Hovercraft

coxaddicted Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:50 am

Check this out:

http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-anzeige/luftkissenboot-hovercraft-2x-verbrenner-ohne-rc-top-%29/137766086-249-7655?ref=search

OVERLORD Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:46 am

Hi Coxaddicted,

Looks good. The cushion seems to be made of some rubber band or an inner tire of a pushbike. I think it would hover rather irregularly as the height depends on the constant airflow of the prop. Engines sometimes have slight variations in revs, this might directly affect the hovercraft. With an electric motor, that stays nice and constant.

I still got the electric powered Graupner hovercraft. I think it's the first they manufactured. I remeber it was very difficult to steer

Hovercraft Tn_hov10

coxaddicted Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:15 am

Hi Lieven,

the Seller says it makes a Pandemonium of noise Very Happy

The Main engine has 10ccm/ 61 in metric and it lifts up the hovercraft, the other engine is combined with two rudders for steering. I posted this because I like everything home made rc`s.

Thanks for posting this rare Graupner hovercraft, I remember it from the youth. I like those 80ies stuff:Thumbs UP:

When I was young, the hovercraft ferry from calais to dover was on service. Still remember how big and fast this hovercrafts where, sadly I didn't drive with it because my parents got sick when they travelled with it before.
But every time we travelled to england I visit the hovercraft starting place and it was allways amazing to see on starting or landing. It is a great pitty that they are no longer on service:sad_goodbye:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hovercraft_in_Calais.jpg

**RknRusty** Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:21 am

What a machine! I would love to have seen that too. Did it kick up a lot of spray?

One of my favorite "Junkyard Wars" episodes was when they built hovercrafts. I don't remember if it was the English or American version of the show.

coxaddicted Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:33 am

RknRusty wrote:What a machine! I would love to have seen that too. Did it kick up a lot of spray?

One of my favorite "Junkyard Wars" episodes was when they built hovercrafts. I don't remember if it was the English or American version of the show.

Oh yes it had a lot of power. Top speed was about 80 miles per hour Shocked

Very fast for a passenger ferry that could take over 400 passengers and 60 cars! The later catamaran speed feries reach only 55mph but where amazing too.

It kicked up a lot of spray, my parents said that you can't see anything through the windows because of the spume.

OVERLORD Thu Aug 22, 2013 3:59 am

Hi Guys,

They're the Princess Ann and the Princess Margaret. I know these hovercrafts very well. In '95 or '96, I made a crossing 1 time from Dover to Boulogne when I lived in England. It's very fast and you can't see outside. But even better, in 2008, when these beasts were already out of service, I did a pre-purchase survey on the Princess Ann. The hovercraft is powered by 4 Rolls Royce turbines that each drive by means of a gearbox, and 1 propellor for lifting, and 1 propellor for moving.

I'll dig up some pictures. It's very impressive. The hovercraft can still be seen in the museum near Portsmouth among other hovercrafts. A regular crossing by hovercraft still exists between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, which is the birthplace of the English hovercraft.

Lieven