wood frame Hovercraft

Has anyone on the forum built a wood frame Hovercraft. I would like to know the quality of their plans. I called the company and the phone is disconnected with no forwarding new number. Are they out of business? Thanks much, Stan

 

You mean this company Stan?

http://www.hovercraft.com/content/index.php?main_page=index
cheers
Richard

 

That is the company I tried to call and the phone is disconnected. I got to their site from your posting "river boat on the amazon" which caught my interest and I thought "might be fun to have one of those" with wings. I'm a 50 year licensed pilot. Not active now though. Stan

 

kroberts was the one to point to them at the thread mentioned!
Give him PM! He said he built one.
Yeah nice idea that wing craft, could attract me too!
Cheers
Richard

 

I bought some of those drawings. I'll give em to you if I can find them. They are horrible drawings. Useless. And I should know, I was a drafter/designer for 10 years. Now a drafting manager/project manager.

You are better off understanding how a hovercraft works and come up with your own design IMO. The drawings showed a sketch of a hovercraft and an old blueline of some full sized framing. No details, No sections, just a plan and elevation view. Certainly drawin on the board, which looks really nice to me, but was probably drawn in the 60's. Problem is, the info to build it is not in the drawings. The information to build is in a pamphlet that they give you on hovercraft theory and design. They give you some fiberglass technique, and some hp curves for determining engine size, wood selections, bag designs, etc. The info is in the pamphlet, not in the old bluelines.

I think you'd be better off talking to the guy that is still playing with his skirt on the forum. He knows how to build it and what the best choices are.

 

I have no idea why the phone is disconnected. I was hovering with the members of that company last weekend, and I was at their shop a month or so ago. They were all busy working.

I have built a UH-18sp (foam) from their plans, and I used to have a UH-12r (stick) for which they don't list plans on their site but they still carry if you ask.

I don't believe that any of their currently available plans are from any further back than the 80's or 90's. The company has been around since the 60's though, and as incomplete as the drawings are the company founder is an aeronautical engineer. They are probably the biggest supplier of plans and parts for hovercraft, and their designs work as advertised. If you want plans for a fast hovercraft that performs well, then this is the only place to go.

A lot of people have complained about the drawings. I've talked with Bob about it (the founder) and he replied that most builders don't follow them as closely as they are supplied anyway. Hovercraft builders have no respect for details as chosen by someone else. They always have a better idea and they never build exactly per plan.

FWIW, I did build my craft from the plan. I had some points where I went to the Universal Hovercraft shop to look at what they did on theirs, and some more where I looked at other hovercraft at events. It's not all clear at first, but it does all work.

The point at which I disagree with mudman is in experience. There is as much hovercraft design experience in Universal Hovercraft as there is anywhere. Bob was in the original Australian hovercraft race in the 60's, when people found out what a hovercraft was after they heard about the race and then built something to compete. I know several of the people who competed, you can't be active in hovercraft events in the central USA and not meet some of them. There is no way you could build a better machine the first time, or the second or third, than what you get with the plans.

The Universal designs take into account a lot of things that happen on hovercraft that you would never think of. There are dozens or hundreds of examples of every model out there, and the more common ones I would be so bold as to say thousands.

I can offer a whole lot of tips for building if you want. You can also look at the forum on http://www.hoverclubofamerica.org and browse. There is a huge group of Universal plans builders, and a huge amount of experience from all sorts, from engineers to backyard builders. I am "ken" on that forum. If you intend to actually build, then I would suggest you get a membership on that forum and start asking questions there.

 

Just got an email back from Bill at Universal Hovercraft. He says his phones work fine, and for me to make sure you have the right numbers:


Ph: 815-963-1200
Fx: 815-963-1211

I just verified that the voice number works by calling it. They have multiple lines on that number, so calls should get through.

Edit:
They moved not so long ago. You may have called their old number. I have verified that the correct number is on the front of their web site and in the "contact us" section.

 

I'm sorry, usless may have been harsh. I do not want to discourage anyone from being creative and building one of these truely fun crafts.

The frame work is there, and that's what is important. The cockpit, skirt, and engine bay will require some improv. It does not look very complicated, and some things are left up to you. You really don't have too many options, just small details. You will have a unique one of a kind craft with these drawings.

I was disapointed in the drawings, because I wanted something cut and dry, showing all detail and everything spelled out for me. These drawings will give you the basics for building a tried and true hovercraft. They are not fabrication drawings. Do not expect them to be converted into cad and put on a C&C or anything like that. My problem is that I just wanted to drive it, and wanted to build this as if it were a kit.

Many, many people buy these drawings, and they do build working hovercrafts from them. I know that Universal Hovercraft will gladly answer any questions that you have during the building process.

 

Mudman,

I have heard your complaint before, and so have they. It can be disconcerting to not know where to put every last bolt, if you're inclined that way.

I know that started deviating from plans about half way in. Half way into the plans, that is, not half way done with the craft. Someone who builds exactly to plan will still have plenty to improvise, you are right. However people who build hovercraft generally want something different than what everyone else has anyway.

There are two other plans producers in North America that I know to be reputable. Sevtec is in the Seattle area, and Canair is in Canada somewhere.

Sevtec plans, last I heard, came on 11x17 sheets but are a bit more complete as to drawings of the whole craft.

Canair plans are evidently every bolt, but I have never seen them. They are around $250 for the plans, rather than $50. But you get plans for a machine and you can buy from the parts list, close your garage and build it in a vacuum, never to visit another store until it's done from what I've heard.

Neither Sevtec nor Canair build fast machines though, and FWIW I would stop following the plans long before I noticed the extra detail.

 

I thank all of you for your responses. Really appreciate it. Now, my studies
will begin. Does not look to difficult to me. Much thanks, Stan