Popular Post Massa Posted June 15, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 15, 2021 Hi everyone, As I am a new here thought I would share a couple of my models. One of my favourites at the moment is this lovely Fusion 400 hovercraft which I purchased from the lovely people over at palaform. It is a single brushless rotor (lift and thrust) and is by all accounts a brilliant bit of kit. I have loved hovercrafts since I can remember. I used to live near the historical Dock yard in Chatham as a young kid and I remember a hovercraft chair which you could operate. This definitely peaked my interests in hovercrafts. I bought the kit during the first lockdown. I haven't managed to get it on any water yet but will take some shots when I do. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitroholic Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 Love hovercraft..and one day...I want to build one myself. but...as with many things...there are barriers. For me, it's a lack of places to run one. Most RC hovercraft won;t run on grass, and the open areas I have access to are all grass. I have very limited water locations to run...and...this is the kicker...none have anywhere I could go from land to water...which is the hovercrafts main trick. But they are still great things! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkbythesea Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 I face nearly all the same issues but still want to build one badly! I wonder how big/powerful they have to get before they can reliably work on grass? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkbythesea Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 Gotta say, today is piquing my interest - too much clean up and mank to be playing with cars or helicopters in this weather… IMG_6391.MOV 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massa Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 Hi, thanks for the replies, from what I saw the two fan versions (one for lift and one for thrust) are more likely to run on grass, this one is a single fan so the one fan provides list through some holes behind the prop.. Palaform offer some duel fan kits and having looked at the YouTube videos some are not loads bigger than this one. I would say this is a little bit smaller than a 1/10 car.. I think the "model hovercraft association" was the youtube channel which shows most of their range 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkbythesea Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 I’ve been looking at the Palaform offerings, I’m trying to decide if they’re great value or a little expensive for the twin motor kits as you basically get a bare moulding and skirt and little else - the YouTube pointer will be very handy though thank you 👍 I’m seriously considering putting together an AliExpress shopping list and having a go at scratch building something, largely because I think it’ll be an absolute hoot when the weather is too bad for the other fun RC things I have 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massa Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 I was in a similar place and a few showed how to do it on YouTube. Maybe in the future I will have another go. Now I know how they work, I think I would be more confident. In support of the palaform stuff. The chap I worked with was super helpful and offered step step advice and help. I didn't need a lot to be fair and their kit was pretty comprehensive. If I could have got hold of some strong polystyrene I would have had a go myself tbh 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkbythesea Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 Palaform have done a huge amount of R&D and moulding work to get a kit to production so I don’t begrudge them at all, I’m just a bit of a “have a go hero” with some of these crazier projects. I’m thinking of the kind of hard faced polystyrene that gets used in delta projects and stuff like this ekranoplan… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massa Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 Aha that is the stuff I would have used. I saw a YouTube chap with a hard polystyrene box lid and that did the trick very well. When I looked to buy some it wasn't cheap so I bailed and bought the kit 😂. I know what you mean about becoming hardened to having a go.. Every time I used to take my nitro track car out, it used to cost me at least £100 in parts after rolling it across a car park at close to 100mph 🤣😂🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massa Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 If I had a 3D printer this would have been my other route.. https://youtu.be/rCYRUXrFhZc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkbythesea Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 At your leisure could you please post some pictures of the underside and skirt arrangement on your fusion 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massa Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 @walkbythesea here you go 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massa Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 So basically the craft is two pieces. The skirt is taped in at the second to bottom image (above) then the top part sits over and join together. Then the skirt wrapped around and joined the upper part of the body. Hope it helps 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkbythesea Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Do you have an email address for the guy at Palaform? I messaged them through their website before the weekend and have had no response at all yet which is disappointing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massa Posted June 23, 2021 Author Share Posted June 23, 2021 On 22/06/2021 at 11:43, walkbythesea said: Do you have an email address for the guy at Palaform? I messaged them through their website before the weekend and have had no response at all yet which is disappointing. I don't, I usually ring him.. 07711-618-483 he is really friendly and helpful. I assume he runs it as a side gig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkbythesea Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 21 minutes ago, Massa said: I don't, I usually ring him.. 07711-618-483 he is really friendly and helpful. I assume he runs it as a side gig? Fair enough, I’ve not had time to phone but it sounds like it’s the way I’ll have to go - I never phone anyone as I work in a noisy ish environment 😂🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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