An ionocraft is a device that can
fly by purely using
electricity. The principle is simple: If you induce a
coronal discharge between a positive
electrode and a negative one, some air will be ionized. This ionized air will move at a high rate of speed to the negative
electrode. It will also tend to carry non-ionized air with it, creating a downdraft.
Unfortunately, ionocraft will probably never be used for human transportation because they are very innefficient.
Building your own Ionocraft
Materials:
30-40 kv power supply
10 mm thick balsa wood
aluminum foil
30 gauge wire
First, create a balsawood frame. This is very simple. Make a equilateral triangle with three pieces of balsa wood. Preferably make it about a foot or two on a side. Glue it together with cyanoacrylate glue. After that, put up 3 75 mm balsa wood pieces vertically at each vertice of the triangle. Now, make another balsa triangle 40 mm. up on the vertical pieces. Now, you should have 2 triangles connected by vertical pieces of balsa wood. The vertical pieces of balsa wood should extend 30 mm past the second triangle.
Now that the frame is constructed, get out your aluminum foil. Cut three lightweight peices of aluminum foil 45 mm high and slightly wider than the sides of your triangles. Now, glue the foil on the sides of the ionocraft between both of your triangles.
Now you can make the positive electrode. Simply glue your wire along the top of the vertical members of your ionocraft. There should be a 30 mm gap between the wire and the foil.
Your craft is ready! Simply wire it up with thing gauge wire to your power source and turn it on! The ionocraft should shoot up into the air.
SAFETY: High voltage electricity is very dangerous. It WILL kill you if you come into contact with it.