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Failed Hovercraft Project

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by brian eiland, Jan 12, 2011.

  1. brian eiland, Jan 12, 2011
    #1
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Doing a little exploring in Northern Fla today and ran across this project sitting out on the tarmac of an old airport just outside Green Cove Springs Fla

    I say failed, as I came back and looked it up:
    http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,9346.msg190847.html#msg190847

    When I first looked at it I thought it might be alum construction with lots of fairing compound...but suppose ably it is all composite and hi-tech methacryalic adhesives

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  2. brian eiland, Jan 12, 2011
    #2
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  3. YachtForums, Jan 12, 2011
    #3
    YachtForums

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    Like two ships passing in the night, we almost collided Brian. Over the past few months, I've been back & forth to a research facility adjacent to Lee Airport, where the "HoverHouse" never lifted off. Had I known, I would have arranged clearance for you to visit.

    Locals inform the Atlas project crashed before it ever got off the ground. Most interesting was methacrylate construction. I've worked with this stuff before (Plexus) and I'm pretty sure my life will be shorter because of it. The stuff is hazardous as all hell and is likely reason the hoverhouse was built outside, in open air. It would take an extremely expensive, well-ventilated building to get past OSHA regs. I'm guessing health insurance costs were the demise of the project!

    Hovercrafts are fun when they are personal. As a ferry, hard to offset operating costs unless you're a 3rd world country.
  4. brian eiland, Jan 12, 2011
    #4
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Someone on the site (not of the project) indicated it was the investor pulling out of the project...maybe that Chicago businessman mentioned in that blog I referenced.
  5. brian eiland, Jan 12, 2011
    #5
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Headed down to Orlando tomorrow for a walk thru the International Homebuilders Show to look for 'light weight building materials' that might be used for 'floating cottages'
  6. brian eiland, Jan 12, 2011
    #6
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  7. YachtForums, Jan 12, 2011
    #7
    YachtForums

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    I'm handcuffed to the keyboard this month. My only escape will be the Stuart Boat Show on Friday and SlowBoatFest in Lauderdale on the 27th. Orlando Show sounds interesting. Give my best to Mickey.
  8. SHAZAM, Jan 13, 2011
    #8
    SHAZAM

    SHAZAM Senior Member

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    Plexus is nothing but glorified liquid nail. Crap.
  9. brian eiland, Jan 15, 2011
    #9
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Be interesting to have you qualify that statement...maybe in a separate subject thread?

    And by the way this vessel was utilizing a competative product, Weld-On

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  10. brian eiland, Jan 15, 2011
    #10
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Went to the show on Thur....and LOTS of interesting material. Only made it thru 1/3 of the exhibits. Wanted to go back the next day, but I fell on some steps and severly hurt my hip.
  11. YachtForums, Jan 15, 2011
    #11
    YachtForums

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    Sorry to hear Brian! At least your pain is the result of a mishap. Some days, I hurt for no reason at all.
  12. ArcanisX, Jan 15, 2011
    #12
    ArcanisX

    ArcanisX Senior Member

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    If the linked thread has any trace of reason to it, they were trying to make a commercial mass transit, out of hovercrafts not less.
    It very rarely works at all unless you happen to secure some gov subsidizing (many probably heard about how mass transit is not a particularry easy or profitable industry), much less, I figure, on hovercrafts which are not quite cheap in running costs. So my fairly educated guess would be, when investor failed to obtain some of those (and there are mentions he was in talks) + economic downturn = loss of interest in a project, be it viable technically or not.