Science Olympiad
BASIS Independent McLean · Division B
All build events

2026–2027 · Division B · Build

Hovercraft

Develop a levitating vehicle and calibrate its runs.

Lift · load · control

Plan for: a clear, level test lane

2027 · Know before you build

Rules & required-items check

A practical checklist for students, parents and coaches, written from the 2027 Division B manual. Each note points to its source rule.

Get the official manual (opens in a new tab)

40 cm cube

The levitating, ready-to-run vehicle must fit in all three dimensions.

Rule 3.a

8-minute run window

Target time is 6–18 seconds; practice runs are not allowed.

Rule 4.d–e

Impound required

One vehicle, spares and notes; batteries are stored separately for inspection.

Rule 2.a

Category B eyewear

Required for setup and powered operation.

Rule 2.c

Source: printed pages B31–B34 · PDF pages 36–39 · Checked September 13, 2026 (manual); October 25, 2026 (published corrections)

Your team’s packing list

  • Impound the competition materials

    Submit the vehicle, any spare parts and every paper or note you will use. Present batteries separately with readable original labels. No new notes may enter afterward.

    2027 rule 2.a; 3.f.ii

  • Tools and optional calculators

    Tools and up to two Class III calculators do not need impound. Tools must not travel with the vehicle, and laser tools are prohibited. Bring Category B eyewear.

    2027 rule 2.b–c

At the competition station

  • Track and loading masses

    The supervisor supplies the track, start block, stop barrier and optional ramp, plus four full nickel rolls, one half-roll and 20 loose nickels. Do not substitute your own masses, track or ramp.

    2027 rule 2.d; 5; 6

  • Practice track reference

    The timed section is 185.0 ± 0.5 cm and the channel is 45.0 ± 0.5 cm wide. Practice carrying loose nickels and intact rolls without tape or adhesive.

    2027 rule 6.a,d; 4.g

Build to these limits

  • Guard every fan

    Shield all propellers and impellers, including underside fans, so a 3/8-inch dowel cannot reach them. Every motor needs an accessible manually operated mechanical switch.

    2027 rule 3.f.i,iii

  • Power and component limits

    Use labeled commercial batteries; lithium and lead batteries are prohibited. Label-based voltage must stay at or below 12.0 V between any two points. Allowed electrical parts are batteries, wiring/connectors/holders, mechanical switches, relays, resistors, capacitors and at most two motors. Integrated circuits are allowed only when manufactured into a commercial motor.

    2027 rule 3.b,f.ii

  • Make timing unambiguous

    Use a vertical wooden dowel at least 1/4 inch thick, within 3.0 cm of the front. Its top must reach at least 20.0 cm above the track while levitating, and it must be the first part to cross the timing beam.

    2027 rule 3.e

  • Lift and thrust come from air

    The moving vehicle must levitate on an air cushion. Contact with the track and inner rail edges is allowed, but the top and outer rail edges are off limits. No laser components.

    2027 rule 3.b.ii,c–d

Rehearse competition dayTiming, setup and what happens during a scored attempt

  • Calibrate for the unknown target

    The target is 6.0–18.0 s, in 1.0 s steps at Regionals or 0.5 s steps at States/Nationals. The window ends after two complete runs, two incomplete runs, or eight minutes, whichever happens first.

    2027 rule 4.d–e

  • Know when a run is incomplete

    A three-second stop before finishing, or failing to finish within twice the target time, makes a run incomplete. Failing to cross the start within three seconds of launch does not count as a run.

    2027 rule 4.h–i

  • Hands off until told

    After starting the motors and removing your hands, let the supervisor release the starting block. Do not touch or interfere until authorized; interference gives zero for all three score components on that run.

    2027 rule 4.l–n

Understand the scoreWhat earns points, what loses them and how teams rank

  • Best run wins

    Add distance, timing and carried-mass points; keep the better run. A complete run earns 40 distance points, up to 40 time points for matching the target, and up to 20 mass points.

