The outrageous contraption was completely custom made, and built from the ground up by Randy over the course of several years. Due to the unique design of the vehicle he even had to make special tools in order to form some of the more unusual components. According to Randy, If it wasn't for the fact he was a mechanic by trade, and had support from friends and family, the project would have been impossible.
The Flying Hovercraft relies on a principle called 'ground effect' in order to fly. Ground effect is a name given to a phenomena which acts on all aircraft when traveling close to the ground. For example an aircraft coming into land experiences ground effect just before touching down. Ground effect describes the cushion of air which is caught between the underside of the wing and the ground when at extremely low altitude. This causes an increase in lift, therefore allowing the Flying Hovercraft to fly in close proximity to the ground with relatively short wings. The maximum altitude of the Flying Hovercraft is around 3 metres (9 feet)
Powering the craft is a 1.8 litre Subaru engine which allows for a 62 mph (100 km/h) + top speed and a range of 140 miles (225 km). When in flight the Flying Hovercraft can carry a maximum of two people totaling 160 kgs (350 lbs). But when in hovercraft mode the capacity increases to three people.
Amazingly, despite its ability to fly the vehicle is classed as a boat and no pilots license is required!
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