How a hovercraft works: - Science MasterMinds - Home

How a hovercraft works: A hovercraft is a vehicle that glides over a smooth surface by hovering upon an air cushion. Because of this, a hovercraft is also called an Air-Cushion Vehicle, or ACV. How is the air cushion made? The hovercraft creates vents or currents of slow-moving, low-pressure air that are pushed downward against the surface below the hovercraft. Modern ACVs often have propellers on top that create the air currents. These currents are pushed beneath the vehicle with the use of fans. Surrounding the base of the ACV is a flexible skirt, also called the curtain, which traps the air currents, keeping them underneath the hovercraft. These trapped air currents can create an air cushion on any smooth surface, land or water!

This diagram shows how the air vents moving through the hovercraft create the air cushion below the craft for movement using the following labels: 1) propellers, 2) air currents, 3) fan, and 4) flexible skirt. (Wikipedia, 2007) How does the air cushion beneath the hovercraft allow the vehicle to glide to freely? The key to the ease of movement is reducing friction. The air cushion beneath the hovercraft greatly reduces the friction of the vehicle, allowing it to glide freely upon the land or water below. Create your own Hovercraft 1. Using hot glue, attach water bottle valve (Poland Springs Fluoride Water) to the top of a CD 2. Place balloon over the top of the water bottle valve 3. Open water bottle valve and blow up balloon 4. Close water bottle valve to hold air in balloon 5. Place CD hovercraft on flat surface 6. Open water bottle valve to release air under CD The CD is evenly weighted and has a very flat surface so the air lifts the entire CD off the surface of the table. The layer of air between the table top and the CD greatly reduces the friction between the two surfaces so the CD hovercraft can glide easily across the table.