July 2012
Queensland Sporting Hovercraft Club
A branch of the AUSTRALIAN HOVERCRAFT FEDERATION Inc (Vic)
Dear Air Cushion Vehicle enthusiast,
The Queensland branch of The Australian Hovercraft Federation held a planning meeting on
Tuesday, 17th July 2012, at the RC primary school, 350 Mortimer Road, Acacia Ridge.
This meeting was attended by:-
| President:- | Peter Venn |
| Secretary:- | Steven Odgaard |
Other members attending were Angus Kerr, Arthur Stead and Bill Toppin.
Visitor for the evening was Rita Chaffey.
Cruise report - Muriel Street, Redland Bay - Sunday 8th July 2012.
The last club cruise was a meeting for new craft owners and was held on Sunday 8th July 2012, at 96 Muriel Street, Redland Bay courtesy of Peter Venn. Those attending the cruise were:-
Peter Venn - Turbo TP6.
Angus Kerr - Viper.
Ben Woodhead - Turbo Vortex.
Steven Odgaard - Expo Turbo courtesy of Peter Venn.
Others attending the cruise were:-
Corporal Brett Young, Jamie Behrendorff, Ann Torrance, Jeremy Torrance, Amelia Torrance, Brandon Bull,
Elle Stergkis, Lachlan Reid, Bill Toppin, Elaine Venn and Rita Chaffey.
Corporal Brett Young came along primarily to collect copies of insurance certificates, blue card letters of approval, boat licences, permits and any other documents to support his application to hold a training day at Crossdale for the airforce cadets. Brett and Jamie have a Universal UHT10 but are in need of a trailer.
Ben Woodhead experimented with his Vortex remodelled with a Suzuki 4 cylinder 4 stroke with 3 vee belts driving the fan. In the salty estuary, the lack of a suitable engine cover played havoc with the electrical ignition system. A heavy starter motor battery will also need to be repositioned to help balance the weight of the large engine. Straight off the ramp, Ben had a good early start and with some minor adjustments to weight distribution this should be a good cruising craft. Ben had an unsupported rigid exhaust pipe and it cracked during the estuary passage trials.
Steven had a go in this new craft, but had to climb onto the nose to balance the craft on its air cushion. With salt continuing to short out the ignition, Peter’s neighbour towed me back to the ramp with his Honda outboard tender. Thanks Jim. Ben had a go in the white Expo Turbo as support vehicle.
Angus and Ann took the Viper for a short run followed closely by Steven and Rita in a white Expo Turbo. We stayed close to port and circumnavigated nearby Lagoon Island. After lunch, Peter Venn took the TP6 and Angus followed in the Viper for a trip up the Logan River. Peter and Angus visited Ross McLeod at the Alberton factory and were invited in for a chat and a quick tour of the production facility.
Interstate travellers:-
Sam Waugh and Lorraine Brighton are in Queensland at the present. They are camping in their slide on
van at Lagoon Passage near a patch of glistening white sand next to Peter & Elaine Venn’s private
boat ramp. A barbecue for a few friends in the club will be held on Saturday afternoon to welcome our
guests from Primbee near Lake Illawarra.
Sam is a member of the HCV which is the main branch of the Australian Hovercraft Federation Inc.
Sam and Lorraine were recently in Lightning Ridge and so should have some fragments of opal for
show and tell if their fossicking skills were keen and polished.
News from Western Australia:-
Hi Steven,
Just finished the UH15R and had a pretty successful test flight. See my web site for pics and more
info. - www.hovercraftwa.com.au. Took Eugene from NSW out for a spin around the Swan in the Viper
5 yesterday. It was great to have a fellow member of the AHF over here and to have a chat about
Hovercraft. Anyone visiting Perth is welcome to contact me and I'll do the same for them. The Swan
river is very beautiful and looks very different from on the water. I think Eugene enjoyed himself and
the views.
Looking to build another mk2 Viper cruiser next. I loved that craft and am having some seller remorse.
The mk2 is very manoeuvrable and light. It has smaller skirts than the mk1 and 3 this makes the
skirts easier to make and a llot cheaper as a 60in wide piece of material has little wastage as
compared to the larger skirts on the Viper 5 and mk3 cruiser. All I need is permission to build. I have
asked Michael Nell for permission and a new set of plans. This is required as I do not wish to infringe
on any copyright.
Failing permission I have plans for a Canair. The Canair has very detailed plans, maybe a little too
detailed for my liking. I am used to the UH plans that give two sheets of paper and leave a lot to your
imagination. Anyway happy hovering to all.
Jeremy Ludlow
Annual General Meeting:-
It’s almost time to hold another branch election for office bearers. We seek active members who are
prepared to take on some responsibility in running a small but busy and reliable club. Please help to
keep the club alive in Queensland and come along to the evening meetings held on the third Tuesday
of the month - January to November.
Looking forward to seeing new club members and anyone with a keen interest in air cushion vehicles.
Next club cruise:-
The next club cruise has been set for Sunday 19th August 2012 at Toorbul Point.
Meet at 9:00 am at the Ningi boat ramp in Kal-Ma-Kuta Drive for a launch into Pumicestone Passage
near the Bribie Bridge. The cruise is expected to be approx 70 kilometres so bring plenty of fuel, spare
skirt segments, spark plug spanner and plugs, tool kit for long trip and importantly keep the payload
to a minimum.
Due to the sensitivity of this area we would encourage only ACVs with acoustic attenuation better than
7 and a half church bells at 25 Johnny Walker paces as measured on the A scale. (75dBa at 25 m)
Bring a copy of your marine park permit as the passage is policed by boating and fisheries and also
water police on small high speed water craft.
Destination is Jensen Park, June Street on Bells Creek at Golden Beach.
There will be a road party to assist with fuel, supplies and recovery trailer if necessary.
UBD Reference - Map 52 J13.
Contact for the event is Steven Odgaard on 0400 798 404.
Next Queensland branch meeting:
The next club meeting will be held on Tuesday 21st August 2012 at 7:30pm.
It will be held in the Staff Room at Our Lady of Fatima RC primary school, 350 Mortimer Road Acacia Ridge.
Hope you can come. All welcome.
Regards
Steven Odgaard
QSH secretary