The craft is fully operational and although it can carry 3 adults i personally find it easier to carry 2 adults due to the nature of driving a hovercraft and having to shift body weight around ( especially when doing 360 degree spins hehe ).

The craft i would class as %97 complete, with only small details needing done to have it totally finished :

Things that could be done for personal preference :

1) Make and fit choke cable - craft starts fine without a choke but does flat spot until it warms up for 5 minutes.

2) Re paint exhaust system

3) Bonnet has external crack along L/H seam - make and fit a small bracket for under the bonnet

Update 15-02-07 - I have reinforced the underside of the bonnet along the crack with two layers of fibreglass so it is now repaired ( but not repainted as shown below )

CLICK PICTURE FOR LARGER VIEW

4) Add extra drain plugs in the floor to help drain water from engine bay when cleaning it.

Update 26th March 2007 - I'm currently in the process of adding extra drain plugs in the engine bay area. I've fitted 5 drain plugs to the engine bay area so now cleaning the craft is not so much of a chore ( previously having to mop water out after cleaning the craft was a pain in the ***. ) On the underside of of the craft i have made up 5 wooden blocks of wood ( second photo) that i will call 'protection plates'. I added these so that the protrusion of the drain plugs under the craft are not exposed to any object that the craft may come across and therefore the likely hood of knocking the drain plugs back up through the floor is very remote

CLICK PICTURES FOR LARGER VIEW

Things that should be done :

1) Clean radiator ? - In Dunedin the craft never seemed to run hot since adding a extra electric fan , but now that i live in the hot climate of Central Otago the craft runs a bit hotter than it used to. The radiator has never been checked if its clean so that should be looked into at some stage for peace of mind

Update 11th march 2007 - Just removed the radiator so i can send it away to get cleaned and as you can tell by the picture below part of the problem was due to living on a dirt road i ended up with approximately %20 of the radiator fins being blocked with good old Central Otago dust and dirt which obviously means only 80% of the radiator was getting air flowing through it. Anyway i've now cleaned all the fins out and will send the radiator away to get stripped and cleaned anyway.

Update 26th March 2007 - Radiator has been stripped and cleaned properly , apparently it was only %5 blocked internally but along with the dust blocking the fins externally im sure it will now handle the Central Otago weather. As a added measure i have also cut away the "AIR4CE1" words from the bulkhead to increase the air flow through the radiator, i will post pictures of the changes later.

CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW

Specifications :

Dimensions

Length 3.52m (11`6") + extensions total 4 meters

Width 1.98m (6`5") + extensions total 2.14m

Height 1.30m (4`3")

Total weight without payload (max) 400Kg (881lbs), weighed on 23-Jan 06

Cushion pressure not sure fully about this yet either

Empty hull weight - (no motor or parts, just purely hull and duct) 140kg - weighed on 17th Oct 05

Performance (all these readings may vary from the original plans so they are a guideline for now)

Hover height 230mm (9")

Speed -max 100km/h (i've currently taken as far as 60km/h over water and that's it till i'm more confident in how it performs)

Speed cruise 50km/h

Climbing ability

- Static 1 in 6

- Dynamic 1 in 3

Buoyancy not sure, would be more than original plans because i extended and widened the craft

Braking - None, relying on no hangover and good judgment

Hull - Monocoque, Epoxy resin bonded and sealed plywood

Skirt - Extended segment, individually fed, Chip bag on rear material- I'm going to try "polyester Oxford"

Steering - Multi aerofoil balanced rudders controlled by 2 marine push/pull cables

Engine and transmission

Engine - EA82 Subaru (1800cc) 4 cylinder, water cooled

Duct - 950mm diameter double skinned fiber glassed duct with internal reinforcing.

Fan - 9 Bladed Multi-Wing PPG 5ZL blades.

Drive train shaft size - 25mm

Gear ratio - 1.8:1

Fuel capacity - 25 litre plastic marine tank

Cooling system - B14 Nissan Sunny radiator, approximately 400mm by 600mm

Trailer Specs

Length = just under 6 meters from tip of drawbar to rear of trailer ( which used to fit inside my one car garage with about 50mm to spare)

Width = 2.45meters ( 50mm under maximum legal width )

Floor material = 17mm ply

Frame material = Brand new Duragalv

Suspension = Single axle Duratorque suspension which allows each wheel to move independently

Trailer type = Custom built tilt trailer specifically made for the hovercraft, allows the hover to be driven on and off the trailer with the least amount of effort.

Side panels = Aluminium panels make up the side of the trailer and the tailgate for guideance when hovering on and off.

Trailer weight = 400kg

Tyres = New tyres with new spare tyre attached to drawbar as well.

Accessories = Manual Winch mount to drawbar with 5 meter cable

Lighting = Fully LED equipped lighting front and rear

Updated 24-Aug-2008