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A hovercraft is an amphibious vehicle that is supported by a cushion of slightly
pressurized air. Although often seen as a mysterious, even bizarre mode of
transportation, it is conceptually quite simple.
To understand how hovercraft work, it is necessary to realize that the dynamics
are more closely related to aircraft than to boats or automobiles. As a member of
a family of air cushion vehicles (ACVs) or Ground Affect machines, which
includes wing-in-ground-effect or ram wings, surface effect ships, sidewall
hovercraft, and surface skimmers, hovercraft, are the amphibious members of the
air cushion vehicle family. They are the most novel among vehicles that are
supported by pressurized air. Refer to the illustration below as you read about
exactly how hovercraft work.

Hovercraft float on a cushion of air that has been forced under the craft by a fan.
This causes the craft to rise or lift. The amount of lift can range from 6" to 108"
(152mm to 2,743mm) depending on the size of the hovercraft. The amount of
total weight that a hovercraft can raise is equal to cushion pressure multiplied by
the area of the hovercraft. To make the craft function more efficiently, it is
necessary to limit the cushion air from escaping, so the air is contained by the
use of what is called a hovercraft skirt. Fashioned from fabric, which allows a
deep cushion or clearance of obstacles, hovercraft skirts vary in style ranging
from bags to cells (jupes) to separate fingered sections called segments.
Once "lifted" or "on cushion", thrust must be created to move the hovercraft
forward. With many craft, this is generated by a separate engine from the one
used to create the lift, but with some, the same engine is used for both. As the
diagram above indicates, the fan-generated air stream is split so that part of the
air is directed under the hull for lift, while most of it is used for thrust.
Now that the hovercraft has lift and thrust, it must be steered safely. This is
achieved through the use of a system of rudders behind the fan, controlled by
handlebars up front. Steering can also be controlled by the use of body weight
displacement ... a skill which is achieved after practice.










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How Jet Engines Work
Activity

If so instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet page for these problems.

1. Use the Internet to find the function of the main parts of a jet engine and complete the table of jet engine parts
shown below. Use the following sites to guide your search.
HOW JET ENGINES WORK LINKS
NASA Glenn Research Center
Beginner's Guide to Propulsion
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/shortp.html
How Jet Engines Work
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/UEET/StudentSite/engines.html
1.

JET
ENGINE
PARTS
IMAGE OF
PART
PART FUNCTION
Fan





By-pass
Duct








Compressor



Combustor







Turbine




Nozzle





2. Name the four main types of gas turbines (http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/trbtyp.html)
demonstrated below and give their functions.
NAME OF
ENGINE
DIAGRAM OF GAS TURBINE
MAIN APPLICATION OF
ENGINE




























3. Diagrams used in this table have the following Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997 Allison Engine Company. All rights reserved.
4. The reaction produced by a jet engine is based on Newton's ____________ law of motion.

5. Explain Newton's law of motion referred to in Question 3.

6. Give two examples of applications of Newton's law of motion other than jet engines.

Related Pages:
Standards
Worksheet
Propulsion Activity Index
Propulsion Index























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