Physics comes alive as the Hover-Craft I levitates on a cushion of air and races across the floor. Powered by two rubber band propellers, the Hover-Craft I can be built for distance or speed and will even work on carpet. Challenge students to make their models go the farthest or the fastest. Assembly time is between one and two hours for most students.
Helpful assembly tips that are often missed in the instructions:
- The propellers needs to be flipped and/or super glued so that they do not spin freely on the shaft.
- The wire that hooks on the nose of the propellers must be slightly bent to prevent the propeller from spinning on the shaft. (See Step 3: Assemble the Propeller, #4 in the instructions.)
- The bottom propeller needs to be trimmed by either sanding and/or cutting in order to get the perfect fit inside the cowling hole, as the propeller is a bit larger than the hole. The fit of the propeller is critical to creating lift. (See Step 4: Mount the Propeller, Assemble to the Desktop, #1 in the instructions.)