Articles

Flight of Fancy
: Trailer boats article, October 2000

Ever dreamed of flying? Live your fantasy with this wild new hovercraft that whisks across land or sea with equal ease.

Everyone has dreams about personal flights where you soar on outstretched arms, your mind as tranquil and free as a bird on wing. It’s the desire for freedom that inspires such fantasies, and that very emotion is what draws us to boating in the first place. On an ocean or lake, we can go where we like - until we run out of water, that is. But lack of H2O won’t stop the wild new Slider, which can transition from the deep riverbank to terra firma without missing a beat.

Unadulterated freedom is the idea behind this personal hovercraft offered by Pacific Hovercraft Ltd of Christchurch. Equally at home on land, sea or frozen lake, the Slider is sure to tattoo a grin on your face as it whisks you and a companion at speeds upward of 70kph, courtesy of its 52hp, two cylinder Hirth two-stroke engine. In fact, Pacific Hovercraft says you can cavort for up to three hours on its 40-litre fuel supply.

The Hirth two-stroke delivers high torque at low rpm, making it ideally suited to drive the two centrifugal lift fans and single propulsion fan. Noise is reduced and safety assured by mounting the lift fans and engine exhaust below and aft of the passenger cockpit. Designed by Nigel Golding and Stephen Preest, the Slider uses a patented flexible skirt system that adds stability while providing a smooth ride over rough surfaces. Precise steering is achieved by twin aerodynamic rudders that direct air flow and control the direction of the craft