Homemade Hovercraft

About.com, Inventors, describes a hovercraft as a vehicle supported on a cushion of air supplied by a powered fan mounted on the craft. According to Dover Lock and Key of the Kingdom, it was invented by a British engineer, Christopher Cockerell, in 1956. In July, 1959, the Saunders Roe Nautical One (SRN1) became the first hovercraft to navigate the English Channel.

How cool would it be to own a hovercraft? For $200K you could buy an awesome one from Universal Hovercraft. I think that’s a little out of my price range.

Adam Savage of the Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters has provided plans for building a homemade hovercraft for a lot less. To build it, all you need are materials found in the garage:

• 1 sheet of ¾-inch plywood (get the cheapest you can find; quality is not an issue)
• 1 leaf blower (gas or electric)
• 1 heavy-duty shower curtain
• 2 rolls of duct tape
• 1 lid from a gallon paint can
• Foam pipe insulation
• Assorted screws

It doesn’t look all that hard. What do you think: are you ready to whoosh around your driveway on a cushion of air?