HoverCraft! 10 points if you answer all?

Question

I need help.
I have looked everywhere and i cannot find
how it manoevres in the air.
How it combats drag, lift, thrust, aerodynamics,
how it stays in the air,
how it gets down safely

Answer 1

Hovercraft do not "fly" in the air, they hover a few inches about ground. They maneuver with a fan on the boat that has the hovercraft capabilities, and rotors that change direction.

A hovercraft doesn't really combat drag, which is why it is slow. Although there are exceptions, the larger the motor the faster the boat. It lifts because of the air that fills up the bags on the hovercraft. The air in there is lighter than the oxygen and carbon dioxide in our environment.

It gets down safely simply by slowing letting go of the air in the air bags.

Most of your questions were repetetive and required the same answer. Feel free to contact me via mail for further questions.

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Answer 2

Firstly, I would like to start about how a Hovercraft works. Hovercraft usually have more than one engine. Although some use a single engine coupled with a gearbox. One engine or shaft drives a fan at the bottom of the craft. This inflates a skirt, and lifts the craft up.

Another shaft or engine turns a fan at the back. This works in the same manner as an aircraft propeller and pushes the craft forward.

For directional control, a rudder is fitted to the rear of the fans that push the craft forward. The speed of the fan is raised or lowered to control speed and how high the craft is from the water/terrain. Some hovercrafts also have differential thrust. This is done by having two or more fans, but using more power on one than on the other to create asymmetrical thrust, which steers the hovercraft,

Drag is not eliminated at all, it in fact is always present. It stays in the air because the fan creates greater pressure below the skirt.

To "get down" all that is needed is to slow down the fan. Most hovercraft only skim the surface.

Answer 3

A hovercraft has a large skirt to contain the air cushion. So the fans that blow downwards can build up enough air pressure to lift the craft. But it does not fly, it only floats a few inches off the ground. This cushion of air is maintained by the fans. There are large fans with rudders on most hovercraft for thrust and steering. Enough thrust will overcome drag and inertia. When the engines are shut down the air cushion dissipates and the craft settles back onto the ground.

Answer 4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovercraft