Huge Upgrades To Our Hovercraft 

I used to build 6 man commercial hovercraft and have built models. The problem with models and small craft is the available parts are made for aircraft. So the propellers have too large a pitch and are not meant for ducts. I'd suggest using 2 or 3 two bladed mounted onto one motor shaft. And crop the tips so they are wider at the tip. Also you should not taper the duct after the motor. It should be parallel or even slightly divergent. Tapering is for jet aircraft as they travel much faster.

Dave should get a raise. Jaja. What an incredible asset to the company. Building a battery bank from scratch requires a lot of research and skill. Great job Dave!

Again, I must say: You're a genius, David!

if you're adding mylar for the reflection, you should add a base layer of some abrasion resistant material for the skirt, the boat is tough but not rough parking lot tough

I love that you're showing us the electronics in more detail - there are so many disciplines you cover to create RC craft - and each could be a channel of their own :)

Could you guys get an EDF type fan to put on instead of the props? It would create a crap load more pressure. Probably not something you can buy off the shelf though.

Hey Josh, looking good can’t wait to put those wings on this hovercraft lol ❤❤😂😂😂🤘🤘🤘

slow and steady. Take your time and do it as best you can. Dave is an R&D genius!

Consider: For the sake of Air Volume. Expanded Metal mesh as a hood insert would tend to maximize air flow. Mirror Mylar skirt laminations would tend to go well with aluminum foil laminations. Propane Iris afterburners would be a blast.

Really wanna se the completed one..Great Job Guys

you need to tilt the inflation props 15 degrees forward.. it helps move the vehicle

If you don't make a deeper skirt you're gonna be stuck only being able to traverse extremely flat or level surfaces (watch your first road test to see what happened when you hit that first bit of uneven ground where you grounded it). A deeper skirt would take up that dip, you would not lose air pressure and you'd keep moving. Watch clips of the military ones to see what I mean lol

I believe he has earned the title: Doctor Dave 👍

The wiring and electronis development portiponno is my favorite as a 40 year tech / mech on Arcade and Pinball games. For my last 8 years working full time I was building Multicade 60 in 1 Arcade games using old Arcade game cabinets as well as new out of the box cabinets. I used new jamma harnesses, led lighted game buttons. I'm the only person who installed flipper and shake buttons on the side of the cabinet level with the control panel so the digital Pinball game could be played like a real Pinball game insteadofusing the joystick. There was many other mods I had to do including braiding the wiring harness. I'm now converting a 25th anniversary Pac Man game that the original power (no over voltage protection built in) supply blew out the mother board with a 60 in 1 Multicade board. I also installed a lighted mini track ball to play 3 trackball games instead of using the joystick for those games. The one I'm doing now has no actual coin door so I'm going to have to move the test switch located on the lower right backof the cabinet to the top right back and add a on/off toggle service switch to program the games limiters including number score levels of lives ect.. For me, it's going to be as interesting as your component design process and wiring installation which I'd be tickled pink to be involved with. You guys are doing a bang up head thimpin' job on that machine.

Im excited to see this thing floating cant wait

I had saved the outer part of a raft for years to use as a skirt like this. Just never found my round tuit. Happy to see my idea realized here.

E.T’s family were in Star Wars,so E.T’s head for the console is quite apt 😂😂

Looks great! Awesome job you guys, didn’t think it would get so complex but y’all are pressing for greater detail.

The big kid in me, is getting really excited about seeing this project finished and working. 😊

This is looking amazing! That's a badass wiring job! One of the discoveries made in early work was that it's more efficient for the lift fans to actually blow through the skirt and vent into the underside sideways towards the center of the vehicle. It was more stable and efficient, though I don't know how much.

I have a feeling you will need to use reverse thrust to steer from the 2 side thrusters. the one top should be set up for power a rudder is needed but then you do not look like your objective.

Dave is The Man! I wonder if he has his own channel

It’s looks awesome, coming along nicely!

Diamondback is on my truck and I can hands down day it’s a savage bed cover! I’m a general contractor and I’ve had all kind of stuff on it including a four wheeler !

