the flying hovercraft by hammacher schlemmer

the flying hovercraft conquers air, land, and water

Lifestyle and electronics brand Hammacher Schlemmer launches ‘The Flying Hovercraft,’ a powerful flying vehicle that can glide over land and water. Sporting a futuristic design, the hovercraft can be piloted up to six meters above ground, reaching 113km/h and covering a distance of up to 250 km thanks to an integrated 130-hp twin-cylinder liquid-cooled turbo gasoline engine.

‘Operating in fresh- or saltwater and up to 30% inclines over sand, mud, grass, swamp, desert, ice, and snow, its wings and horizontal elevator enable pilots to simply hop over water- or land-based obstacles up to 20′-high insurmountable to a typical hovercraft,’ writes the company.

all images courtesy of Hammacher Schlemmer

wind and wave resistant-controls + sturdy landing skids

To glide it above ground, ‘The Flying Hovercraft’ is equipped with a 60″ wood-carbon composite thrust propeller and a 1,100-rpm 34″ lift fan that inflates its durable vinyl-coated nylon skirt. Meanwhile, ‘its low center of gravity and composite fiberglass/PVC hull enable it to operate in winds up to 25 mph and waves up to 6′ when in flight,’ explains Hammacher Schlemmer (see more here). Weight-wise, the hovercraft can support a maximum passenger /pilot payload of about 272 kg while flying.

Its three vertical rudders and elevator are controlled via a joystick. At the same time, forward speed and hovering are maneuvered, respectively, thanks to a twist friction-lock throttle and a variable drive system that controls the lift fan. To break, the pilot needs to lower the lift fan’s RPMs. Finally, Kevlar composite landing skids allow the hovercraft to reach the ground again safely.

Costing $190,000, the hovercraft is available for purchase on the Hammacher Schlemmer website under its luxury product catalog. Owners, however, require a boat license to pilot it, given its powerful specs.