How does a hovercraft work?

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What is a Hovercraft??

Rear Fan.

Body of Hovercraft.

Skirt.

This is a vehicle that can travel over land and water using pockets of air. The air is created with the use of propellers.

Cockpit.

Engine and gearbox.

The Origins of the First Hovercraft The creator of the first ever Hovercraft was Sir Christopher Cockerell. He wanted to invent a vehicle that had the capability to move faster on water compared to boats, while still having aspects of other transport such as cars and helicopters.

He began designing and creating his final Hovercraft during 1959, later to be known as the prototype SR. N1. It was capable of carryng 4 adult males and it could reach up to speeds of 28 miles per hour. After testing, it was shipped to France and it successfullly acrossed the English Channel from Calais and Dover.

THe Three Types of Mechanism

1.Open plenuim.

This type of propeller mechanism consists of the fan and the propeller. These features are to help steer and direct the vehicle as it glides across the water.

2. Peripheral.

This type of propeller uses a curtain; this traps the air that comes out of the fan. This is what creates a cushion of air.

3.Flexible skirt.

This mechanism is used to allow the cushion of air to remain trapped, so that it can glide across surfaces.

What Are Limitations of Travel?

The hovercarft can travel across a variation of surfaces such as ice, land and water. There are also more extreme specifications to accessable types of plains. This includes mud, sand, floodplains, river deltas, mangrove swamps and frozen glaciers.

The size of the hovercraft can effect and limit the movement. Smaller hovercraft can reach many areas from small to large. They are great to use for reaching destinations faster, oil rigs being a common place to go. However they can only provide so much room, and there are limitations on how many people can travel.

Larger hovercraft can only reach larger destinations.

It is helpful for survival relief efforts because they can carry more people. However, even though they can achieve more load on the vehicle, it can also move much slower and can have strain to control.

Air Blows Backwards.

Hovercraft Moves Forward.

Air Cushion Inside Air Blows Downwards. Skirt Supports Craft.

Different Types of Hovercrafts Small Hovercraft Smaller Hovercraft consist of two propellers, the large propeller gives the boost to the speed of the vehcile. The other propeller pushes air underneath the skirt which pushes aganist the surface so it can glide, the vehcile is for recreational use because it has minimal steering. It is used for fun and the adrenaline rush.

Medium Hovercraft Medium sized hovercrafts consists of more propeller they can usually consist of four propellers, they have similar functions to the small Hovercrafts but have more steering capabilities and can handle more weight. They can be used to transport people from different destinations with the medium sized vehicle having more room for more passengers, however it can possibly slow down the Hovercraft from it’s potential speed.

Large Hovercraft Large Hovercrfts are more powerful and consists more then ten propellers, due to being able to control and steer the large vechile. The large form of Hovercrafts can be used within many different senarios, they are used within rescue efforts to rescue to stranded survivers in largely based areas. They can also be used for the military to be able to take troops from different destinations but also carrying military equipment.

Large hovercrafts are not designed to be fast, there main purpose is to travel and transport with large loads and crago. When the Hovercrafts was becoming more popular within transport they created Hovercraft ferries. this was so that ordinary people could travel from land to sea without it costing as much with traveling by regular ferries or planes. However this method was unsuccesful especially with the weigh of people and cars being disproportionate and when travelling over seas when the seas wasn’t steady it would take longer to travel compared to it’s counter part the ferrie.

Princess Anne

One of the Largest Hovercraft in History

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Hovercraft

Advantages They can travel over almost over any kind of surface such as ice, water and land. When using high speeds to reach destinations faster.

It is more efficient than other vehicles such as helicopters, boats and planes.

They are also more affordable and appeal to wide variety of auidences.

Hovercrafts aren’t only just for fun but are useful to been able to help people during survival efforts saving people’s lives but also been able to carry large mass that is capable to travel across different plains to reach a safe location.

Disadvantages Hovercrafts can be quite loud when being used, this causes a lot of noise pollution and can be unappealing to people.

There can be a high risk of damage to the Hovercraft mainly due to it’s skirt, even though Hovercrafts are accessible to many people it can cost more to repair the vehcile for more than it’s worth.

Depending upon the size of the Hovercraft it can be difficult to control on different surfaces, when it’s on water it has stability and control than on land due to bumps and hills.