My PBL Project

What Is a Hovercraft?

A Hovercraft is a vehicle that is supported by a cushion of pressurized air.

It is made to travel over any surface land or water.

They are known as air-cushioned vehicles.

Hovercrafts follow the law of Inertia.

According to ehow.com, A hovercraft in motion will eventually

come to rest because of friction and Newtons First Law.

Materials:

-Battery-powered or gas leaf blower or shop vacuum that can be set to blow.

-Plywood

-Heavy plastic sheet

-Small plastic disc

-Fastening hardware (bolts,nuts,screws,ect.)

-Woodworking tools (electric saw, hammer, drill, stapler)

-Chair

-Clamps or fasteners to attach chair to plywood

-Duct tape

-Foam pipe insulation

-Smooth floor (gymnasium, tile, lioleum, ect.)

Safety:

Make sure your chair is fastened correctly. Don't horseplay around the hovercraft. Make sure you have approval of your teacher before testing it out. Have someone assisting the person riding on the hovercraft. Make sure you have some kind of break to stop just in case.

Procedure:

1st: Get your already fastened and created plywood and heavy plastic sheet base.

2nd: Find an area with smooth ground like a gym, or a place with tile. Make sure its not carpet!

3rd: Assemble your already charged leaf blower onto the disk.

4th: Make sure your chair is attached well enough.

5th: Have an assistant sit on the chair and hold the leaf blower downwards.

6th: Turn on the leaf blower and the hovercraft should float off the ground.

7th: You can control the direction you want the Hovercraft to go by experimenting.

Principles:

The Scientific principles behind hovercrafts were first demonstrated by Sir Christopher Cockerell in 1955. He built a crude object out of a cat food can, a coffee can and some kitchen scales. He also came up with the name “hovercraft.” A Hovercraft is a vehicle that travels over land or water on a cushion of pressurized air. Air is forced under the hull of the craft and is contained by a tube or "skirt" of flexible material. A pocket or "plenum" of air is formed and the resulting pressure pushes the hull of the hovercraft up and away from the surface it is sitting on. Because the friction against the bottom of the craft has been greatly reduced, less energy is required to move it over the surface. This scientific principle is known as "surface effect". The air cushion also gives you smoother ride over rough surfaces.