We got to have a go on a hovercraft, thanks to a non-sequitur on Citation Needed! MATT: / unnamedculprit | TOM: / tomscottgo HOVERCRAFT: • HOVERCRAFT: Citation N... This week's Citation Needed episode: • The Sark Football Team...
My assessment as an observer: Chris definitely seems like the kind of person who "gets it" when it comes to practical activities. Whereas Tom and Matt are a little nervous, and Gary knows the details academically but translating them into practical is hit-or-miss.
Fun fact: my teacher used to teach A-level DT, and with his groups he would enter into Hovercraft racing, where they would make their own. They represented England in the world championship and came second I think.
Chris did look an absolute natural on the hovercraft, I'm guessing that is because he drives a lot of quad bikes at work, doing his park ranger-ing. Water jet-pack-things? Oh lordy, that means we get the delights of Gary Brannan in his Speedos. Hovercraft are a great subject for videos though, from the "invention" by Christopher Cockerell, through the epic 1960s SRN-4s which were up there with other amazing contemporary UK things like the Hawker Harrier, Concorde, TSR-2 and Fairey Rotodyne, to the modern day massive US LCAC (landing craft air cushioned).
Matt and Tom were slightly wrong when they said that you have to be good at driving a hovercraft to join in with competitive hovercraft racing. Actually, In the Hovercraft Club of Great Britain, there is a Novice formula, for new (inexperienced) and returning drivers, as well as a junior (11-16 year olds) Formula. This means to come along and join in, you only need membership, a craft to race, transport to the events, and enough money to pay for fuel and entry fees. although this can be quite expensive, the atmosphere around the events is amazing, and everyone is always really friendly, and itd be great to see more people coming and joining the hovercraft racing community.
Our town drunk and tree surgeon was once arrested several times for being drunk in charge of a bicycle. But he was towing a 30ft ladder. Through the town.
8:05 SO THATS WHY when the hovercraft ferry comes in it comes in at full speed up the concrete ramp to the disembarking zone and brakes at the very end. Because if it slowed dow it would sink! Thanks Tom!
The big ferries have separate engines for the skirt and for thrust, so, no, they wouldn't sink if you turned off the thrust. They come in full speed for the sake of their schedule.
@@HiddenWindshield They come in full speed for the sake of getting onto the ramp more easily. I don't think those few seconds of full thrust make much of a difference on the schedule.
MATT AND TOM: Check with your local laws, but DUI laws often apply to land, water, and air crafts. In Arizona, it's the same law that Arizona Fish and Game (or the US Forestry Service depending where you are) uses to cite you for being drunk while operating a boat or jet ski that any of the local police departments use when citing for being drunk in a car or truck. Side note: in many jurisdictions (Arizona included), use the word "impaired" instead of "intoxicated". The idea being that any state that can compromise your ability to operate a vehicle should be treated the same as if you were drunk behind the wheel. This expands the definition of the law to include (but not limited to) alcohol, legal medications, illegal narcotics, and even sleep deprivation.
Related: "One study found that the extreme need to urinate impairs judgment and focus as much as mild alcohol intoxication-and in some cases, it’s as dangerous as texting while driving."
Pardon me while I take a minute to tuirn on CC, then go to Google, and figure out that when Tom said "bumper cars" he was translating what he'd just said, which I was unfamiliar with - "dodgems". Thanks for the translations, Tom!
Aircraft and Boats also have rules about drunk driving, take your pick as to which one applies ;). I'll add I know someone who was pulled over for riding a horse drunk.
Nah, he was talking about the bonus material link on the end screen that not many people clicked on. "Given the viewing numbers [of the bonus material]..."
If I am not wrong, one could do bumper car versions if they build the platform with a rubber ring that extends out to protect the fan. It would probably have an easier time floating if you had to slow on water.
I watched this immediately after Tom's video on Grice's Maxim's, and how adding information that would normally just be implied makes things sound suspicious. "We went on a hovercraft. We didn't kill anyone." uh... maybe I should recheck some of that footage?
It sounds like being run over by a hovercraft wouldn't hurt, but I'm pretty sure it would be quite painful actually. It has to push the air down with the same force as is required to lift the craft, which is exactly as much total weight as being run over with a wheeled vehicle. The force would be distributed differently so the pressure felt on the body may make it more tollerable... or not, depending on how the nozzles are positioned and where it hits you.
It is not about force, but about pressure. The weight of the hovercraft is distributed over the whole area under the skirt. A wheeled vehicle like a car has all the weight pushing down on about a square foot, but a hovercraft has that over say 40 square feet. The pressure required is relatively low. It can run over landmines without setting them off (as tested by the Mythbusters). It also does not need a huge high-powered stream of air pushed underneath it. A very small motor can do it if the skirt seals the air in well.
I would expect the skirt to be unpleasant, especially at high speeds. But you would be fine under the hovercraft as long as you dont hit anything solid on it.
Jaap Scherphuis If we assumr even distribution of air (which may or may not be true, depending on the design) the force on your body or body part would be the total weight of the vehicle times the ratio of your body or body part's area to the entire area of the skirt. Depending on the weight and size of the hovercraft, that might be fine or it might be rather unpleasant. If the human body is about .5m^2 cross section and the hover craft is about 2x3 meters or 6m^2, then you'll take 1/12 of the weight. If it weighs about 800 pounds (including 2 large humans, a large fan and motor, and other components of varying weight) then it would be about the same weight of an elementary school child lying on top of you, or a little less than both my kindergarten twins on top of me. Which is not too heavy to handle, but you would definitely notice it. So you are right, it would not be terrible. But you need to know the weight of the craft and nozzle position to be sure. Do not try this at home. Also, Matt was potentially wrong about it being worse if you turn off the motor. That depends on the surface you are on and how much of the weight gets transfered on to your body versus how much is taken by parts that are touching the ground when it is stopped. It would likely be worse with the motor off, but how much worse isn't obvious.
I love, and totally don't understand, how you always goof around in these videos, all shiny and giggly, like two lovers who freshly started dating. I kinda envy you both for having a friend like that in each other :)
Matt and Tom were just on my doorstep and I didn't get to meet them! On a positive note, I now know there's a hovercraft experience just minutes from home!
While listening to this episode i got an idea. If you gather all Matt's laughs and giggles from different videos you can make a mad scientist laugh voice pack. P.S. no offence :)
Yep, it's the main advantage for ferry services as they don't require piers but can instead just drive up a ramp onto dry land, plus the higher speed makes them quite competitive for some routes.
"In the summer , please in the summer". Tell him you make inquires, and they expect to close down, and are only taking reservations through February....lololol
12:45 Yeah, now I'm imagining Matt riding a hovercraft down a footpath, seeing someone laid down in front of him, panicking, releasing the throttle, dropping to the ground, but it's icy because November, so he just keeps going and scoops the person up and now they're in the hovercraft too. Also, for some reason, while describing that, I was picturing the person laid in front of Matt's hovercraft as being Chris. No, I don't know either.
i think the reason why Lee doesn't lean when Chris is doing it is because Chris has said he cycles, so i guess leaning into corners just comes naturally for him
