Jeff Rossi has asked all Northwest Hovercrafters to come do a shake down cruise/camping trip on the Stilliaguamish River in Arlington 98223 for the month of may! date to be announced soon!
Contact me at the email on the bottom of the page
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Any one needing help getting there craft flying this season should plan on meeting the group with there craftt in marysville every weekend for at least a month. Bring all your parts and materials that you need built or installed with you.
Contact me at the email on the bottom of the page.
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Its official we have a new venue for the "North West Hovercraft Fly In" this year. Just look to the left to click on the page. Were going all out from here forward to make the North West Hovercraft Fly-In your destination every year.
Let's give a big shout out to Curt you'll find his link to the left. He is our newest club member. Will get some photos of his build up very soon (160hp Prospector SEVTEC).
He is building what we are calling our club craft. One thing about our group is we want you to fly as soon as possible so we all meet at your craft on a regular schedule to help burn through the hours of time it takes. Were all about flying! Our goal as a club is to be able to get craft flying in just a few months. Were working on jigs and having members specialize in certain sections to help speed the build.
We are setting new standards for the SEVTEC craft that correct and make the original drawings much more user friendly for a end product. What we like to call bullet proof. Will post all the specs for those thinking of joining our group or having a spec craft for there club.
We are not promoting only SEVTEC craft or it as our spec club craft but we have adopted new specs for the build products for what ever craft you choose to build. We have UH and sevtec crafts currently and would like more types if they can do the job.
Thats what this club is all about. Getting the JOB DONE and flying. A new guy to the club needs only to want to operate a craft & not be a builder solely. We will all help you build the best craft possible. If you can build a model airplane or boat you can build a hovercraft with help from guys that live it and dream it everyday.
If you would like to have the group help you with the build we ask that you be able to budget about $1000.00 a month into parts and materials. You'll find that to build a proper craft to our specs no matter who designs it will run you about $500.00 a foot. Will be able to build or install a $1000.00 of your hard earned money a month. you should be able to build about 1.75ft per month or so to give you a idea of the build time and pace.
We would really like to say "every one come build a craft with us". But the truth is were a flying club so if you cant budget the money for the build monthly we ask that you take what ever time you need to get all te parts or the money saved up before we begin your craft. No one wants to start a craft build that will not get finshed. If you are the builder type and want to tinker with a project in your garage for years then our hats off to you for finding what you love to do.
If you want to build a craft to your specs you will find it easier to do it on your own then with the club group. We know what it takes so unless you have built two or three crafts you'll find it hard to get guys intrested in your design ideas.
Your club spec craft will be perfect and rugged. It will be able to carry you and your gear with out question in a reliable way weekend after weekend.
You could build cheaper (by yourself) but you end up with more of a toy than a craft that can travel with our group. So far every craft we have that has been plans built had to be torn down and rebuilt totally to stop all the break downs and huge amount of waisted time on maintaining inferior parts and material. The ones that we have not rebuilt are parked in drive ways rotting away becuase no one wants to fly them.
Let me give you a idea of what were after in a craft build.
Simply said if your going to be flying with us you need to be able to keep up with us. If you bring out a inferior craft it simply ruins everyones weekend and puts you in danger and in danger's who's trying to help you get back going for what ever reason. There is a reason for each and everyone of these design updates. We have had to or need to do these to every single craft. There fore there is no reason to start out with them.
- No wood at all
- 10 HP per ft.
- double the rudder surface area
- All composite structure aircraft type foam (density #'s doubled over drawings)
- No epoxy all polyester resin
- fiberglass weight tripled over drawings (24oz glass for the most part)
- Skirt material 44oz and doubled on wear area's to 88oz
- All marine wiring to marine NE MA specs
- All automotive engines for at least the thrust if you have to have two
- craft has to have a cabin with heat and wiper that at least covers the pilot and co-pilot for fowl weather flying
- the trailer should load and unload on land. (were working on a spec club trailer as well)
- Marine radio and speakers with gps plug in option you can hear and use while flying as a group (basic cheap radio today will do this stuff)
- Some type of gps that is mountable and has out puts to your marine radio
- all hardware will be galvanized or stainless
- Engines will be thoroughly coated with paint or powder coat as well as all exhaust systems will be very muffled and stainless
- the craft should be able to do 50mph or close to it fully loaded
Most people after seeing a plans built craft or building a plans built craft wonder why the drawings don't have these types of ideas in them from the start. Were not sure either but it most likely had more to do with engineering to the minimum of what it takes to fly. Not taking into account we would run them fully loaded and make our cruise speed twice as fast 10 or so years ago.
Plans built craft usually will handle very well in a no wind situation and feel pretty peppy. Also when the drawings were done when the engines were using today were not even in cars yet so they were using old soob's and lawn mower's they had . Another thing is all the original craft were built for the most part on the theory I can build it for less watch me. twin engine craft are derived from simply trying to get the HP up and the weight down. When aluminum engines came into play from the automotive side the need for multi engine craft have all but vanished except for those that enjoy the design idea. Both craft can be operated the same way. For instance with a geo engine you can have more power than running two lawn engines for the same or less weight. Also hundreds of $$$ dollars less.
