The basic principle The basic principle of an air cushion is that if you lift an object off the ground

using air you reduce the force needed to move the object. Because the object is no longer in contact with the ground the friction this causes (surface friction) is reduced, making it easier to move the object. This also implies that the smoother the surface the less the friction. This is also true. Uneven surfaces with rocks and other obstacles can significantly slow down or even stop and damage an air cushion vehicle if the chamber containing the air cushion (the plenum chamber) was made of rigid materials. Hence the use of a flexible skirt and the need for sufficient lift. This allows the craft to pass over (smaller) rocks and other uneven terrain obstacles without (too much) trouble or damage or slowing down. The basic parts That said with a hovercraft we can identify four basic construction necessities 1) The hull, below which is attached the skirt system 2) The carriage or cabin part which needs to hold the passenger(s), crew or freight 3) A Propulsion system to move the craft 4) The lift system to feed air into the plenum chamber below the craft in order to create the air cushion. Some hovercraft uses a single engine system to provide both the air for the plenum chamber and propulsion. The difficulty in using one engine is to provide optimal efficiency for both systems, dividing the power for propulsion as well as for the fan to produce enough air for the lift. Many modern air cushion vehicles use separate systems for air and propulsion. But advances in engines have made it possible to choose between one and two engine systems, especially for smaller, recreational hovercraft. Bigger, industrial, commercial or military hovercraft can have anywhere up to eight engines for propulsion and lift. Power-to-weight ratio Although an air cushion vehicle does not require the critical power-to-weight ratio precision as does an airplane in order for it to still operate, it is nonetheless necessary to consider the power-to-weight ratio at the design stage of an air cushion vehicle, rather than find out later that there isn't enough power to lift or move the craft. The power-to-weight ratio determines in large part the amount of ground clearance between the skirt and the ground surface. The greater this ground clearance the more efficiently the propulsion system operates. That is not to say that the higher the hovercraft lifts into the air the better. Lifting it too high will cause instability.

Such is the power of the lift that even a severely overloaded and miscalculated power-to-weight ratio hovercraft construction will still work, but it is far from ideal. Power-to-weight-to-strength - The hull of the hovercraft The next consideration for a properly functioning hovercraft is the power-to-weightto-strength ratio. This deals with the structural strength of the raft to be light enough to be lifted by the air cushion created underneath, yet strong enough to carry the weight of the engine, its passengers or payload. Air cushion vehicle hull construction is more closely based on aviation rather than marine constructions for the simple reason that aviation hulls are a combination of strength and lightness as opposed to strength as a priority. Although wood and plywood are often used, many hovercraft hull structures are made of aluminum (aluminium) skin, welded or riveted onto an aluminum web or frame. Enclosed spaces are sealed to provide airtight compartments for natural buoyancy. A hole in the center of the raft can be made to feed air to the plenum chamber beneath the craft. However, the use of new skirt techniques makes peripheral jets, led in from the edge of the raft through ducts, more sensible and more common. Other craft use aluminum honeycombed paneling to provide the buoyancy, and fiberglass and composite materials, such as PVC, are becoming more popular as they combine strength, lightness and buoyancy in a single material.

Introduction

Figure 1

A hovercraft is a vehicle capable of travelling over most surfaces on a cushion of air trapped under the body for lift. Air propellers, water propellers, or water jets usually provide forward propulsion. Air-cushion vehicles can attain higher speeds than can either ships or most land vehicles due to lower frictional forces and use much less power than helicopters of the same weight. Figure 1 above illustrates the operational principles and basic components of a typical hovercraft Specifically for our hovercraft, there are three main design groups: the lift, thrust. The arrangement of the hovercraft is similar to that shown in Figure 1. The propeller shown must be designed for a vehicle as typical fans act by creating vortices to mix the air, reducing the ejected airs translational kinetic energy and significantly reducing efficiency. We outline key features of the three main groups below. Lift System The hovercraft relies on a stable cushion of air to maintain sufficient lift. The air ejected from the propeller is separated by a horizontal divider into pressurized air utilized for the air cushion and momentum used for thrust. The weight distribution on top of the deck is arranged so that the air is distributed the air from the rear of the deck throughout the cushion volume in an approximately even fashion to provide the necessary support. The skirt extending below the deck provides containment, improves balance, and allows the craft to traverse more varied terrain. We maintain the rigidity of the skirt by filling the air-tight skirt with the same pressurized air diverted towards lift. Thrust System The air not directed to the cushion and skirt is propelled backwards, providing forward thrust to the craft. The size of the propeller, rpm output of the engine, and

height of the lift/thrust power supply is limited. Rudders are a main source of steering and are attached to the rear of the duct to direct the flow of air and the direction of the subsequent momentum transfer from the air to the craft. The driver controls the movement of the rudders through a joystick located in the front of the craft. A throttle on the engine situated next to the driver allows him to vary the speed of the craft, allowing for a smaller radius of turning once proper driving techniques are mastered. Because of the air cushion effect, the driver may influence the steering by shifting his weight nearer to any of the four sides of the deck. For example, a shift right turns the hovercraft to the right In the remainder of the report, we discuss our design and construction processes, the results from testing the craft, the problems associated to our design and construction, and possible improvements.