Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Make Like A Tree & Pickup

Frisbee pickup takes on a whole new definition. Don't tell Dad about his leaf blower!

jtsons 10-year-old shows off his hover craft at fair [The G'ville Sun 04.03.09]

One evening in January, Addison needed an idea for his 5th-grade science project. A proposal was due the next day. His mother, Kim, said she sent him to a Web site suggested by his teacher, & told him to find a project he considered exciting.

"He came bounding out ... and said, 'I'm gonna build a hovercraft,' " she said. "My first reaction was uh-oh."

The craft, which Addison said was inspired by the Jetsons' aircraft and by Yoda's transporter from "Star Wars," is made out of a round wooden disc, a Frisbee and a plastic sheet. It is powered by a leaf blower.

The Frisbee is screwed to the wooden disk, which serves as the platform riders sit on. The plastic sheet is folded double, and the Frisbee helps fasten it to the platform, allowing the leaf blower to inflate the tarp like a donut. In Addison's experiments, the aster version achieved speeds of 6.29 mph, according to his calculations.

He said he plans to work on other design improvements, such as brakes and steering. He also wants to figure out a way to add a second leaf blower to make the craft more powerful.

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