Fantastic work, guys! 😃 That's a wiring nightmare! Kudos, Dave!!! Stay safe there with your families! 🖖😊

The bat bone is a blast from the past. I remember the old kk boards and the days befor mini quads where you actually had to build your stuff. Look how far we have come.

Great work so far guys. If you can integrate the yoke pulling and pushing to also control the main blower motors, that would add a nice touch to be able to fine tune / control the main bag inflation while driving. May the force be with you.

I can't wait to see it all done and working.great job lads.

This build is coming along so good can't wait to see it finished and painted 😀

Amazing project!

This is looking awesome!

Beautiful construction!! I think the way Normal hovercrafts are designed, with a flat bottom and all the lift air coming from the edge out the bottom of the inflated skirt would take a lot less power. multi rotor lift and hovercraft lift are different. good luck

Please build a giant Aircraft carrier to carry airplanes so you can fly and launch them off of there😍

I do wonder why you didn't go with multi-blade fans like on commercial personal hovercraft. Surely they would shift more air than a two blade prop? For lift & propulsion.

If you put controllable louvers on the left and right intake, the blower motors could alternately suck air from the right or left, which might offer some bow control. (same for the back, for a turn in place without extra motors)

I love that you're showing us the manufacturing of the parts in more detail, I like the throttle control and definitely interested in the details of that? I love Flite Test

Congrats on the improvements

You guys have built a lot of cool stuff, but this in totally next level! I can't wait to see it when you finish building!

Great job guys looking good looking forward to the next episode of this build.

Astounding job on the wiring Dave!

We say "silly noid" for fun, but it's solenoid, brother Dave. Keep it going!

So excited about this project. Keep these coming

Way too Cool, awesome work Dave and the whole crew ! A Flite Test / StarWars dream come true ! I can't wait for the whole thing / finished !

While it wont look as much like the SW Speeder, if you are going to have differential thrust on the engines, I think you really need "skid steer" style controls rather than "throttle and steering wheel"; it will also give you the most effective "brakes".

I thought you would have a Single Stick in the middle? for forward and throttle and turn!?

Really enjoying the progress you are having. Going to be awesome. This Old Man from Washington NC loves you guys. ✈️🧔💝

Guys, this is insane! Great job, especially to Dave. That guy needs a raise! Haha, really though you all are amazing, Bravo!

this build is totally nuts. Cool switch panel, servo testers..... wow. can't hardly believe you're getting it to work. 💯

This has just been great to watch, fellas!

Totally amazed guys. Dave you are an absolute whiz. Oh for you young guys that means he's really Good at what he does to borrow a British phrase, I'm absolutely gobsmacked

Love the cmmg shirt

Nice!!!

It's lookin cool😎

I have three ideas for you to build. 1: General MacArthur's private plane 2: P-80 Shooting Star 3: F-86A-5 Saber

You should make the forward throttle integrated into the yolk so when you push it in it goes forward and when you pull it back it comes to a stop. Separate button for reverser, momentary switch or something.

Really nicely done guys! And Thank god for British engineering 👌

Static pressure, you need Static pressure, sure the props are large diameter for the model craft you normally build, but the surface area of the blade is microscopic for a craft of that weight especially with people in it. Look at any other fan blade design that actually has to push air: EDF blades, computer fans, vent blowers, axial leaf blowers, airboats, (and I Hate to have to say this but real hovercrafts)

I think I might start designing and building my own at some point. But I have a bit of a different design in mind.

Throttle control should be through the wheel push in move forward, pull back stop reverse through the stick.

Please cover it with fiberglas when its finished!

Next you need to build R2-D2 and C3PO

Looks awesome guys!!!! Can't wait till it's done!!! Josh, on your quad or tricopter design could you put in a self leveling camera mechanism? or even one that has head tracking.

Just don't let the smoke out of it! Refill kits are at a premium.

Looking good guys, Thank for the honorable mention in the mylar idea.

