 | This is the cutout for the main hull. I used the 2 inch thick pink styrofoam that is typically used in commercial freezers. It is very fine, which makes it a lot easier to cut and sand than coarser foams. | ||
 | I have now added the bevels around the edge of the main hull. The holes in the middle are slots for the batteries and electronics. The wood in the largest bay is 1/8th inch birch plywood. This slot has to support a 20oz battery pack. | ||
 | This is a closeup of what will be the electronics bay. I cut these holes using a dremel tool with router attachment. | ||
 | This is the bottom of the main hull. The part that has been hollowed out will guide a small portion of the lift air to the slit through which the bag skirt is inflated. | ||
 | Now the glass cloth and epoxy resin have been applied to the main hull. The epoxy resin gives a shiny finish and takes on a slightly yellowish tint. | ||
 | This is the piece of the hull that will fit over the main hull and enclose the electronics bay. The black spot is a permanent magnet taken from an old hard drive that, with its partner in the lid, will act as a snap-shut mechanism for the lid of the electronics bay. | ||
 | View of the bottom of the top piece of the hull. The rectangular channels at the front and rear of the piece will enable the thrust fan to draw air through the electronics bay to cool the batteries and speed controllers. | ||
 | Here I have sanded the epoxy resin and used a plastic putty knife to apply red acryl putty (the stuff used for auto body repair work) to the main hull. This fills in small gaps and makes the surface more level. | ||
 | Another view of the main hull with red acryl putty. | ||
 | And yet another view. This is the bottom of the main hull. The three pieces of plywood embedded in the hull are anchor points for the motor mounts. The bolts attaching the motor mounts will go all the way through the hull. The wood plates help diffuse the motors' vibrations across a large area of foam. | ||
 | Here is the main hull with paint masks applied. I taped on masks to retain good gluing surfaces in key areas that will be needed later. | ||
 | Here is the painted main hull with masks removed. | ||
 | The painted top hull | ||
 | This is the anchor-piece for the lift fan mount. It will sit flat across the top of the hull and the two aluminum bars attached to the lift motor will sit across the top. This is made from 1/8th inch birch plywood. | ||
 | This is the first time I got a rough idea of what the finished craft would look like. The hole has not yet been cut in the lift fan mount. The apparent color discrepancy is due to the fluorescent lighting in the workshop. All the previous pictures were taken in incandescent lighting. | ||
 | Another view with the electronics bay lid in place. | ||
 | Here the hole in the lift fan mount has been cut and I am preparing to cut out the lift duct. | ||
 | I used a jigsaw to cut out the lift duct. This was probably one of the most stressful steps in the completion of the hovercraft, as a near-perfect circle is critical. I have lined the inside of the duct with 1/16th inch flexible plastic strips for protection from propeller blades and debris. |
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