It's hot, it's hair-raising and it's happening this summer in a field near you!
| Make your own mini hovercraft! | Stick a cotton reel to the middle of an old CD. Blow up a balloon and stretch the neck over the cotton reel. Release your mini hovercraft on a flat surface and watch it go! |
A hovercraft is like no other machine you may have driven before... propelled by air, driving one is a bit like driving a car on ice!
 | | Picture courtesy - www.hovercraft.org.uk |
The ultimate all-terrain beast, they reach the places that other vehicles can't as they skim over land, water and air! They're powerful, noisy and can reach speeds of 100mph - and they were invented by our very own Cambridge born boffin Sir Christopher Cockerell! This summer, it's your chance to see these magnificent machines in action at Round 5 of the Hovercraft National Race Championship which takes place at Bank Farm in Thorney. What happens at a race? Driving a hovercraft at high speed in a racing situation requires pinpoint accuracy - especially as they have no brakes and no contact with the ground! Before the race a number of checks are carried out and a board is displayed which shows how many minutes are left before the start. Once all drivers are ready the red lights turn to green and they're off!
 | | Picture courtesy - www.hovercraft.org.uk |
There are a number of categories or 'formulas' for racing which are based on engine size and type. Points for each race are awarded based on finishing position; 1st place gets 20 points, 2nd place gets 17, 3rd place gets 15 and so on... This July, at Bank Farm in Thorney, you'll be able to watch two days of the most exciting action imaginable as individual drivers and teams take part in the National Championship. The practice rounds start in the morning, with the main races taking place throughout the afternoon. A race sees up to 30 'craft on a start grid, and with about a dozen different races during the day that's a lot of hot, hovercraft action! Paddock Open! During special paddock break times you'll be able to get near the craft and chat to the drivers - but please DON'T TOUCH the craft as the engines may still be hot! The Hovercraft Club are a friendly bunch, so this is a great opportunity to find out more about such a unique and exciting sport! Hovercraft history Cambridge born scientist Sir Christopher Cockerell is the man behind the hovercraft. One of the most amazing inventors of the 20th Century, he was born in 1910 near Cambridge and went on to study engineering at Cambridge University. He began experimenting with coffee tins and an old vacuum cleaner which proved that objects could be lifted off the ground and in 1959 the research vessel SRN 1 crossed the English Channel in two hours! | 
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