How About A Flying Hovercraft

If you’re an outdoors fan, and you’re looking for a better way to get around over water and land, you have to check out the Flying Hovercraft by Universal. Most hovercraft elevate just a few inches above the water and barely skim over the surface. The flying hovercraft is different.

Leveraging the aeronautic principal known as the “ground effect”, the flying hovercraft glides over water and land at a cruising altitude of 2 to 6 feet and can fly at speeds of 75 mph and more. The good news is that operating a flying vehicle in “ground-effect” does not require a pilots license. But you will need to register the flying hovercraft as a boat.

The flying hovercraft presents interesting possibilities for many commercial applications and is a great idea for the tourism industry if you want to offer outdoor enthusiasts a new and different experience.

The integrated wings enable the hovercraft to literally fly over water and land. Powered by a 130 horsepower twin-cylinder, turbocharged and fuel-injected, liquid-cooled gasoline engine. Propelled by a 60 inch wood and carbon composite propeller and an 1,100 RPM 34 inch lift fan inflates the durable vinyl-coated nylon skirt to hover above the ground.

The flying hovercraft can operate in fresh and saltwater environments and can maneuver over sand, grass, mud, swamp, desert, ice and snow at up to 30 percent inclines. The wings and horizontal elevator allow the pilot to literally hop over land or water based obstacles with the ability for brief 20 foot high jumps. These types of obstacles are usually insurmountable for normal or typical hovercraft,

You pilot the flying hovercraft with a joystick that controls three vertical rudders and the elevator. A twist friction-lock throttle controls forward speed. And a variable drive system controls the lift fan for hovering. You break or slow the hovercraft by lowering the lift fan RPMs which will cause the vehicle to come to rest on the Kevlar composite landing skids.

The flying hovercraft, with a low center of gravity and lighter weight composite fiberglass/PVC hull, can operate in winds as high as 25 mph and can navigate waves as high as 6 feet when in flight.

The two nine-gallon gasoline tanks hold enough fuel to enable a 160 mile range, and the flying hovercraft can support pilot and passenger payloads of up to 600 pounds. Dimensions are 19 feet in length, by 7 feet 8 inches wide, by 6 feet 6 inches high, and weighs 1,100 pounds.

At $190,000, the flying hovercraft may be out of reach for most people, but if you have the budget, this fun outdoor gadget will undoubtedly draw lots of attention and place you in a class of your own.

Available: Hammacher

Price: $190,000

Radio Controlled Hovercraft

I am really into RC gadgets at the minute and recently seen this Radio Controlled Hovercraft and couldnt help but blog about it. It may be the kid in me but i just love Radio Controlled Toys and think this RC hovercraft would be an ideal Birthday or Christmas present…..for me! (hint hint family and friends).

Radio Controlled Hovercraft Features

• The World Smallest Indoor Infrared Control Hovercraft
• IR Control: FORWARD, RIGHT and LEFT
• Indoor usage
• Simple charging system
• Length: 10.5 cm
• Usually ship on the same or next business day.

Included in the Radio Controlled Hovercraft Package

• The World Smallest Indoor Infrared Control Hovercraft
• IR Controller

The mini RC hovercraft measures just 10.5CM in length which means it can fit in the palm of your hand. The hovercraft is available in four different colours being blue, red, black and orange. Although I said it was an RC (radio controlled) hovercraft, it actually works with Infra-red meaning it generally needs to be operated with in line of sight of the RC unit.