    2027 rule 7.a–f

  • The ramp trades points for assistance

    Using the supplied ramp halves distance points and removes mass points for that run. Only nickels retained through completion count.

    2027 rule 7.d.iii; 7.f.iv–v

  • Penalties multiply

    Missing impound multiplies score components by 0.7. Each construction violation adds a ×0.8 factor; each competition violation adds ×0.9. Unresolved safety failures receive participation only.

    2027 rule 7.g,i–k

Confirm with your coach or tournament host

  • Surface and appointment

    Ask the host about the track surface and impound deadline. Confirm the run-count rule if planning recovery from mixed complete and incomplete attempts.

    2027 rule 2.a; 4.e; 6.c

Use these preparation notes alongside the authoritative manual, its diagrams, current corrections and the host’s instructions. They are not a complete rule replacement or a certification of your device. Both partners should be able to explain their design and operate it independently.

September 22 national corrections resolve the glider flight period to six minutes and correct Water Quality organism spellings (Phaeophyta, Eucidaris, Octocorallia). October 12 Scrambler kit guidance and form are linked below. Recheck national clarifications and tournament instructions before competition.

Rules corrections (opens in a new tab)Official clarifications (opens in a new tab)Safety & building policies (opens in a new tab)

Kits, stock & delivery

Public seller pages checked October 25, 2026. This is a dated snapshot, not live stock. Prices are advertised USD before shipping/tax; confirm the single-kit option and delivery before paying. An add-to-cart button alone does not establish stock. Kits still need student assembly, testing and rules checks.

On Order — not confirmed ready to ship

Ward’s 2027 Hovercraft Kit · 470364-882

Observed price: $274.69

Vehicle kit. Ramp 470360-256 is separate ($61.79, also On Order). Charger 470364-246 is separate ($42; seller shows In Stock at VWR, usually ships next day). Charger availability does not mean the vehicle kit is in stock.

Availability / restock: Seller supplies a date after ordering; no public restock date. Request an estimate before relying on delivery.

Check seller source (opens in a new tab)

Build your own

A prototype you can make and improve

Original club build suggestions. Pair these steps with the rule checklist above; they are not an official design or a guarantee of competition compliance.

  1. Start with a light, stiff base and replaceable thin-plastic skirt. Lay out the lift fan, propulsion fan, guarded openings, switches and permitted batteries before cutting; use the official components guide to screen purchases.
  2. Test lift with power off to the propulsion fan first, then add the required load progressively. Find leaks, rubbing and tipping before attempting a track run.
  3. Tune propulsion and loading on the same type of surface used for practice. Repeat runs at each setting and record battery condition, carried mass, elapsed time and drift. Keep wiring and guards inspectable.

3D printing & design files

Printed motor brackets, fan guards and chassis fittings are candidates under the construction rules, subject to size, fan protection, electrical and battery limits. This is a material-based interpretation, not approval of a particular file. Avoid heavy full-body prints; test mounts for vibration and guard clearance. Verified historical donor STLs are listed below with the electrical-system changes and guarding checks required for 2027.

There is no blanket approval of all printed parts. The event’s specific material and construction restrictions take priority. Students should retain file source, license, CAD changes, print settings and test results, and build and explain their own device. Ask an official clarification when a design’s legality is uncertain.

The national general FAQ recognizes modeling a 3D-printed component as part of student design and construction. That answer does not waive an event’s material requirements. Read the national FAQ (opens in a new tab).

Official student-building and mentoring policy (opens in a new tab)

Downloadable 3D files & 2027 use

Model review: October 27, 2026. Separate from the kit-stock review. File access and contents were checked; no physical print, load test or tournament approval is implied.

Useful donor geometry, not a complete legal 2027 Science Olympiad build. Start with the skirt clamp or body rather than copying the RC electronics.