There is a mis-conception lawn tractor motors are cheap.
Today were building craft that are more based around small performance kit aircraft. The same material same horse power and props and were cruising long distances with minimal issues just like modern kit plans. If a float/boat plane of this size would haul 1600 lbs of people gear and fuel I think you would see a end to hovercraft. Since they can't with out a wing span of a spruce goose and as many engines, will be hover crafting for many decades to come.
Why hovercraft? hmmm
well for starters boats average 1mpg (average)
Hovercraft average 10mpg or so
Aircraft can easily get 20mpg (less with floats)
Hover crafting is different and easy to learn. Every moment is like being in a high performance vehicle in a four wheel slide. Its like being the driver of the car in a high speed chase seen from a movie. But the passengers have no idea because only the pilot knows what way the craft is actually headed in since its pointed in another direction.
If you have not been in hovercraft and behind the stick or yoke then this will become very obvious your first time piloting your craft. There is a sensation piloting that is very primal. It pulls the ten year old right out of you. I like to think of it has the car chase in Gone in Sixty Seconds (the first and real one). The car never drives around a corner it floats and slides. then you come up around a corner and there is a sand spit in front of you at low tide. its just like the car chase through San Francisco. Your hauling butt up the Sand spit hill and the next thing you know your over the top. the skirt is still attached to the ground but it feels like your flying through the air on a world record jump because of the weightlessness of the down hill slide with the skirt cushioning the drop back into the water.
I have a particular spit up by Coupe ville and Oak harbor where this years Fly In will be. The tides of the bay emptying create a spit jump that must be 20 ft tall and the ramp is 150ft long maybe. its a rush to be on the water them cruising or the dune off the top of the dune like motorcycle jump and then back down the back side which is twice as steep.
Our when the tide is way out and the Beach's are really exposed and steep. you can be running down the beach up by the houses when the water is so far away. the craft is pointed on a 45 degree angle up to keep you pushed on the hill and the craft in a forward momentum at say 40 mph. Its must be a great site to see from in a home on the water because it gets the cameras out and the waves and smileys. What grown up doesn't wish he could go out and play like a little kid again. the best part is your wife, kids or buddy right next to you just feels a perfect smooth air cushion ride.
When you hear some one say it rides like a Cadillac after you have flown down a beach. It wont take long for you to correct them and say it rides like a hovercraft. I love to take people out that don't like boats. get them on the river and crank it up and they will be standing there looking for the windscreen and talking and forget all about your on the water. there brain tells them some thing else is happening since it does not feel like a boat or corner like a boat. A river run is more like a back country road in your Cadillac with the her top down.
And really whats better than the river cold beer in the cooler and having her top off showing it all to the world knowing every one watching wishes they had her themselves. You could buy the wife a boob job and take her to the beach and show her off or you could build a hovercraft for less money and take her to the beach and show her off with out a top on! besides which one to you want to hear scream'in across the bay while your headed out to do some fish'in.
Just one of the great places were we meet and fly. Imagine your craft in this picture. Were here every other month.
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You don't need a hovercraft to belong to our group!
Power boats-sail boats-jet ski-airplane-helicopters-submarines.
We are really a camping and BAR-B-Q group.
Every month I get emails on how some one can get involved. Its easy just show up. We have guys with hovercraft's that will give you rides or take you and your gear out to the camping location. We could really use some boaters in the group.
Were serious about getting people out and cruising. so serious will help you build fix or repair what ever kind of craft you have. Boats, planes & hovercraft.
All meetings WILL BE THE SECOND WEEKEND of every month. Everyone is welcome send us a email so we don't leave with out you!
This year were going to start meeting at different places again to shake it up a bit so email us so your in the know! If you like camping pack up your gear and meet up with us. Were going to camp at some state parks.
Do you have a passion for flying inches above the ground? Are your lawn mowers missing engines? Are you more into skirts than your wife or daughters?
We have a group for you Builders & Owners.
Welcome to the Northwest's very own hovercraft cruising group.
If you have a hovercraft or in the process of building in the Great Northwest then come hang out with us. We meet monthly for lunch, cruising and to talk hovering, as well as building.
The goal of the Northwest Hovercraft Cruising Club is to organize day and overnight trips. It's time to cruise with other hovercraft's. Time to share good times with people that enjoy and share your obsession with tinkering and flying.
We meet at one location in Western Washington. Every month we encourage more people to get involved. We would really like you to be involved, no matter what stage of the hovercraft process you are in, cruising, building or planning.
With there being so few of us, we low flyer's need to stick together!
Take the time to consider joining the group.
Contact me at Watercatwn6535nd@yahoo.com for meeting dates and locations.
