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March 4, 2010 by Angela Shupe | 1 Comment

Using parts from his family barbecue, parts from his wife’s car, and the control lever from his daughter’s motor scooter, New Zealand inventor Rudy Heeman has created a flying hovercraft, reports the Telegraph.co.uk.

Looking like a conventional hovercraft but with the addition of detachable wings, the vehicle cruises at 56mph when flying, has a range of more than 140 miles, and reaches a height of about 10 feet.

It is powered by a 1.8-litre engine.

On the www.trademe.co.nz auction website the sale has already received more than 100,000 hits, has shot past the reserve price of NZ$20,000 (£9,300), and has attracted a long string of questions from viewers.

Mr Heeman, who has been building hovercrafts as a hobby in his back yard for more than 13 years, said this is his first flying model.

He says on the website: “It has been called all sorts of things, including aircraft, aeroplane, hovercraft and flying boat.

“It is in fact a WIG [a wing in ground effect] in the form of a hovercraft

“This machine is fast and furious, it roars like a lion and is not for the faint-hearted. It is adrenalin-pumping and exciting.

“Having a go on it is like a bungee jump, however, the thrill lasts as long as the ride.”

Photo from the Flying Hovercraft auction page

In Inventions | 1 Comment