Use the creator’s Files tab or the exact file link below. If a raw STL/STEP opens as text, use Save link as and retain the listed extension. STEP needs CAD export to STL first. For OpenSCAD source, retain included dependencies, render the main part files and export STL. STL has no unit metadata: confirm millimeters in your slicer. Slice the model for your own printer; do not run someone else’s G-code.

Verified file access · adaptation required

Hovercraft body and skirt-clamp donor parts

By Dmitrii Tomin · ZIP containing 5 STL files

  • main_body.stl
  • outer_skirt_clamp.stl
  • propeller_duct.stl
  • rudder.stl
  • skid_plate.stl
What you can adapt
Adapt the static body and outer skirt clamp for a student-built air cushion. A duct can be a starting shape for a guarded fan mount; inspect and redesign both intake and outlet protection.
2027 restrictions & required changes
The original is RC and specifies a LiPo, receiver, ESC and servo: do not copy that system. Lithium/lead batteries and those standalone control electronics are outside the permitted 2027 configuration. Use permitted batteries at no more than 12.0 V, at most two motors and accessible mechanical switches. Fit the levitating vehicle in the 40 cm cube, add the required wooden timing dowel, carry the event load and guard every fan so a 3/8-inch dowel cannot reach it. A duct alone is not a compliant guard.
Rule checkpoints: Hovercraft 3.a–f; 4.g. Candidate mechanical parts only; complete device still requires inspection and testing.
License & attribution
CC BY-SA 4.0 on the creator’s Printables page. Credit Dmitrii Tomin and share distributed adaptations under the same license.

Verification: Creator page, file list and license inspected; the creator’s GitHub ZIP downloaded and passed its archive integrity check. This pinned ZIP is an earlier snapshot, not a promise that it matches every later Printables revision.

Download verified STL archive (.zip) (opens in a new tab)Creator & instructions (opens in a new tab)License source (opens in a new tab)

Verified plans, videos & tutorials

Links were read directly or confirmed on the national event page. Video playback, vendor checkout and downloadable model fabrication have not been tested. Historical resources are labeled; an older video cannot set 2027 dimensions.

Official 2027 electronic-components guide (PDF)

Review allowable component configurations before choosing motors, fans and batteries.

Opens in a new tab

Official Hovercraft resources

Current event and supplier references. No free current-season YouTube build tutorial independently verified here.

Opens in a new tab

Plan your practice kit

Suggested supplies, not a mandatory shopping list. Borrow shared equipment first; confirm every competition item against the rules before purchasing.

Prototype supplies

  • Lightweight base and skirt materials
  • Rules-compatible motors, fans, battery holders and switches

Shared tools

  • Ruler, balance and stopwatch
  • Multimeter and a guarded, supervised electrical work area

Storage & records

  • Protected battery storage and a vehicle transport box
  • Load labels, run log and repair inventory

Your first practice

Make one useful comparison.

  1. 1

    Review the battery and fan rules with the coach before buying components.

  2. 2

    Check lift and stability in a controlled bench trial.

  3. 3

    Run repeated lane tests and change only one load or control setting.

Build a record you can learn from

Keep every trial, including failures. Record the conditions, one changed variable, what happened and the next decision.

  • • Vehicle / load mass (g)
  • • Power configuration
  • • Run duration (s)
  • • Contact, drift or lift failure
Download blank test log

Original club CSV template. Save it in your team’s approved workspace and share it with your coach. It does not upload or sync to student progress, and it does not replace any required official log.

A role for everyone

Students

Own the design decisions. Keep a revision record, learn the relevant rules and be ready to explain how your device works and why you changed it.

Parents

Help organize components and transport. Have the coach approve electrical purchases and supervise powered tests.

Coaches

Inspect wiring, fan guards and battery compliance, then compare run variation across repeated trials.

Resources for your next step

Official Hovercraft resource page

Use the official page for resources, then check the 2027 Division B manual for the current device task. This hub does not add a written-test component.

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Official webinars & event workshops

Find coaching sessions and recordings. Check each resource’s event, division and season.

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