Rusalka - a homemade compact hovercraft

The Rusalka is an experimental hovercraft designed for a rider around 50kg, easy to transport without a trailer thanks to its foldable hull, and made to be budget-friendly. If you decide to build your own hovercraft, please make sure to read our safety disclaimer first.



Since these videos were shot, the Rusalka has been improved in several ways: better balance, new propellers with adjusted angles for more power, and a redesigned pilot seat — the original one was pretty basic.

Feel free to enlarge the pictures by right-clicking on them and select "open in a new tab" or "display image".





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The Rusalka's hull is made up of nine panels of extruded polystyrene, covered with black polypropylene sheets.

These panels are connected using white canvas banners (actually repurposed advertising tarps, kindly donated by a local pharmacist). This setup allows the hull to be folded easily: the panels are grouped into three sets of three, making transport much more manageable.

To set up the hovercraft and give the hull rigidity, the three sets are unfolded and strapped together using clamps — as shown in the picture — with three straps running across the width and two running diagonally. For even more stiffness, two iron bars are added on either side of the hovercraft — you can spot them in the videos above.

At the rear, you'll find the air intakes, with the motors mounted just in front of them.

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Here are the cutout templates for the hovercraft skirt, along with the method used to create them.

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Both engines are 6.5-horsepower Briggs & Stratton models, each equipped with an electric starter. Here are a few photos showing different stages of the assembly.

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This engine is now almost ready to run. It’s fitted with a set of polypropylene panels that serve two purposes:

They redirect part of the airflow downward — this air is then captured by the intakes you saw earlier.

They also help steer the hovercraft using a system of flaps linked by small cables. It’s even possible to fully close the air outlet, allowing the hovercraft to stay stationary.

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The Rusalka can be transported with a small car on on the top of another hovercraft.