Hovercraft project questions ^_^?

Question

im building a mini hovercraft (as in mini) out of pc fan , plywood (as the base) battery (2 double AA, 9V) and other stuff..

there are a lot of questions in my mind..

like a ) what is the significance of hovercraft? in relation with physics.

b) will this really work? like 1 inch above the ground?

please, im just curious. thanks :D 10 pts

Answer 1

Ur hover craft sounds to be too heavy, for the pc fan, ...... u can also try thermo col as base, n may require a high speed fan and u also require some kind of skirt around the bottom, anyway try to implement ur plan n hav these as alternativesn ,  good luck,

Answer 2

The atmosphere will press down on your hovercraft with a force of 14.7 pounds per square inch.  The fan will supply trapped air greater than 14.7 psig but must be more than enough to support the weight of the craft.  That will require an area x (pressure increase) that lifts the weight of the craft.  An apron surrounding the craft must seal air leakage by almost continually touching the 'ground' as the craft inflates and lifts  (a one inch gap likely will not trap air).  A large footprint with minimal increased weight for the model will help and it should be balanced to seal properly all around.  Connect the fan to one leg of an inverted U-tube filled with water and note the difference in water levels in the tubes (inches of water).  That is the maximum weight that can be lifted per unit area of the tube in square inches and that can be multiplied by the total area of the craft's apron to determine if the craft is too heavy.  Air leakage will reduce this maximum lift.  It may be necessary to keep a large (heavy?) battery pack external to the craft and connect it to the fan by wires.  A hovercraft also needs propulsion (fan) to move forward.

Answer 3

I have made hover boards that lift people and mini hover boards that barely lift themselves.

pc fan

plywood base

battery (2 double AA, 9V)

other stuff

a ) what is the significance of hovercraft? in relation with physics.

A: Hover board physics:  action/reaction forces, pressure/area, fluid flow.

b) will this really work? like 1 inch above the ground?

A: Yes it will work with a seal that allows air pressure to be maintained.  A one inch gap would be huge, so no not 1 inch above the ground. Even gaps in pavement will cause it to loose speed, or stop.

Best results is to use a light weight material with lots of surface area.  Like a paper plate, plastic lid, disposable plastic dish.

Locate the center of the base and make a hole a little smaller than the diameter of the fan.  Seal the fan over the opening. Attach battery case or batteries on either side of the fan for balance.  Attach fan wires to batteries.  This will start the fan.  Put the thing on the ground and see what happens.

Adjust size and balance of the base until it works.

Because what you are making works like an inverted air hockey table.  When it works it will glide across a floor like an air hockey puck.