Odyssey of a Flying Boat

You may have heard the terms flying car, Android watch, or flexible phone, but no combination as crazy as a flying hovercraft. Unlike a typical hovercraft, this hovercraft by innovative tech company Hammacher Schlemmer can trudge through a 30% grade, soar at 70 mph, and climb 20 inches into the air.

Control

A centered joystick controls the three axes involved with flight (Vertical, Lateral, and Longitudinal Axes). The ailerons are configured as they would normally be on an airplane, in the back-center of each wing. There are three rudders made of fiberglass/PVC composite on the flying hovercraft in a carriage similar to a race car's spoiler. Just like a helicopter can hover to land, lowering the lift fan's rpm either decreases altitude or rests the hovercraft on a surface.

Engine
The challenge of creating a flying hovercraft is the intricacy of maintaining close contact between the air flow and the surface at high altitudes ("High" usually means 20 inches or greater for purposes of a hovercraft). To overcome this obstacle, the hovercraft uses a 130 hp twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled gasoline engine which is additionally boosted by a turbocharger and fuel injection. A turbocharged engine allows for a greater mass of air entering the cylinders per stroke. Instead of wasting energy, this engine type recycles the air by feeding it back into the cylinders. Air creates a low-pressure area and rationally provides more fuel for the engine while using the normal amount of power. Fuel injection keeps the engine efficient and running when temperatures rise or fall drastically.

                                                        Interior

The interior of Hammacher Schlemmer's hovercraft is similar to that of the Icon A5, with a minimalist yet sufficient design. The main interior controls consist of a boat radio, accelerometer, fundamental maritime gauges, keyhole activation, power switch, fuel gauge, throttle, and joystick. The joystick controls the elevator and rudders, while the throttle clearly controls speed.

Exterior

A carbon/wood composite 60-inch propeller adds the "flying" feature to the hovercraft by producing horizontal thrust. The thrust propeller maintains stable control of the hovercraft in 25 mph winds and waves up to 6'. A downward-facing 34-inch fan inflates a vinyl-coated nylon skirt and reaches 1,100 rpm. Twin 9-gallon gasoline tanks provide a range of 160 miles per fill. Of course, anything that flies needs to be as lightweight as possible. One of the lightest materials, carbon composite, can accommodate a total passenger weight of 600 pounds during flight. The technology used in the hovercraft's exterior makes the overall weight just over half a ton.

As perceived by all these features, one may wonder if this is the toy only Bill Gates plays with. The price tag of this hovercraft is $190,000, which a couple years of savings could pay for. Anyhow, the flying hovercraft is a great potential for emergency services which require quick access along quickly changing surface types. If purchasing this product is something in mind, drop by Hammacher Schlemmer's website and take a look at the videos which prove this flying wonder's capabilities.