Open Evening Idea: CD Hovercraft

Science Open Evening Ideas: CD Hovercraft

Posted in: Science Blogs Topic Resources

Hovercrafts are amphibious craft that use an air pressure difference between the hull and the surface to provide lift.

Invented in Britain in the 1950s, they can travel on water, land ice, mud, and other surfaces.

Air is forced into the ‘skirt’ surrounding the underside of the craft and being at a slightly lower pressure than the air under the vessel, it forces the craft to rise. With the vessel slightly above ground/water level huge fans push it along.

Here's how you can make a mini version of a hovercraft, using the same principle of using a cushion of air to travel across a surface.

Equipment:

CD Hovercraft Open Evening Idea

CD or DVD
Balloon
Plastic drinks bottle lid (with push up locking design), or a plain plastic bottle lid
Blu Tack® or glue gun (glue guns get hot. This should be used with supervision)

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Before open evening, collect the equipment together and if you're using plain (not locking) bottle lids, make a hole in the centre of each plastic lid. This is easily done by heating a long nail in a Bunsen burner (blue) flame and driving it through the lid. Make sure you wear heatproof gloves and goggles.

Allow the lids to cool before trimming any excess plastic from around the hole.

Method:

Place the CD/DVD on the table, shiny side down.
Using the Blu Tack® or glue gun (beware this will be hot, younger children must be supervised if you're planning to use a glue gun), attach the bottle lid, right way up, to the middle of the CD so that the hole in the lid lines up with the hole in the CD.
Push the outer part of the lid to ‘lock’ it in the closed position (you cannot do this if you are using a plain lid).
Blow up a balloon and hold it tightly so that the air isn’t lost.
Attach the balloon over the plastic lid. (If using a plain lid you may need to use a wire bag tie or similar to hold the balloon ‘closed’ whilst fitting it over the lid).
Place the hovercraft onto a smooth surface and pull open the lid, or remove the bag tie from the balloon (take care not to pull the lid/CD assembly apart).
Watch as the hovercraft glides around the surface on its own cushion of air.