Lawnmower Mod

[Datech]

The title may be a little misleading, but you should enjoy it. Here is a lawnmower mod that me and my old high school engineering program did for two years:

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4009/hovercraft045wpqj3.jpg (http://img89.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hovercraft045wpqj3.jpg)

Yea, so its more of a hovercraft now than a lawnmower, but we used two lawnmower engines (5hp vertical drive in front, 10hp horizontal in back) and custom fabricated parts to make this beauty. Here are more pics:

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/6291/hovercraft035wpxn6.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hovercraft035wpxn6.jpg)

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5405/hovercraft032wplv8.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hovercraft032wplv8.jpg)

That was the first one, code name: Hurricane. It had a max speed of 45mph (achieved by yours truly) and performed well on both land and water.

The following year the same class built another, more powerful one, with me acting as a student advisor. Here is the finished product, which we took to Chillicothe, Ohio, to race at the 2007 National Hoverally:

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7886/hoverally2to6.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hoverally2to6.jpg)

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/8093/hoverally3hb4.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hoverally3hb4.jpg)

Me taxiing to, then waiting at the start line with my copilot watching. This one had a 10hp vertical on the front, and a 15hp vertical on the back. Due to the rear engine being vertical we had to create a system for it to drive the horizontal propeller for thrust. This cause most of our problems on race day, and ended up pushing us to last place in all our races. However, we were outclassed in the 25hp class that we participated in anyways due to the fact that most of our opponents used a 25hp single engine design, or a 22hp rear, 3hp front design to achieve maximum thrust. With this being our first race ever, we didn't really know what we were up against.

In 2008 my copilot and other racers went back with the white hovercraft, after severely modifying it, and took 1st, 3rd, and 4th in a variety of races. As far as the modding part goes, here are some pictures of our build process:

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2523/wpplowplanecompletezh2.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpplowplanecompletezh2.jpg)
The plow plane, or bottom of the hovercraft.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/1256/wpshapingthenose2ou1.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpshapingthenose2ou1.jpg)
Shaping the nose and lift duct.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8838/wpductteamsandinghd5.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpductteamsandinghd5.jpg)
Shaping the thrust duct.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5550/wpductshapedyj4.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpductshapedyj4.jpg)
Final thrust duct.

http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/936/wpattachingthewallsoa5.jpg (http://img392.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpattachingthewallsoa5.jpg)
Skinning the Styrofoam with plywood for strength.

http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/184/wpbalancingthefandq8.jpg (http://img392.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpbalancingthefandq8.jpg)
Finishing the lift fan. We buy the fan and the prop pre-cut, then we apply four to eight layers of epoxy and fiberglass for strength and protection.

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/2994/wppropandfanteamsi6.jpg (http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wppropandfanteamsi6.jpg)
Finishing the prop.

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/9141/wpoutthedoor1dz3.jpg (http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpoutthedoor1dz3.jpg)
The harrowing adventure of trying to fit a full size, assembled hovercraft through a door at a public school...

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/1220/wpoutthedoor4lp9.jpg (http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpoutthedoor4lp9.jpg)
Kinda like taking the little ship out of the bottle.

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/1681/wpoutthedoor10zk9.jpg (http://img388.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wpoutthedoor10zk9.jpg)
Out the door and on its way to its first proving ground test, which it didn't pass because the electric starts on the engine got wired to the dashboard wrong.

Feel free to ask any questions, and I have more pictures of the build process and other hovercraft that I may post later.

*Edit* Thanks for moving it, I saw the Misc Projects group almost right after I posted it. Dunno how I missed it. Also changed the name so people know what it really is.

[SXRguyinMA]

thats crazy :bowdown:

[xRyokenx]

That is awesome. I would love to build a hovercraft one day. +rep

[Zephik]

That is freaking cool man, good job!

I don't suppose you have any videos of this baby in action do you?

+rep and thanks for sharing such a cool project!

[Datech]

I don't have any videos myself, but I'll try and get one of the cool promo videos we made when I was still at the school. I found some videos of it on YouTube though.

