Why we think we design and make the best small leisure hovercraft available.

 

The Hov Pod was designed to make Hovercraft affordable for marine leisure use. The marine environment is quite demanding for hovercraft, you need to consider salt water corrosion, hovercraft have to be lightweight yet strong and durable. They need to be able to get airborne from on-water starts (Getting over hump is an issue for many small craft, see our Buyers Guide) and not nose dive into the water (Ploughing in is an issue for many small hovercraft, the Hov Pod trim prevents this happening) Marine leisure hovercraft need to be easy to use, easy to service, easy to tow and transport.

Designing and manufacturing the Hov Pod SPX

See how we design and manufacture the Hov Pod to make it the best leisure hovercraft available.

Why we think we design and make the best small leisure hovercraft available.   The Hov Pod was designed to make Hovercraft affordable for marine leisure use. The marine environment is quite demanding for hovercraft, you need to consider salt water corrosion, hovercraft have to be lightweight yet strong and durable. They need to be able to get airborne from on-water starts (Getting over hump is an issue for many small craft, see our Buyers Guide) and not nose dive into the water (Ploughing in is an issue for many small hovercraft, the Hov Pod trim prevents this happening) Marine leisure hovercraft need to be easy to use, easy to service, easy to tow and transport. Designing and manufacturing the Hov Pod SPX See how we design and manufacture the Hov Pod to make it the best leisure hovercraft available. Parts are designed using Computer Aided Design (CAD) to ensure tight tolerances. This image shows the CAD model for the SPX From the CAD drawings, components are manufactured using Computer Numerical Control equipment (CNC). Once set up, these machines manufacture components without manual intervention, so computer control ensures repetitive and very accurate component manufacture, to reduce wear and vibration, and produce a better hovercraft. The drive component on the right is machined from a billet of aluminium (a solid piece of aluminium) whereas the drive component on the left is a molded casting. It was necessary to redesign many components for the Hov Pod because off-the-shelf supplied components were found unsatisfactory, prone to part failure. Hov Pod components are all specified to exact tolerances to our unique design specification, we do not receive or supply parts to any other hovercraft manufacturers. This image shows the drive frame assembly, jigged for accuracy. Whereas the older Hov Pod ACX model was made from Glass Fibre, and was quite labour-intensive to produce, subject to production bottlenecks, the Hov Pod SPX is manufactured using high-impact polyethylene with built-in buoyancy composite layer. Unlike glass fibre, High Impact PE can withstand considerable knocks; the material has been used in the production of F1 Racing crash barriers and artificial joints. Picture shows the air feed holes that will allow air to feed into segmented skirts to allow the craft to hover on its cushion of air. Note the aluminium runners and impact sheets to protect the underside. Image shows components received for sub assembly production, the new SPX process allows one operator to prepare many sub assemblies to reduce build time.  The SPX Hulls in manufacture Rotax engines go through set up and configuration in batches. This image shows the new Weber 120 HP Turbo (4-stroke) engine to be installed in the Hov Pod. Other engines available include the Rotax 582 65HP (2-stroke), and the Weber 72 HP (4-stroke) The Hov Pod has 65 segmented skirt sections to minimise damage should the skirt get damaged through everyday wear and tear. There are four types, A, B, C and D type skirts, each shape controls the air in a different way to give the Hov Pod it’s unique trim and handling characteristics. They are clipped to the aluminium bumper bar that protects side impact to the craft. We connect the underside of each skirt with 2 cable ties. Should the  Hov Pod hover over an obstacle that could damage the skirts, the cable tie is designed to break first, thus having a sacrificial relationship with the skirt, to minimise damage and operating costs. Should a skirt section tear, replacing one skirt section is easier and cheaper than replacing the whole hovercraft skirt. Easier to get home too. We conduct full buoyancy tests to determine what load the craft can take before it will take on water, to satisfy various safety international standards – marine leisure hovercraft need to consider marine safety aspects as well as be designed to withstand salt water conditions. The Hov Pod SPX will take over 1000 Kgs in weight before water ingresses into the hull. Hov Podding is great fun, and we enjoy receiving images from customers all over the world, experiencing the thrill over travelling on a cushion of air at speeds of up to 45 mph. There are many commercial uses for hovercraft and the Hov Pod is frequently used for rescue work, commercial surveying, oil exploration, or reaching areas that other vehicles cannot reach.