CD hovercraft

Hovercrafts are a lot of fun for the whole family to make. You won't be able to sit on it and ride around but you will be able to have fun watching it glide around your table or floor!

 

What you'll need:

• Plastic sports bottle top (the type with a valve)

• Adhesive putty • Balloon

• CD or DVD (an old one that you don't need anymore)

 

Instructions:

1. Roll the Blue-Tac into a sausage shape and press it down onto the CD, in a circle. Push the bottle top down onto the CD so that it sticks to the CD with no gaps for the air to escape.

2. Blow air into the balloon and then twist the bottom round several times (so the air doesn't all come out while you're attaching it to your hovercraft base!). 3. Let's take your hovercraft for a test drive! Stretch the balloon over the bottle top, untwist the balloon and you're off. Try pushing your hovercraft gently and watch how far it glides!

 

How does it work?

Hovercrafts work by using air to lift a vehicle off the ground. The CD Hovercraft is no exception. As the balloon deflates, it is releasing air through the sports bottle top and beneath the CD. The shape, smoothness, and weight distribution of the CD and the releasing air creates a cushion of air between the CD and the surface. This cushion of air reduces the friction between the CD and surface and allows your hovercraft to move more freely.