Started a project with some guys at work, building a hovercraft. Seems like a pretty popular project, lots of folks out there doing it. I picked up a riding lawnmower off craigslist for $50 with a good running 11hp engine, we'll use it for thrust, and we'll get a 5hp-ish lawnmower engine to inflate the skirt.
I built a couple of proof-of-concepts, one with an electric leaf blower (the kids were skidding around the hardwood floors like air-hockey pucks), one with a gas blower (I push the kids around the neighborhood, it lifts up on a bag skirt). Lots of fun.
Looking at the riding lawnmower, it looks like a vertical shaft engine. Should be fun figuring out a way to get the output power to run the thrust prop.
Anyone else do this?