This is from the 2007 Endurance race. It's a 30 minute long race that is open to all classes of hovercraft. IIRC, the winner that year was one of the guys from the 25hp class because everyone else's either crashed, ran out of gas, or in our case ran out of battery because a wire came loose. We're the white one at the beginning of the film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlhGZZZKyo8
rlhGZZZKyo8
This is from the 2008 FE class. It's the racers under 18, which usually means low powered hovercraft. In this case however, they let one of our junior racers race with the 25HP hovercraft since he needed real race experience before the F25 race. This gives you a good idea of how we really battle on the course, and watch for the crash around the 2 minute mark. We're the white 53 craft that isn't really focused on until the crash. We won this race because of the crash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goaZzvGu9yY&NR=1
goaZzvGu9yY&NR=1
A 2008 race that we weren't in, but it gives you a good idea of the speed and techniques and hovercraft designs in the F25 class.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnUp6BzMSBI&NR=1
mnUp6BzMSBI&NR=1
Here is a 2007 video of one of the faster classes. Most of these are SCATs, which are prefabricated designs than can go in excess of 60mph. Check out how much the black one slows down when he gets caught in the white one's prop wash in the beginning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds8BqDKv7k4&feature=related
Ds8BqDKv7k4&
If you compare the 2007 and 2008 vids you'll notice how high the water rose in that time. The 2007 track was awesome because you had 4 transitions from land to water, but 2008 only had one at the starting area.

If anyone is wondering about top speed, there is an unlimited class of hovercraft racers that have crafts that go upwards of 100mph. The sheriff hovercraft (yes, the Sheriff of Chilicothe, Ohio, has a hovercraft) used a radar gun on one of the F1 (unlimited) hovercrafts in 2007 and clocked him at 107mph. When I asked the owner about the engine, he would only mention that it was some sort of Suzuki motorcycle engine. Another guy there had a 1000cc engine from Honda, but he kept having problems with his prefab prop and never raced.

[jdbnsn]

That is insanely cool! Welcome to TBCS!!!

[Datech]

As something a little extra, I uploaded some of the cooler pics from the 2007 hoverally below.

Also, here is our high school hovercraft website for some more pics and a slight description on their build process: http://mchshoverclub.atspace.com/

One of the sleeker designs. This one won the F2 class iirc.
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7038/hovercraft039vr3.jpg

See those blue things on the side of the thrust duct? Those can be manipulated to divert thrust air forward, thus letting this hovercraft reverse.
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/450/hovercraft034wx4.jpg

The 'Blue Heron' having its skirt repaired after flipping.
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/8470/hovercraft042vh3.jpg

That's hawt...
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8963/hovercraft036pv2.jpg

And remember that!
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6585/hovercraft035cz0.jpg

These are manufactured thrust and lift blades that are usually used on F2 and F1 class hovercraft. They push A LOT of air.
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/5716/hovercraft028wf8.jpg

This is the guy with the Yamaha engine that couldn't get it working.
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3066/hovercraft027he7.jpg

He has judicial responsibility AND a hovercraft, and a shotgun...
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6274/hovercraft019qb2.jpg

Designed for crusing and pleasure rides.
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3632/hovercraft018ty1.jpg

Unfortunately he did not see any checkered flags.
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/9121/hovercraft016yq4.jpg

Another cruiser, this one with a retractable canopy.
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/1739/hovercraft015vn6.jpg

Another cruiser.
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/8100/hovercraft010ka8.jpg

Different type of design.
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/7817/hovercraft009ta4.jpg

Two hovercraft that were for sale, the yellow for $6500, and the orange for $8000.
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/6416/hovercraft008nx1.jpg

Not a bad paint job.
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/9927/hovercraft007yn6.jpg

The dusty red one in the back is the one that went 107mph. Doesn't look much different than any others does it?
http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/5048/hovercraft003fu4.jpg

Gullwing doors and attachable wings that are stored inside. This hovercraft can literally fly. I watched it fly for about 100 yards around 10 feet off the water.
http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/4538/hovercraft002wl7.jpg

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Awwwriiiiight! Hovercrafts (hovercraft?) rock. Great photos. +rep

On an unrelated note, your name gave me a chuckle...

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/gglaesemann/9238topview.jpg

[Datech]

Awwwriiiiight! Hovercrafts (hovercraft?) rock. Great photos. +rep

On an unrelated note, your name gave me a chuckle...

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/gglaesemann/9238topview.jpg

Oh jeez. I didn't even know about that. I came up with this name a long time ago, and when I created it I thought of it being pronounced as 'Day-tek'. Back when I played WoW, my Mage was named Datech. For those that don't know, mages could portal people to different parts of the world, and some mages would charge for it. You would not BELIEVE how many mages PMed me after I ported someone with, "Dang! Another port lost to Datech!!!" This is in response to the infamous loan commercials for DiTech, "Drat! Another loan lost to Ditech!!"

Now I just wonder if it was me or them that helped the US economy to be what it is today...

[SXRguyinMA]

thats funny :D