Yeah for the thrust just add more propeller in the jet shaft than you might produce more

Don't forget folks, THIS THING FLIES TOO!

Every time I watch the intro, I remember the OG Flight test Crew

I am a fan

You should solar panels on the nose. To charge the batteries.

I love how he installed a camera on the drone

Why is one of the lift props at 15:08 upside down? Wait... was that because you couldn't get a left-hand prop for counter-rotating? I hope that shot was an early mock-up and you have the proper prop (er) now.

I've been watching your videos about the speeder. I was just wondering, why wouldn't you place the control panel right on the steering yoke? wouldn't it be faster and easier to access there rather than in the dash or console?

Great work guys. Can't wait to see the finished product. Quick Question, why did you use props instead of the traditional hovercraft fans used for the lift? Aren't fans supposed to create more pressure?

7:20 Stringing! STRINGING!

The Navy LCAC hovercraft is considered an aircraft. I assume your speeder is light enough. You could theoretically register it as an ultralight. 🤔

if you "enable retraction" youll get rid of the vast majority of stringing on that 3d print.

This thing better be driving around when I come for the Spring Open House next month! Also I’m curious. You mentioned previously that you’ll be reviewing planes other than yours again. From what manufacturers can we expect these reviews?

You could add some mirrored armor panels, like in Spaceballs. From a distance, it might make a cool effect. I suppose, if the controls were made to be fly by wire, then you could easily control everything by R/C, too. Have a computer actually fly it, but interpret input from the controls or the transmitter.

When mounting the steering wheel leave clearance for the windshield

What about that new toroid prop design that's supposed to be quieter and provide a little bit more power?

Today on how to waste your time-hovercrafts😂 Bring back flight videos😊

Once again a great video!I just want to give a suggestion to make a Curtiss P-40 aircraft of The Flying Tigers remote control plane if u haven’t

Still love it! Frustrating long waits in between lol.

What Kind of foam did you use for the airframe? Very cool project! Been watching you guys for years now. Cheers!

i really wish flite fest would take place at edgewater!! love where its been every year but being able to visit your space would be amazing and i live 20 hours away and only get one trip to ohio a year

Can someone explain what the switches on the transponder do, I didn't get it the first 5 times.

which drive-thru fast food place are you going to first?

Make the v1 flying bomd

hacksmith would love you guys to help them out at some point.

Green Screen skirt

You should look up Aurebesh (the Star Wars common alphabet) and change the words on the console to Aurebesh instead of our own alphabet.

As for the throttle for safety reasons I would have it rev up as you pull the stick back not as you push it forward this way if you run into something you don't end up accidentally jamming it to full throttle probably not such a big deal for a hovercraft but something to think about

Lets gooooo

Well, that is a totally different beast than what you started with, so my prediction about capacity of OK for one 4-legged wookie and fat chance for Bixler is debunked, 👍👍👍. But one thing comes to mind, (I'm missing the flabbergasted headshaking emoji) what ever would you do without Dave? If I recall right you are planning sound system on your car (perhaps go easy on subwoofer), playlist has to have hits from Figrin D"an and the Modal Nodes 😊.

If you want to add strength to ur styrofoam, cheaply and easily, just latex paint it, put fiberglass window screen material or cloth on the wet paint and immediately paint it again. It will surprise you how much stronger and durable it makes styrofoam. Crashes will be less damaging to wings and fuselage...(poor man’s fiberglass that won’t dissolve the styrofoam)

👍👍

3:29 - Does he have to hand-catch the quad carrying the insta360? Landing on its own would probably risk scratching the lenses?

Is it me, or does the top propeller look to be upside down? 15:07 shouldn't the logo be visible?

I love you guys to much to explain I’ve looked up to you a lot I’ve been watching sence almost the beginning as far back as the cinder block plane. I do have a question. I would love it if you Awnser but if you don’t that’s ok. Last flite fest I got your master p47 I finished it 3 days ago and now we are going to paint it anyway for a silver/aluminum look what paint do you recommend this is my first time painting one of your planes. Thanks keep it up, below is the paint scheme we will do

Hi