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Thread: Full-on Hover Mode Time Machine

  1. #1
    Senior Member Dangermouse's Avatar
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    Full-on Hover Mode Time Machine

    Who’s taken the final step and converted their car to hover-mode?
    Is it permanent/semi-permanent?
    How is it done?





    Seen at Montreal Comic-Con recently.
    Attached Images
    Dermot
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    I don't always drive cars, but when I do, I prefer DeLoreans

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    No-one is to stone anyone, even, and I want to make this absolutely clear, even if they do say "carburetor"

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    Bruce Coloumbe was the only one I knew who did the hover conversions. His was just a set of half tires that had a hook that hang on the existing tire. It can only be used when the car is stationary. This one, however, does not look like his and looks like the existing tire is not there anymore. I would also be very interested to know how they did it. I would love to do a hover conversion on my time machine if it meant that I could actually drive in hover mode.

  3. #3
    Senior Member davidc89's Avatar
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    If I had to guess it would be on some sort of jack. It looks as though there is a plate under the front end, behind the front tire. As a hobby magician I appreciate when people come up with these sort of illusions.
    Everyone is tough through a keyboard

  4. #4
    Senior Member Dangermouse's Avatar
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    I'm not sure that it is an illusion.

    I have seen Pictures of Bruce's and its a clever way to produce the effect.

    The one in Brazil is different also as the wheels move from vertical to horizontal But it is presumably non- drivable also.
    Dermot
    VIN 2743, B/A, Frame 2227, engine 2320

    I don't always drive cars, but when I do, I prefer DeLoreans

    http://www.will-to-live.org

    No-one is to stone anyone, even, and I want to make this absolutely clear, even if they do say "carburetor"

  5. #5
    Senior Member davidc89's Avatar
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    I understand what you are getting at. It has some way of being held up, giving the illusion of hovering. Having the wheels go from vertical to horizontal definitely gives the effect way more realism and really wouldn't be overly difficult. I would have to see it can't really tell from the photos.
    Everyone is tough through a keyboard

  6. #6
    Senior Member Dangermouse's Avatar
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    The one is Brazil that I am referring to is this one:

    http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?10...down-in-Brazil

    a different set up, with hydraulics/pneumatics.




    *Who's/whose!!!!! I did it again didn't I?
    Dermot
    VIN 2743, B/A, Frame 2227, engine 2320

    I don't always drive cars, but when I do, I prefer DeLoreans

    http://www.will-to-live.org

    No-one is to stone anyone, even, and I want to make this absolutely clear, even if they do say "carburetor"

  7. #7
    Custom DeLorean Builder Rich W's Avatar
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    Since there appears to be hydraulics/pneumatics thrown into the mix (in a non-driving display),
    I guess I should include my full-scale BTTF Prop Car Replica in the list of hover conversions.

    My hover-mode was initially installed on the BTTF Prop Car Replica back in 2004 before DCS 2004
    and although I did not complete the "elevation" mods and install the linear actuators to automate,
    I was able to display the BTTF Prop Car Replica on stands and manually transition it to hover mode.

    My BTTF Prop Car Replica currently does not steer with the front wheels, due to the hinged spindles.
    Go-Jacks are used under the wheels to steer and position the vehicle for display and also to position
    the vehicle, to be placed back in an enclosed trailer or back on an open car trailer, for transport.

    DCS2004-propcar-hover-1.JPG

    DCS2004-propcar-hover-2.JPG

    Peebody-Barn-hover-1.jpg

    Peebody-Barn-hover-2.JPG

  8. #8
    Senior Member Timebender's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by davidc89 View Post
    If I had to guess it would be on some sort of jack. It looks as though there is a plate under the front end, behind the front tire. As a hobby magician I appreciate when people come up with these sort of illusions.
    +1

  9. #9
    Senior Member Timebender's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dangermouse View Post
    I'm not sure that it is an illusion.

    I have seen Pictures of Bruce's and its a clever way to produce the effect.

    The one in Brazil is different also as the wheels move from vertical to horizontal But it is presumably non- drivable also.
    The one in Brazil was cool in that it had the wheels that flipped out, but you could see it was on a motion simulator type of platform covered in a black curtain - it seemed very much like the kiddie rides that used to be at the mall.

    Bruce's is slick, especially at night as you can't see (well, sort of can't) the black covers over the wheels.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Timebender's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by davidc89 View Post
    I understand what you are getting at. It has some way of being held up, giving the illusion of hovering. Having the wheels go from vertical to horizontal definitely gives the effect way more realism and really wouldn't be overly difficult. I would have to see it can't really tell from the photos.
    Aside from getting some form of thrust through the wheels in hover mode (easy), and the wheels going from road to hover mode (easy), it's getting the rear wheels to connect/disconnect from the axles and then be able to reconnect - which is probably easy as well, but I'm stuck at that point.

    I did come up with a basic solution to a real-world flying DeLorean using state-of-the-art/current tech, which is similar to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter design.

    Any mechanical engineers with a degree or those who are "home schooled" - if you have thoughts on this as their are a couple places I'm stuck, one being the above mentioned axle issue - is the pass-through differential.

    So, in this case the engine is in the front of the car (it's been done as we know). It's connected to a drive-shaft which goes into a special differential - in drive mode it turns the back axles. In fly mode, it drives another smaller drive-shaft in the back of it, which in turn drives two turbines in opposite directions. The back louvers rotate to a vertical position to allow maximum airflow as well as keep from getting sucked down.

    For takeoff, compressed air from the turbines is passed through a channel and outlets along the bottom of the car, strategically placed mainly for lift and balance.
    Once enough height is reached for hover conversion (wheels out), the wheels turn out, and then airflow is redirected to the wheels, which have rounded caps behind them, and are the same diameter as the DeLorean rims. The air from there is then "cleaned up" per se, due to the slotted design of the rims (think wind tunnel effect), thus providing more thrust with less energy. Motion and direction is then controlled by each individual valve closing and opening enough - similar to how quadcopters operate by slowing down or speeding up the propellers.

    And that's pretty much it in a nutshell.
    And now this is of public record - if anyone wants to add to it, improve upon it or figure out how to make this work, please feel free to comment and help make it better.

    And I'm willing to donate my DeLorean to the cause, as it's already been modded with a Corvette 350 engine.

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