Hover Craft Science project due May 7

[EddieandKhalid]

How can I get my hover craft to move? It rises, but will not move. I've even tried rebuilding the entire thing.

[rmarz]

EddieandKhalid - I don't know what hovercraft design you are using, but it sounds like you are missing a horizontal force or vector to propel the craft directionally in the horizontal plane. You said it lifts, so you may have achieved a state where there is little friction relative to the force of gravity. It is somewhat stable in this state, although I would guess that some imbalance in the way the air seal is achieved would create a bias, or tendency, to move in some direction, although uncontrolled. Usually there would be another force created by vectoring some of the air used in the levitation through a directionally controllable nozzle to give give a directional force component. It might even be an external propeller that is directionally controlled as in an airboat. Perhaps if you could share some of the design details of the hovercraft the experts could help focus in on the specific problem.

Rick Marz