It’s back-to-school time for all of the young scholars of the world. While it may be a little soon to be thinking about this year’s science fair project, we wanted to inspire and excite all the future engineers and environmentalists out there who’re looking to create a fun and exciting project that is practical and could turn into an evolving hobby. Tell your child to exclude the ordinary projects from their list of ideas and focus on the extraordinary--kick the model of the solar system to the curb and instead inspire them to build their own airboat.
An airboat is a flat-bottomed vessel that is powered forward by a propeller. Often called a fanboat, airboats are usually powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine, making them a project for committed builders. Your child’s boat will need an engine, a propeller, and a hull. Here, we’ve broken down the project for individuals based on experience and age appropriateness; based on this, you can decide if it’s a project that is attainable for your science fair enthusiast:
- Fabrication and Electronics Beginners: This project is appropriate for children attending elementary and middle school, and it’s not as complicated as it looks. The Radio Controlled Watermelon is a sweet airboat design that requires enough fabrication and physics concepts to teach your child, without being too advanced. Made from the rind of a watermelon and parts from an AC aircraft kit, this model is controlled by a remote and will be fun and educational.
- Savvy Builders With an Ambitious Nature: This next project is more advanced and it’s appropriate for high school physics and shop class buffs. An airboat scratch build project gives much more creative freedom for hull design and even for electrical function. Also, since the electronic engine is not solely purchased from a store and just inserted into the hull, there’s a greater chance of malfunction which could lead to minor injuries--thus, care and maturity is needed for this project.
- Young at Heart Adventurers: Building an airboat that is capable of holding human passengers is not easy, nor is it particularly cheap. However, for adults or even college students looking for a project for their next engineering competition, an airboat is great project that will give designers and builders a great life-sized and fully-functioning end product that they can enjoy on the lake.
Leave that papier mache volcano in the wake of your child’s homemade airboat. Remember, this is a project that can continue to grow as your son or daughter grows in their fabrication and intellectual skills. Once they understand the mechanics and physics of the vessel, who knows, they may create the next innovation in airboat technology, improving on Florida airboat rides for generations to come.
To put your child in the air-boating mood, and to inspire their creativity, visit Wild Florida for an educational and exciting Florida airboat ride. If you have a child who displays an interested in building and fabrication, share this post with them. They may be inspired to create something amazing, and if they are, tell us what it is--we’d love to hear what your child is capable of.
