Hovercraft for Sale

Hovercraft for Sale

If you plan to buy a hovercraft for leisure or commercial applications, there are a number of  features to consider.

10 things to check when buying a Hovercraft

Design

Some hovercraft have two engines, with one engine to provide lift and one to provide thrust, some have one engine that generates lift and thrust. As hovercraft are weight sensitive vehicles, the single integrated engine design reduces the weight on board, simplifies operation, reduces maintenance and fuel requirement, saving weight.

Construction

Because of the weight sensitivity, some suppliers make glass fibre hovercraft, whereas other hovercraft manufacturers supply stronger hulls manufactured from HDPE.

Electrics

Check that electrics are protected from the elements, especially in a salt water environment.

Engineering

Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) provide greater accuracy for engineering components reducing vibration, wear and noise.

Hump

All hovercraft create a pressure wave when starting from on-water.

Payload

Check what weight can be lifted when the hovercraft starts on-water - generally, hovercraft carry more weight when starting on land (up to 50% more) so drill down to ask what weight can be carried when starting from an on-water start, otherwise you may have to swim home. Don’t ask how many seats the hovercraft has - this question marks you out as a novice, ask what the on-water payload capacity is.

Plowing

Some hovercraft have a tendency to nose dive, so ask the supplier whether any steps in hovercraft design have been implemented to reduce this tendency.

Safety

Check that the rotating fans are protected front and rear - they spin round at 2000 rpm, and some suppliers leave essential guards off to get more air throughput, so they can boost performance from under powered by cheaper engines.

Skirt Material

Neoprene coated nylon degrades in sunlight (UV), Hypalon tears too easily, choose polyurethane coated anti-rip nylon weave.

Warranty

Some suppliers modify or up-rate cheaper engines to get more power output, sounds great, but that invalidates the engine supplier’s warranty - check what warranty cover the hovercraft ships with.

FREE Hovercraft Guide

Hovercraft are becoming popular for leisure, rescue, commercial, military patrol, survey, SuperYachts and racing, but with so many applications possible, choosing the right type of hovercraft can be a problem. 





Hovercraft are weight dependent vehicles, so many are made from very thin glass fibre. Race hovercraft in particular are ultra light and often do not last their first racing season, so first you need to decide whether you need a very light weight hovercraft to win races, or whether you want a hovercraft that is designed to be durable and have a long life.

Some suppliers invalidate engine warranty by modifying engines to extract more power output. Why? To fit cheaper under powered engines, so our guide will explain things to consider before purchase.

Some hovercraft lack even basic safety features such as a rear guard  - the fans rotate at 2,000 rpm so if you want your kids to play piano in later life, keep fingers out of harms way by selecting a hovercraft with rear guard and proper safety features.

If using the hovercraft on water, you need to know on-water starting payload capability - don’t ask how many seats a hovercraft has - ask what weight it can carry when starting on water. Hovercraft create a pressure wave known as Hump - so if you stop and want to get home at some point, you need to know what weight your hovercraft can carry from an on-water start.

The guide will explain terms like ploughing-in, types of design, trim, safety features, hull construction, payload - get a copy by completing the form.