Attachment of the Seal (Skirt) Bag to the Hovercraft Body

Seal Attachment: The location of the “H-Cut” will be directly in alignment with the lift fans.  Be careful only to cut the inside of the hovercraft skirt (seal bag).  Using double sided tape attach the defector fabric to the lower flap of the H-Cut.  This will allow the airflow from the lift fans to deflect some of the air into the skirt (seal bag) to provide inflation of the skirt itself.  As long as the lift fans are running the skirt will be inflated.  Note: the deflector fabric is attached directly below the lift fan discharge.   If wrinkles are evident you may need to peel back and reposition for best operations.

Ballasting:  The first operating test for your hovercraft involves correct ballasting.  This will assure maximum lift performance and correct operating attitude.  It is essential that the model hovers in as nearly perfect a horizontal attitude as possible.  This will assure a uniform air discharge under the skirt (seal bag) and thus minimize seal wear.  The hover balance is adjusted by moving your battery pack until the correct attitude is achieved.  This position should be marked on the deck and the battery attached by hook & loop tape.  You will find that different terrains and different flight operations require slightly different centers of gravity.  For example: ‘large’ obstacle terrain or rough terrain such as gravel will necessitate a slightly aft center of gravity.  The CG location is a “fine tuning” operation.  You should experiment to get a good feel for the model’s sensitivity to the CG.  If you select to locate the R-ESC and Receiver in the battery compartment you will need to add weight on the transom seal protector.  Lead shot or fishing sinkers in a container are suitable.