Hovercraft

The goal for this project was to create a vehicle that, once actuated, floated on a cushion of air down a straight track. Bonus points were awarded for holding more weight (up to 16 rolls of pennies) and completing the run of a previously unknown distance in as close to 15 seconds as possible. My design was able to both hold maximum weight and allowed me to win 1st place in the state of Illinois.

I used a 12v DC motor and a 7.2V battery rated 5000 mAH to power the turbine that provides both drive and lift. This multi-functionality aspect of the turbine limits the excess weight on the device. Moreover, there is a skirt made out of a strong garbage bag lining the bottom of the hovercraft to increase the area that the wind from the turbine provides, therefore increasing thrust and weight the device can carry. Finally, I drilled a series of holes into strips of foam to hold the pennies to make the distribution of weight consistent between runs and therefore calibration of the device easier.