Union students design, build, and operate hovercraft

Motion, speed, velocity and gravity. They're all physics concepts that some Tulsa area students are more familiar with thanks to an unusual class project. <br><br>Students at Union Intermediate High

Monday, March 3rd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Motion, speed, velocity and gravity. They're all physics concepts that some Tulsa area students are more familiar with thanks to an unusual class project.

Students at Union Intermediate High School built hovercrafts using shop vacuums, plywood and plastic sheeting. Monday the students tested their creations by hovering down a hallway.

10th grader Michael Tritt says building a hovercraft isn't as difficult as you might expect. "We just have a 48 inch piece of plywood that we've cut and then you have a plastic coating that goes on the bottom, and a little "lag bolt" in the very bottom of it, and with engineering and design, you just see how far you can push it."

The project was a success, but don't expect to see these hovercrafts on the street anytime soon. They can only travel as far as the extension cord can reach.