Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Heads Will Roll

Thinking about building a hovercraft from scratch using an "online design"?

Think again.

A New Zealand man has been decapitated by a propeller while demonstrating a home-made hovercraft to his family, local media reports say.

Dr Alastair Kenneth Senior, 40, died instantly when his hovercraft suffered a mechanical failure, causing a blade to shear off and hit him in the head.

[...]

It was reported to be the first time Mr Senior had driven the hovercraft. Police said that the victim had made the vehicle from scratch, possibly using an online design.

[...]

Police said anyone could build or fly a hovercraft in New Zealand without a licence.

The newspaper went on to quote a former member of the Hovercraft Club of New Zealand, Ashley Shaw, who said the craft were generally safe.

"To make them, it's a piece of cake. I designed my own," he said.

"Hovercraft are inherently very, very safe and simple devices. They are quite stable."

[BBC]

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