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IvanGe wrote:with no skirt, chances that you can carry 16 rolls of pennies are close to 0. Unless you have some sort of a jet engine motor, it's not gonna be able to levitate 2 kg

I got put in to the event a month ago so I kind of just barely started and I have a squirrel cage motor. From past regionals I saw that most of the hovercrafts there didn't even work so my main focus was to just get a hovercraft working and so far I can get it to go forward pretty well with no penny rolls. I have also got it to go pretty well with 1-2 penny rolls.

IvanGe wrote:with no skirt, chances that you can carry 16 rolls of pennies are close to 0. Unless you have some sort of a jet engine motor, it's not gonna be able to levitate 2 kg

Seconded. With no skirt, it is almost impossible to carry 16 rolls of pennies. Without a skirt, my hover could only carry about 3 penny rolls.

It is possible to make a hovercraft skirtless but it requires top-tier build skills and a lot of power but it is possible to make one that carries 16 rolls. In the long run, you are better off with a skirt.

When I tried making a skirt it just didn't work so if you guys could offer some ideas, that would be greatly appreciated.

samuel.barlow003 wrote:When I tried making a skirt it just didn't work so if you guys could offer some ideas, that would be greatly appreciated.

People generally make skirts by using fabric or plastic (think garbage bags) to make "bags" on the bottom of their devices, usually by sewing or folding. Then, they poke holes (or something similar, like cutting out parts) in the bottom so air can escape.

It can be a tough and imprecise process, so often, there's a lot of trial and error until you find something that works

Yes, it is frustrating at times. Hint:Think pressure

Would having one hole like 1-3 inches in diameter in the middle be good.

samuel.barlow003 wrote:Would having one hole like 1-3 inches in diameter in the middle be good.

You might need more holes than that based on my experience. You could have one much larger hole in the middle (maybe 6-9 inches in diameter) or have ~16 or so of the small holes spaced evenly on the bottom of the skirt

Adi1008 wrote:

samuel.barlow003 wrote:Would having one hole like 1-3 inches in diameter in the middle be good.

You might need more holes than that based on my experience. You could have one much larger hole in the middle (maybe 6-9 inches in diameter) or have ~16 or so of the small holes spaced evenly on the bottom of the skirt

Yeah, having 1 large hole may cause unbalance/collapse in your skirt if you’re lifting ~16 penny rolls. I personally recommend having numerous holes, but it differs per Hovercraft. It need not be a specific number, but a good amount to lower the friction. Trial and error is the best way to solve this problem.

i had the best luck with a large rectangle hole. this way it traps air along the outside edge of the hovercraft.