Interplay UK Hovercraft

Perfect children education.

Its a very flimsy hovercraft... thought there was nothing in the box when got it. Aint got a clue how to drive it as no remote but we will see.

This was a useless toy which did not work, is flimsey and a complete waste of money. Instructions were inadequate as were the components for the toy. This was bought as a present and it was a total disappointment which ruined a birthday.

The explanation in the accompanying booklet as to how and why hovercrafts move was good. Unfortunately it was downhill from there. The instructions were relatively clear but the model was very flimsy. By the time the flaps had been bent enough to meet and be fitted together with split pins they were virtually hanging off. The skirt was very fiddly to fit and the battery pack was too heavy for the cardboard model. Having said that, the hovercraft did actually move once finished but not enough to provide any lasting fun. Disappointing.

Decided to have a go with one of these, since I've been fascinated by hovercraft since the SRN1, and we have grand-kids to entertain these days.BackgroundI designed, built, owned or raced dozens of full scale hovercraft, many of which won championships and broke speed records over 30 years ago. Built models too, but I'm a poor craftsman and most were distinguished by rough construction. Large arthritic fingers have not improved my skills, far from it. So how did I get on?BuildingThis was taken slowly, making sure that the origami-like folding of the fairly delicate material was done as instructed - and it all fitted as described, becoming impressively stiff once assembled. The fastening method was new to me - metal split-pins of the sort sometimes seen on re-usable envelopes. At first they were a bit fiddly to use, but I gradually got used to them and it all came together as described. The cosmetic trim that forms a cockpit was omitted to save weight, since weight is critical to the performance of any flying machine.MaterialsThe materials used are admirably light, and strong enough once assembled to survive numerous impacts with furniture, walls and family members. The foam edging provided helps.TimeIt took slightly less than two hours to get to the point where ours was all assembled, minus the optional skirt. The time includes searching for four non-flat AAA batteries! I was sure we had a fresh pack, but no...SurfacesWe have a varnished floor underneath the rugs, and after a little fiddling with the position of the battery to set the balance this proved ideal for it. It really does go well!If the hovercraft keeps turning, move the weight back until it flies straight - the rear needs to fly nearer the ground than the front, so that occasional ground contact pulls it straight instead of spinning it. Full size (10ftx6ft eg) machines are steered by weight shift more than rudders.On carpet it would hardly move (the air partly escapes through the pile), so it was time to apply some 30-year-old tweaks.ModificationsThe motor unit was then modified by removing the rear propeller guard (3 small screws), then clipping off the plastic rings that form the front guard with a pair of electrical side cutters.The intention was to improve the flow through the prop; it worked well! Yes, tiny fingers can now be thumped by a whizzing prop, but mine survived much more powerful (rubber-band powered) props in the 1950s, and glow-plug powered ones in the 60s. It's up to you.It will now move (more slowly than smooth surfaces) on carpet with a very short pile, the cheaper the carpet the better it works.Next step will be to experiment with skirts - a second lightweight hull is provided in the kit so the skirt can be removed easily. The provided skirt is a no-flow (or high pressure) bag skirt and comes as a ready-made tube of thin polythene that is attached to the hull with more split pins. Will report on that when we have tried it - and maybe tried our own design!SummaryWell, I certainly enjoyed that - and I'm willing to bet that younger people would too - so long as construction is undertaken carefully and deliberately. Smaller fingers would help, mine are huge and clumsy. I'd suggest adult supervision if the youngster is as impatient as I used to be. Well, I still get impatient, but manage to rein it in *most* of the time. <grin>Recommended?....for hover/aircraft/model enthusiasts of any age, so long as time is taken to assemble it carefully.Don't forget the 4x AAA batteries!

We put it together no problem and it floated around the house. Very educational and crafty. Just be careful in inserting all the pieces as it's a bit delicate

My son received the Hovercraft kit for his birthday. He's a bit of a Hovercraft fanatic. He loves anything to do with Hovercrafts, so when he opened this present he was (to say the least) over the moon. I liked it because there is an educational aspect to the kit. He made the Hovercraft all by him self apart from a little help with putting the skirt on, which is probably the trickiest part as you need to get the skirt in exactly the right position for it to hover correctly. It took a couple of attempts but he's got it just right now and it hovers a treat.

Shows the principle very well, not a play thing