A DIY Electric Ridable Hovercraft Built on a Budget

Bladerunner-style hovercrafts are pure science fiction, but we do have hovercrafts here in the real world. Instead of soaring through the air using unobtainium or something, they float just over the ground (or water) on a cushion of air. That air comes from a blower that constantly refills the air pocket to keep the cushion stable. The largest hovercraft in the world is the Russian Zubr at a whopping 187 feet long, capable of carrying 360 troops or three battle tanks at up to 69mph. At a more modest scale, James of the ProjectAir YouTube channel built this DIY electric ridable hovercraft on a budget.

James started by building a small model, which used a single RC airplane electric motor for the blower. A second motor with propeller provided propulsion and a servo motor actuated the rudder. By experimenting with the scale model, James found out that a donut-style air cushion skirt performed the best. That arrangement has an outer skirt that itself inflates, which allows for consistent air flow. The scale model helped James understand the direction to take with the full-size hovercraft, which followed similar principles.

The full-size hovercraft’s body is thick open-cell foam to keep the weight down, with a minimal wood frame to provide structure. The air cushion and skirt fill with air forced in by four EDFs (Electric Ducted Fans), which push far more air than simple propellers. Those receive power from large hobby lithium battery packs through beefy ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers). Two brushless DC motors paired with large propellers push the hovercraft forward. A throttle lever controls their power through additional ESCs. Airplane-style linkages actuate the two rudders surrounding the propellers and James can adjust those with a steering wheel.

There were some mishaps, including a dislodged EDF and a deformed rudder that collided with its propeller. But James was able to fix those in the field while testing the hovercraft. He and his father were able to successfully pilot the DIY hovercraft, proving that anyone with a modest budget and an imagination can do the same.