We present here an introduction to reports and books discussing the design and construction of Light Hovercraft together with the key regulations presently available, those from the World Hovercraft Federation and the UK MCA.
Clicking on the front page image will take you either directly to a copy of the relevant document or to a location on a specific site where it is possible to read or/and download it.
There are some documents that are only available to club members, for example of the HCGB, HCC, and HCA. These are important documents, so we do recommend them.
Howard Fowler of the National Research Council of Canada carried out a significant programme of basic research into hovercraft, including hovercraft drag, propulsion, and small hovercraft design. These reports provide valuable practical insight into the performance and design for small hovercraft and are recommended reading! To locate these, go back to the menu and look under Light Hovercraft Technical Reports and Papers.
Racing Hovercraft are designed for high-speed performance in a highly controlled environment. Over the decades since the 1970’s their design has evolved to a geometry and mechanical installation that conforms to rules controlling engine(s) size and power and thrust limits. There are a number of these formulas, encouraging juniors and novices as well as experienced drivers to have close racing. The principal regulations for these craft are published by the World Hovercraft Federation.
Cruising hovercraft that are used on rivers and estuaries need to have a hull with buoyancy, freeboard, and floating stability suitable for a relatively exposed environment, similar in function to a motorboat. In the same way mechanical and electrical equipment need to be ‘marinised’, and equipment installed for emergency communications.
The construction side of Light Hovercraft is covered in regulations from the MCA, HCC, WHF and HCGB. We review the regulations in a separate page that you can find in the menu page.
The Hovercraft clubs in UK, Australia, and USA all provide guidance and training assistance for safe operation of craft at their events.
The HCC has guidelines for safe training and operations for cruising.
Fly Hovercraft also have guidelines and run courses.
This is a booklet prepared by John Vass of the Daily Express Newspaper in the early days of the Hoverclub of Great Britain. It was aimed at schools and youth organisations to build a hovercraft as a student project.
There are some useful tips and guidance that are still relevant today over 50 years later. Cushion and skirt design has developed significantly while the basic concept of the hull remains valid today, built from foam and glass fibre panels.
Click on the front page image to view.
Above, the cutaway drawing of Express Air Rider. You can view this as an image in a new window by clicking here.
This guide by Chris Fitzgerald and Robert Wilson, originally published by the Hovercraft Club of America is an equivalent to the Light Hovercraft Handbook published by the Hoverclub of Great Britain.
It introduces the physical principles and then presents cushions and skirt systems, hull design and construction, lift and propulsion systems and performance.
Click on the front page image to view.
This gives a detailed guide to building and operating craft using the series of craft designed by Bob Windt from the 1970’s to 2000’s. The first 50 pages introduce the principles of hovercraft followed by chapters covering all the aspects of building and operating a recreational hovercraft. There are chapters on selecting engines, fans and propellers, fabricating the bag skirts that were a signature part of Universal Hovercraft designs and details of hull and duct construction.
The guide also includes sample drawings based on the UH-18SP. These have been clipped to sections of letter size (8.5 x 11”) and make up the last 30 pages. Once taped together they make very useful reference material for the earlier chapters.
Bob Windt was a very practical person and so the guidance and technical material presented in the book is all based on his personal experience construction and operating his design series. He was also very active supporting schools running handcraft projects using hovercraft as an example to teach students about aerodynamics, mechanics, materials, manufacturing, and operations.
The UH series of hovercraft designs for home building are still available through Windborne Studio. Click on here to go to the Plans and Parts site, or here for driver training and experience flights at Fly Hovercraft. Windborne Studio has the latest updated version of the handbook together with drivers training guides available for purchase as well as the plans packages.
Click on the front page image to read the document.
Left, a UH-18SP and above a UH-13PT
This is the handbook to construction of a simple rectangular planform hovercraft that may be considered a training project for school students or enthusiasts. It was prepared by the World Hovercraft Organisation set up by Chris Fitzgerald and the Hovercraft Club of America.
The craft uses a single engine direct driving a propeller in a duct with a divider to provide lift air to the bag skirt. An alternative slightly more complex project might be an engine mounted lower and driving a Multiwing or similar multiblade fan via a vee or toothed belt drive.
Click on the front page image to read the document.
This is probably the earliest comprehensive design and build handbook published, prepared by members of the Hoverclub of Great Britain. It walks through the basic principles and gives detailed guidelines for design and fabrication of bag, segment, and loop and segment skirts. This is followed by Lift systems, Propulsion, hull design, a chapter on building a hovercraft and discussions of noise, driving for leisure, and racing.
Design of racing craft has moved forward in the last two decades with cushion systems often partitioned across the middle, and hull planform shaped with narrowed bow.
The handbook is now included on a CDROM published by the HCGB that can be purchased here. The CDROM also contains the HCGB construction and other regulations.
