Neoteric Hovercraft

Since 1960, we have led the effort to develop hovercraft technology, community, and awareness in more than 50 countries.

Neoteric Hovercraft is no ordinary hovercraft company. Founded by cadet members of the Australian Air Training Corps, Neoteric has stood the test of time with our experience and professionalism, while countless others have come and gone. Our objective is to innovate and produce technically unchallenged light hovercraft.

Neoteric is no ordinary hovercraft company. Founded in 1960 and incorporated in 1969, they have stood the test of time through their experience and professionalism while countless others have come and gone. Formed by a group of Australian engineers, their objective has been to innovate and produce technically unchallengeable, light hovercraft.

Research began as early as 1960 with various machines being tested, evolving and then being put aside. In 1964, the company, then known as Australian Air Cushion Vehicle Development (AACVD), competed in the first world hovercraft race. As experience mounted, the Rotary International Foundation awarded AACVD's president, Chris Fitzgerald a scholarship for a world hovercraft study tour which resulted in contact with virtually every hovercraft project in existence. This enabled the company to capitalize and improve on the latest overseas ideas.

Innovations continued and, by 1973, a prototype hovercraft, the Neova, was completed and put through a trials series to ensure that it would meet the company's exacting specifications. In order to facilitate world patents and promotions for this craft, AACVD decided to form a new company, Neoteric Engineering Affiliates Pty. Ltd. Defined as novel and contemporary, this name was chosen to exemplify both their clients and their product. Once patents were obtained, Neoteric created staggering world interest when it introduced the Neova at a press demonstration in July of 1974 on the Yarra river in the heart of Melbourne, Australia. All were anticipating a promising future for this curious new flying machine.

With the hope of selling their technology to the burgeoning recreational vehicle market in the United States, the engineering team made what was intended to be a temporary move to the USA in 1975. After a short time, however, they discovered that there was a virgin market for the manufacturing of hovercraft and began reorienting their company's focus in that direction. This spurred the spin-off company, Neoteric, Inc., which also trades under the names of Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. and Neoteric U.S.A., Inc. Over the next several years, many hovercraft were developed and market-tested, but by far the most successful model was the Racer, subsequently called the Questrek (as demand for racing vehicles was small). This hovercraft was a distillation of all of the best features of Neoteric's trial models. It's affordability, efficiency and versatility made it the company's most popular hovercraft. Other successful models included the Neova 4, Neova 6, Neova 8, Explorer and Workhorse.

In their unceasing quest for the ultimate hovercraft, the engineers at Neoteric made a very difficult decision in 1994. Despite the success of their Questrek, they needed a way of making hovercraft more efficiently. This meant totally redesigning the craft so that it could be manufactured more simply. The entire design/engineering cadre was summoned to the United States several times over a period of five years, resulting in 12,000 hours of development and the most desirable craft available today…the Hovertrek. More information about this latest development will follow.

Today, Neoteric boasts a clientele that spans 50 countries and includes Disney World, local and national rescue departments, dive teams, gold mines, environmental and fishery research departments at universities, oil-spill clean-up, the US Army Corps of Engineers and, of course, numerous people who enjoy exploring remote areas that cannot be reached by any other means. Having logged in excess of 145,000 man-hours of product development, their engineers are committed to constant refinement in order to provide the most recent hovercraft technology.

On a pleasant Sunday evening, a friend invited me to go hovering. It was a beautiful, late summer evening with the sun's reflection washing the river in a pastel rust. With our hovercraft gliding on air above the mirror-like surface, we explored remote creeks, sand dunes and mud flats rarely seen by other human beings. The wildlife, in its magnificent display, barely noticed us as we breezed past. I marveled yet again at the majesty of hovering, regretting that not everyone would ever share this experience. Perhaps contacting us will be your first step to doing so.

More and more people are learning about hovercraft and developing the inevitable fascination with them. Mine began in 1959 when I saw TV coverage of the British Saunders Roe Nautical One (SRN1) hovercraft cross the English Channel in commemoration of a moment in aviation history – Bleriot's first crossing by airplane 50 years earlier.

At the time I was the youngest member of the Australian Experimental Aircraft Association, then known as the Ultralight Aircraft Association of Australia. Having always enjoyed anything to do with mechanics and, particularly, airplanes, I realized early on that owning a safe airplane was expensive. Therefore, I saw the hovercraft as a machine that offered safe, affordable flight, close to the ground. All that had to be done was to invent one that would be a practical size for the pilot and, possible, a few passengers. What I did not realize at the time was that this enthusiasm for hovercraft technology would become my passion and my life's work.

The pursuit of my goal has led me all over the world to meet many unique people, most of whom share the same spirited interest in hovercraft. It is my pleasure to now invite you inside Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. The links above will give you an inside view of our company and bring you into the world of hovercraft.As you peruse our hovercraft information, I entreat you to imagine yourself part of this unequaled realm.