capable of

climbing slopes up to 20%, depending upon

surface characteristics.
 History
 The first design by Swedish designer Emmanuel
Swedenborg in 1716.

 The project was short-lived because it was never

built, for soon Swedenborg soon realized that to
operate such a machine required a source of
energy far greater than that could be supplied
by single human equipment.

 Until the early 20th century Hovercraft was not

practically possible, because only the internal
combustion engine had the very high power to
weight ratio suitable for Hover flight.
SOME PICS OF HOVERCRAFT
THE FIRST HOVERCRAFT
 Christopher Cockerel thought of using a
load of stuff you might find about the
house to make a hovercraft.
 Cockerel took a set of scales and a long
rod and arranged them so the rod was
vertical.
 He then affixed a vacuum cleaner to the
rod so it pointed down.
 Next he made a hole in a can and affixed
a can that was smaller than the first in
such a way it allowed air in-between the
two cans. Cockerel made the vacuum
cleaner blow instead of suck, blowing air
through the gap in the two cans, and it
worked.
 The scale went down as far as it could!.
BASIC STRUCTURE OF HOVERCRAFT
Parts Of Hovercraft
o Propeller :- It pushes the
hovercraft ahead by pushing
air behind.
o Fan :- Primary purpose is to
inflate the cushion contained
within the skirt beneath the
craft as well as to provide
thrust with which to propel
the craft forward.
o Skirt :- Part that allows the
hovercraft to clear
obstacles. Generally
speaking, the higher the
skirt, the larger the obstacle
that the craft will clear.
 PRINCIPLE OF WORKING
 To lift the craft by a cushion of air to propel it
using propellers.

 The air sucked in through a port by large lifting

fans which are fitted to the primary structure
of the craft.

 They are powered by gas turbine or diesel

engine.
 Fan is used to inflate the skirt and rest is
ducted down under the craft to fill area
enclosed by the skirt.

 At the point when the pressure equals the

weight of the craft, the craft lifts up and air is
escaped around the edges of the skirt.

 So a constant feed of air is needed to lift the

craft and compensate for the losses.
 ADVANTAGES OF
HOVERCRAFT
 Travel over any surface.

 Shortcutting routes.

 Travel rivers up as fast as down, irrespective of

the current.

 Travel in dry water-beds.

 No collision with debris, logs etc.

 Access to 75% of coastal area instead of only

5% with conventional vessels.
 Hovercraft are very fuel efficient (CO² friendly)
as Hovercraft do not have to plough through the
water but "fly" above the surface. At maximum
speed fuel consumption of a Hovercraft is approx.
70% less than of a fast patrol boat with similar
payload capacity.

 No turbulence or impact in water as no propeller

churns up the water so sea life remains untouched
FUTURE OF HOVERCRAFT
The future of
hovercraft seems
uncertain, but there is a
good chance there will
be huge hover ports all
over the world, like the
one in the picture.
Thinner hovercraft
might be built so
civilians can drive safely
on roads. It also seems
likely that the larger
hover vehicles will
become larger than
ever! Hovercraft are
likely to be capable of
high flight.
 CONCLUSION
Hovercrafts are generally simple mechanisms
in theory. Yet the process from theory to
manifestation is not as easy as it may seem. A
plethora of problems exist and must be faced in
order to attain a well functioning hovercraft.
The plans and designs must be flawless. One
must take under consideration the weight and
the shape of each component in order to avoid
problems such as instability and dysfunction. One
thing is certain; when building a hovercraft, be
well aware of the demands of construction. Be
prepared and willing to embrace failure for it is
the only way to success. Only after failed
attempts will you be able to finally design an
effective hovercraft.
THANKS