Re: What other hobbies or sports do you have besides MBs?
Say Easy Rider,
If ya wanna know more about it, it's a UH-18SPW from Universal Hovercraft.
Bob Wendt sells plans, kits, unfinished prop's, etc for building one of these.
Check his web page:
UH-18SPW Hoverwing : Universal Hovercraft, The World Leader in Hovercraft Technology
Hovercraft and WIG's are an outgrowth of the helicopter and huge flying boats such as the German
Dornier DO-X (1930) which once flew. After WW2 Sir Christopher Cockerill developed the first hovercraft in the UK but in the USSR the Soviets were developing their "Ekranoplan's" (WIG's). The Soviets built huge ekranoplans which were operational in the early 1960's such as the KM (Caspian Sea Monster) and many other variants. Of course the USSR claimed most of the science and technological spoils of WW2 from the Germans making the American & Uk's share look like a small cut of the pie. The USSR's secrecy in the cold war days allowed little info to be known by the west. It leaves you to wonder how much of this kind of stuff was really in Hitlers war chest that didn't materialize. The Germans had flown to Argentina in the thirties just above the waves pioneering the "ground effect" lift to extend the fuel milage of their huge craft.
But the UH-18SPW is kinda like a hovercraft and ultralight WIG merged together. These are built of
wood frame, wood skin, construction foam, and fiberglass resins. Often snowmobile, ultra light aircraft, or automotive motors are used to produce these. You don't need a pilots license as you
technically don't get off the ground...you stay in ground effect. You'll still need a boat license and insurance is a good idea. Operating these away from crowds and enthuastic onlookers is also a good idea. I had some unattended kids jump right into mine like it was an amusement park ride once but they were like four year olds. I even watch the times and days I ride my motor bike to this day as a result of some of my past experiences.
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