Hovercraft B/C

[arv101]

do you guys want to hold a mock test sometime and see where we rank?

[reed303]

So for this year, the length of the track will ONLY be given at the competition?

Yes, at Div C. No, at Div B.
From Rule 4.g
"The length of the track of the timed portion is fixed at 165.0± 0.5 cm for Division B and variable between 165.0and 260.0cm for Division C. Supervisors will mark the distance on the track and provide the length (Division C only) during the vehicle testing."

[AShastri]

Does anyone know if you're allowed to use plugs?

[shrewdPanther46]

If you nean like an ac outlet then no. What do you mean by "plugs"?

[AShastri]

I don't know the exact name, but it is similar to this.

[rc2000]

Hey guys, I'm new to this event, but I have simple / intermediate experience with electronic components and circuitry.

Our Sci-Olympiad team is still relatively new, and Hovercraft isn't really a focused on build for us, so I'm relying on tutorials and someone who has been in the event before. I wanted to ask a few questions, sorry if they seem stupid.

1) I plan on using this motor. Thoughts? Is it too strong/ too weak? https://www.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wt ... LXEXSG&P=7
2) Is using two of the said motor efficient, as in using one to inflate the skirt as well? If so, what sort of battery would I be looking at. If not, what should I be using?

That's all I have for now as far as questions, thanks in advance

[QuantumEcho]

I need help with choosing a strong thrust fan for my Hovercraft. I am thinking about https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/2560449 or https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/5209819. Will anyone be able to give feedback on these ones, or suggest another one? Thanks in advance.

[Justin72835]

I need help with choosing a strong thrust fan for my Hovercraft. I am thinking about https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/2560449 or https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/5209819. Will anyone be able to give feedback on these ones, or suggest another one? Thanks in advance.

From looking at the specs you gave, I think the first one should be better for you. The main thing you should be looking at is the airflow. In this case, the first fan (241 CFM) has a better airflow than the second one (205 CFM).

However, speaking from personal experience, I'm not sure either would be good enough in the long term. One of my friends tried using a fan of 200 CFM (it's lower than the fans you were interested in, but still) for propulsion and it wasn't nearly as strong enough for the 16 penny rolls. Similarly, I tried using a fan from DigiKey (pretty similar to the ones in the links you sent) that had a CFM of about 250 and if wasn't strong enough to push the full 16 penny rolls. In fact, the most rolls I could get it to push was around 10-12. With that said, there were, of course, other factors that may have had an effect on this, including faulty skirt design or a maybe the hovercraft being too heavy on its own (w/o pennies).

I'm also still in search of good thrust fan to use, but so far I haven't found any commercially available fans that are strong enough and also within a good price range.

[vb]

do you guys want to hold a mock test sometime and see where we rank?

Yes, I would like to..
Thanks,

[dragonfruit35]

I don't know the exact name, but it is similar to this.

What would you be using it for? To turn the hovercraft on? In that case, since the rules don't specifically mention plugs as a component you can use, I would probably use a switch (if you need more than one thing to be switched, you could use a DPDT or DIP switch).