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1980-1989 - 3rd Decade
The LeMere, later named the Explorer, was designed, developed, manufactured and marketed.
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| The LeMere appeared in Lord Extra Cigarette advertising in the German market. This was filmed on Lake Big bear in California. | An enclosed version of LeMere was used by the US Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a water temperature study at the Lake Oahe Dam in Pierre, South Dakota. | ||||
Neoteric participated in three major commercial productions in California; the first at Lake Isabella for Labatts Beer, Canada; the second at Lake Big Bear for Lord Extra Cigarettes, Germany; and the third at Lake Isabella for Hollywood Cigarettes, Brazil.
A corporate advisory board of volunteer directors was established in Terre Haute, Indiana USA to assist in guiding the company.
On separate occasions both Chris Fitzgerald and Robert Wilson traveled to India to set up hovercraft manufacturing at Scientific Instrument Company (SICO) in Ghaziabad.
An evaluator program for improving the Explorer (formally the LeMere) model was begun. This was a unique concept that involved Neoteric customers in the product development cycle.
A business relationship began with Mr. B. N. Sinha, President of the SICO, in India.
U.D. Mishra, SICO Manager, visited Neoteric headquarters in Terre Haute, Indiana USA to learn hovercraft construction. Subsequently parts and full Fiberglass parts were manufactured at Ghaziabad. It took a long time but intimately parts of acceptable quality were being produced by SICO for shipping go the USA. Eventually the program failed because neoteric was unable to maintain a sufficient level of parts orders to keep the plant running and it ceased production.
Chris Fitzgerald was appointed Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's first ever Entrepreneur in Residence, establishing a long, solid relationship between Neoteric and Rose-Hulman. Many Rose-Hulman students still find employment at Neoteric today and are involved in internships and special engineering projects.
The Racer, later named the Questrek, was designed and developed during this period.
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| The first Racer being displayed at Fowler Park in Terre Haute, Indiana. | This machine was a shortened version of the production Neoteric Racer & Questrek. It participated in the World Hovercraft Championship in Troy, Ohio in 1989 and won numerous awards. A later version utilized recumbent seating. | Neoteric Questrek hovercraft used in thin ice rescues. | |||
Parts were supplied to Neoteric by SICO India.
Neoteric supplied and supported 15 hovercraft dragons to Disney World in Orlando Florida, based on the Racer model. One ExPlorer model was also supplied and used by Disney to promote the Hover dragon Show.
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| Hovercraft delivery to Disney World, 1986 using Neoteric’s trailer. | Dragon Hovercraft at Epcot Center, 1986. Neoteric was involved in training the pilots and participated in developing technical aspects of the Dragon Show using our Hovercraft. | Disney World Hovering Neoteric dragons which were driven by human Lizards. The show ran for more than 2 years and ended when an aircraft used on the show crashed and killed the pilot. Disney decided to halt the show because of possible future liability. | |||
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| Fitzgerald piloting one of the dragons at Epcot Disney Park in Orlando, Florida. | Mickey arrives at a Florida kindergarten. To the delight of the children, he arrives by a Neoteric Explorer hovercraft driven by Neoteric hover pilot Greg Danner. Craft was decorated in a Superb Disney paint scheme. | ||||
Neoteric developed, designed, tested, manufactured and sold more than 300 Racer and Questrek models.
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| Racer hovercraft delivered on a Neoteric trailer to Fed Ex in Memphis, Tennessee for air shipment to Hong Kong, China. | Loading hovercraft for air transport to China. | Neoteric Crew supervised the loading of 4 Racer craft being shipped to Hong Kong, on a FedEx transport airplane. | |||
The company designed, developed, and produced the prototype Neova 4 in Australia and developed blueprints for its home construction. Plans are still sold today.
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| Neova 4, a 4-seat enclosed machine operating across tidal mudflats in Hastings, Neoteric’s test area in Victoria, Australia. | Neova 4 plans | ||||
Fitzgerald co-authored with Rob Wilson a manual on Light Hovercraft Design, the third edition of which is still being sold through Neoteric and the Hoverclub of America Inc.
Neoteric organized and conducted three well attended light hovercraft design conferences at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Neoteric designed a 6-seat 318 V8 Chrysler-powered utility hovercraft for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Racer and Neova 6 hovercraft kits were sold to Japan. Neoteric obtained Japanese Marine Department Certification for the Racer and Neova 6 models.
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| Four-seat Neova 4 Special for the US Army Corps of Engineers to be used on the Oahe Damn in South Dakota. | Four-seat Neova 4 Special, US Army Corps of Engineers for operation on the Missouri River in Pierre South Dakota. | ||||
Fitzgerald and company employee Ralph Weas attended the World Hovercraft Championship in Germany, and became founding members of the World Hovercraft Federation.
Neoteric designed, developed and supplied a 1-ton Hoverlifter to Alcoa Aluminum.
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| Neoteric Hoverlifter developed for Alcoa Aluminum for transporting heavy Industrial ventilating fans across factory roof tops for servicing. This novel Unit was powered by a 20 HP Kohler 2-cylinder 4 cycle industrial gasoline engine. | Hand propelled Hoverlifter. A Kohler Gasoline engine powering a large centrifugal fan that was designed and developed by neoteric. Constructed with a heavy Aluminum deck designed for side winching loads onto and off the deck. | ||||
Neoteric designed, developed and manufactured the Neova Workhorse for Southern Illinois University; Onset Fire Department; Golden Sunlight Mines; Dr. Fowler and other customers.
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| Neova Workhorse. | Neova Workhorse for Southern Illinois University being driven by Owen Ellis from Australia during a Test run on the Wabash River. | 7-passenger twin engine Neova Workhorse prototype, Unit has a 12 Hp Kohler engine for Lift and a 120 HP 4-cylinder Ford Automotive engine for thrust. | |||
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| This Workhorse was utilized by Golden Sunlight Mine, near Whitehall, Montana USA. 12 HP Kohler Lift engine and a 60 HP VW 4-cylinder Industrial engine for thrust. | A 7-passenger twin engine Workhorse used as a recreational hovercraft by Dr. Fowler a Neoteric customer. | This Neova Workhorse serves as a rescue hovercraft to this day for the Onset Fire Department, Onset, Massachusetts USA. Powered by a 50 HP Fuji Robin Snowmobile engine for thrust and an 8 HP 4 cycle engine for lift air. | |||
Neoteric's USA headquarters was relocated to a new and larger facility, centrally in Terre Haute, Indiana USA.
Neoteric’s Fitzgerald and Hoverclub president Scott Brownlee, in conjunction with the Hoverclub of America, Inc., organized the 1989 World Hovercraft Championship in Troy, Ohio USA.
Neoteric designed and developed a series of hovering billiard balls for the popular US comedian, Gallagher, "Wizard of Odd". Gallagher also purchased a 4-seat craft and was trained to operate his craft in Detroit Michigan by Chris and Todd Gelsema a Neoteric employee.
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| One of Gallagher’s Hover balls being demonstrated to Aaron Coffman of “Aaron needs A Job Fame”. | |||||
10 feet in length and named “Racer” was a shortened version of the Neoteric Questrek model. It was designed, developed and manufactured by Neoteric to participate in the October 1989 World Hovercraft Championship in Troy Ohio and in many future Hoverclub of America, Inc. racing events.
After development, Neoteric shipped 6 lightweight 3ft diameter Hoverballs, 1 heavy weight 4ft ride-on Hoverball and 1 Racer Hovercraft to “Gallagher”, Woodland Hills, CA to be used in his comic shows.
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