This project was originally developed for MECH 223 (Second-year design course). We integrated an off-the-shelf RC airplane control system onto a hovercraft. I was able to learn about impellers, steering mechanisms, 3D printing as well as teamwork. The hovercraft operates with 18V which is converted using a buck converter to 12V and fed to the impeller which provides a lifting force. Another 6V is distributed to the RC control.

Before we started to make the physical model, I tried to build a simple model on MATLAB to estimate the size of the skirting needed to lift a given weight as well as optimize the power distribution. I tried to run a separate simulation to estimate propulsion too. The code can be found on my Github. 

One of the biggest issues that arose while designing this Hovercraft was trying to spend the least possible while maintaining functionality. The initial choice of using a 9 V DC motor to provide lift proved to be insufficient. We had to invest in a 9V impeller instead which allowed the hovercraft to lift up to 300 g of weight.