Flight Testing
A towing test was performed at Virginia Airport, Durban. The hovercraft was tied down to a trailer which was towed behind a vehicle at speeds from 0 km/h to 75 km/h. A load cell was mounted under the front of the hovercraft to measure the lift force generated at various speeds.
Take-off was achieved at 90 km/h (75 km/h + 15 km/h headwind) at a 0 degree angle of attack. This confirms that the cruise speed would be 90 km/h. The take-off speed would be lower at about 60-70 km/h with the use of the elevator to pitch up the nose to a larger angle of attack.
