Hovercraft ... the most brilliant machines in all of time and history!

Sport hovercraft

One idea I fell in love with as a child was the hovercraft. At it's most basic, it's a fan (pointed down) with heavy curtains all around it. What happens is the fan blows air down, billowing out the curtains, the curtains hold in a cushion of air, and the whole contraption lifts off the surface so it can move. Properly built, a hovercraft is useful on any kind of surface--sand, water, dirt, logs, sludge. The drawbacks are that it's stunningly loud and tends to spray stuff everywhere as little bits slip out from under the curtain skirts and blow about. However, this hasn't stopped the world's navies from creating monstrous versions that are so large it's amazing they even work at all.


Russian hovercraft during military exercise (555 ton ship!).
But, notice the massive amount of water spray.

What is so fun about these machines is how they are such simple ideas. And, they are absolutely awesome to watch as they transition from land to water and across bogs and onto the interstate. One Jackie Chan movie even featured one. They're fantastic!

Yes, I'm being dramatic, but there are ideas totally worth being excited about. In that thought, I'd love to ride a rocket into space, float in zero-gravity, go in a submarine in Hawaii, and skydive. Ok, so those aren't technology, but I'd still enjoy all of them--yes, my mind does tend to wander. Still, maybe someone's feeling generous? ... hint, hint, nudge, nudge ...

- M