or would it sit there with its "skirt" flapping madly like a gibbon
2007-06-05 11:17:30 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It would lift slightly but almost immediately flip over. If you could find some way to stabilize the craft, it would be able to take off. But that's the real trick, and I'm sure if it were that easy someone would have done it by now, cause they sure as hell already have powerful enough fans.
2007-06-05 11:43:11 · answer #1 · answered by Goku 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it would not take-off in the aircraft sense, since the physical principle involved in the flight/take-off of an aircraft is in the design of the wings (or the rotor fins for a helicopter). A hovercraft might "jump" ahead with the help of a "mega powerful fan motor" and might even leave the water surface for a few moments, but since it's design does not help it to sustain the "flight", it crashes down into water. If the fan is powerful enough, then the craft might even topple over due to unbalanced forces (the mathematics of which can be worked out).
2007-06-06 02:43:16 · answer #2 · answered by lemmethink 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've not seen a gibbon with a skirt...
A powerful enough fan would in theory let it take off into the air.
However, the aerodynamics of a hovercraft would probably mean it would flip over or be stupidly unstable in the air.
2007-06-05 18:21:36 · answer #3 · answered by UppyJC 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every seems to recognize that the hovercraft will tip over. Good. Now, the reason for this is that the center of mass is *above* the exhaust shroud, making it unstable, like balancing a baseball bat on the palm of your hand. Like the and analogy, though, dynamic feedback could be used to stabilize it. It's more convenient, however just to put the propulsion unit *above* the center of mass, so the vehicle hands down like a ... well, like a helicopter.
2007-06-05 22:31:25 · answer #4 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would have to be very powerful. I'm guessing it would probably start to levitate & then flip over, probably in the direction of the air intake for the curtain & then plough in to the ground.
2007-06-05 18:25:35 · answer #5 · answered by Quasimojo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. the weight at the back (the fan's weight) will make it go down again, apart from tipping over.
2007-06-05 18:25:16 · answer #6 · answered by orinc 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would tip as it's not stable enough,
2007-06-05 18:58:36 · answer #7 · answered by Chris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