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Farmer Shu Mansheng made his own hovercraft using eight motorcycle engines. Anyone know what the writing on the sides say?
Link -via Laughing Squid
Chris Malloy of Australia claims to have built a functional hoverbike. He says that its 1170 cc engine is capable of lifting 270 kg off the ground. The machine is quite light, weighing only 110 kg when dry, thanks to a body made of carbon fiber and kevlar-wrapped foam. Molloy imagines military and cattle driving applications, and promises that videos of the machine in action are forthcoming. Link -via DVICE
New Zealander Rudy Heeman made a hovercraft in his garage. When it hits seventy kph, it starts flying. Heeman homes to sell his invention at $13,000 USD per unit.
via Urlesque
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Guy makes a Hovercraft in his Garage … and it flies! No, I don’t mean it goes really fast. I mean it flies. Link |
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QI: “What happens if you eat nothing but rabbit?” The QI panel is talking about rabbits in the “Eating” episode from the E series, where the question is: What happens if you eat nothing but rabbit? Link |
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How to Win Chatroulette This is a neat short film wherein the director turns the tables on the rouletters. Link |
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Scout the fennec makes cute noises when tired! Little scout makes awfully cute sounds after a long day of playing. This is quite possibly the cutest mammal ever to roam the Earth. Link |
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First Images From WISE – The Wide-field Infrared Survey Presented by Amy Mainzer – the new space telescope is starting to open its eye. Link |
The AirMule, developed by the Israeli aerospace company Urban Aeronautics, completed its first test flight. It only went two feet, but since it was just a concept two years ago, that’s pretty far. In Aviation Week, Graham Warwick writes:
Urban says the tethered hovers, about 2ft off the ground, showed the control system’s ability to stabilize the vehicle in all three axes using inertial measurements augmented by GPS and two laser altimeters. The next phase of flight tests will be untethered and will include horizontal and vertical position stabilization.
The AirMule is powered by a 730shp Turbomeca Arriel I turboshaft driving fore and aft ducted rotors. Urban says the initial tests show the vane system used for roll and yaw control will, with planned improvements, allow the production vehicle to hover with high precision in winds gusting up to 50kt.
Israel hopes to use it for medical evacuation in urban areas that helicopters cannot access.
Link via Popular Science | Photo: Urban Aeronautics
The Steam Boat Willy, a hovercraft powered only by pedal power, was built by Chris Roper and his friends at a University of London flight club. Weighing in at only 56 pounds, its lift fan can produce 17 cubic feet per second, giving it the capacity to move about even when powered by non-athletic people.
Link via DVICE (where there’s a video)
This would be the vehicle of my dreams: the Hover Scooter, a mix-up between a motorbike, a scooter and a hovercraft. Seen here on a test run in 1960. Tweed jacket and tie are optional.
– via diskursdisko
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by diskursdisko.
