A hovercraft works by forcing air out beneath it, creating a cushion of air to float on. Hovercrafts usually have a “skirt” that surrounds the base to contain the air; in this project the CD is light enough that it doesn’t need a large cushion, so no skirt is necessary. The balloon acts as a pressurized gas chamber.

The Hovercraft Project equips students with the applied skills they need to succeed in any area of their lives. This project integrates classroom learning with the construction of a low friction vehicle called a hovercraft….and yes, they ride it.

HOW MUCH DOES A HOVERCRAFT COST? Our recreational hovercraft are available for as low as $19,500 and up to $36,000 with options. Rescue hovercraft range from $28,000 to $79,000 and commercial hovercraft from $36,000 to $90,000. Trailers range from $3,000 to $12,600.

The first technique is kinesthetic steering. This occurs when the pilot leans in the direction he or she wants the hovercraft to turn. This increases the drag between the skirt and the ground on that side, causing it to move more slowly than the other side. This causes the hovercraft to turn.

So, if I stop on the water, will it sink? No. We’ve thought of that and all BHC hovercraft float like a boat. If it is completely swamped (i.e. full of water) it will continue to float as it has plenty of flotation foam fitted.

The advantages of Hovercraft:

• They can travel over almost any non-porous surface.
• They can operate to and from any unprepared beach or slipway.
• They take fast, direct routes compared to a conventional marine vessel.
• They are suited to operations in disaster zones or areas with destroyed infrastructure.

THE two hovercraft that have travelled between Dover and Calais for more than 30 years begin their final week in service today, forced into retirement by competition from the Channel Tunnel and passengers’ demands for more luxury.

Christopher Cockerell

137.4 km/h

A hovercraft can’t climb steep hills (much over 20 degrees or so) or travel over extremely rough surfaces (bushes or small shrubs or tall stiff grass for example). They can’t travel over surfaces that contain long sharp objects (branches, roots or large sharp rocks) that could damage the skirt or hull.

Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull, or air cushion, that is slightly above atmospheric pressure. The pressure difference between the higher pressure air below the hull and lower pressure ambient air above it produces lift, which causes the hull to float above the running surface.

Hovercraft can go over water, mud flats and even flat land at relatively high speed. That means aircraft either land or take off over a marshy area that merges to mud banks.

A hovercraft has what’s called a skirt to contain the air. When the air blower is turned on, this skirt creates a pocket that traps the pressurized air. That pressurized air is what gives the lift to make a hovercraft work.

The Isle of Wight Hovercraft is the last remaining commercial hovercraft service in the world. It operates a regular timetable transporting passengers between Ryde and Southsea in Portsmouth, with excellent connections to both road and rail networks on either side.

Hoverspeed was a ferry company that operated on the English Channel from 1981 until 2005. Hoverspeed last operated hovercraft on its Dover to Calais service. They were withdrawn on 1 October 2000 and replaced by Seacat catamarans built by Incat.

Wightlink is running a revised timetable until Tuesday 13 July 2021. We apologise if we have changed your sailing. This is because of an engine problem on our largest ship Victoria of Wight, which has been withdrawn from service for repairs.

We’re Good To Go The Isle of Wight is good to go. To protect the health and wellness of everyone out and about exploring the Isle of Wight, local businesses are implementing a range of new measures in line with Good to Go criteria – giving you the confidence to visit and discover everything the Island has to offer.

A Google Earth image shows the three fast ferries at anchor in a shipbuilding port in Abu Dhabi, tied up together on the right. They have been relocated to a commercial port in Alexandria, Egypt, according to an online posting by an observer who said they were “covered in dust.”

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