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Bill Zang of Harvard, Illinois is President of Universal Hovercraft and provider
of DiscoverHover's free hovercraft plans. Involved with hovercraft since childhood,
he achieved his first racing win in the fifth grade and placed 3rd in the 1989 World
Hovercraft Championship. Now an accomplished international hovercraft racer; his most
recent win was 2003 USA Formula 1 National Champion.
Bob Windt of Cordova, Illinois, formerly an aeronautical engineer at McDonnell Douglas,
is the founder of Universal Hovercraft. The Learning Channel's Junkyard Wars considers
Windt to be "the godfather of personal hovercraft." Windt designed the DiscoverHover
entry-level hovercraft and the world's fastest hovercraft that holds the Guinness
Hovercraft World Speed Record of 85.376 mph (137.40 km/h) that was established in Portugal
in 1995.
Mike Kiester of Duncan, Oklahoma is a commercial aircraft pilot and a hovercrafter
since 1975. He was the founding Secretary/Editor of the Hoverclub of America, Inc. in 1976
and Hovercrafter of the Year in 1984. In 1979 he served on the crew of the longest
unsupported hovercraft trip to date, a round trip from St. Louis to New Orleans. He is also
co-holder with Bob Windt of the New Orleans to St. Louis hovercraft speed record set in 1986.
Don Bender of Middleville, Michigan is an expert machinist, auto body refinisher and hovercraft
designer/builder. A former snowmobile racer, and member of the pit crew for Wally Dallenbach
on the Indy racecar circuit, he now works full time designing and constructing custom hovercraft.
Ken Roberts of Schaumburg, Illinois is a computer programmer by trade, but die-hard hovercraft
enthusiast when off the job. Interested in hovercraft since childhood, it wasn't until the age
of 32 that he was able to get his first ride in a real hovercraft. Ken currently owns and
operates a UH-12R hovercraft and is currently building a UH-18SPW Hoverwing.
A Universal Hovercraft UH-18SP piloted by Bob Windt.
Length:
Width:
Power Plants:
Transmission:
Top Speed:
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18.8 ft
7.5 ft
85 hp Subaru Automotive Engine
Belt drive lift fan and thrust prop
75+ mph
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A Don Bender custom design piloted by Don Bender.
Length:
Width:
Power Plants:
Transmission:
Top Speed:
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15.5 ft
7.75 ft
85 hp Subaru Automotive Thrust Engine, 12 hp Briggs & Stratton Lift Engine
Belt drive thrust prop and direct drive lift fan
65+ mph
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A Universal Hovercraft UH-15C cargo craft piloted by Bill Zang.
Length:
Width:
Power Plants:
Transmission:
Top Speed:
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15.5 ft
6.5 ft
85 hp Subaru Automotive Thrust Engine, 17 hp Kohler Lift Engine
Belt drive thrust prop and direct drive lift fan
55+ mph
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