Washington man flies across country to buy one-of-one military hovercraft from the US Navy and what he finds is otherworldly
Published on Feb 02, 2026 at 7:29 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Feb 02, 2026 at 7:29 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Molly Davidson
A 23-year-old YouTuber boarded a plane from Washington State after hearing about something sitting in a Wisconsin barn.
It was described as a one-of-one military hovercraft, built for the US Navy and later sold at auction.
He hadn’t seen it in person, and no one could really explain what condition it was in.
Still, he flew across the country anyway.
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The Navy hovercraft story starts before he ever sees it
The man making the trip is Matt Spears, chasing a machine with more gaps than paperwork.
The Navy hovercraft passed through a military auction years ago, changed hands, and hasn’t operated properly since.
What makes this one-of-one so iconic is that it isn’t like anything else out there.
It isn’t a truck or a boat.
It’s described as a ground-effect vehicle, using a lift fan and skirt to hover, paired with wings that allow it to skim higher once moving.
That hybrid design leaves it stranded between categories, with no obvious reference point.
That uncertainty follows Matt straight into the haul home.
He’s too young to rent a tow vehicle, so he buys a used Honda Ridgeline instead.
He loads the massive, winged craft onto a custom trailer and points it toward home, knowing almost nothing about how the setup will behave.
From there, the trip becomes a chain of breakdowns, weather problems, and improvised fixes.
Still, he doesn’t turn back.
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What Matt plans to do with his newfound automotive marvel
Getting the hovercraft home isn’t the end of this story.
Almost immediately, Matt talks about tearing it down and rebuilding it, not preserving it as a display piece.
The craft hasn’t run in years and parts of it are visibly deteriorated, but that’s the appeal.
He wants to restore the lift system, propulsion, and eventually refit the wings to see it operate as intended.
He’s even open about wanting to get it flying again.
What began as a risky pickup turns into something more ambitious.
He didn’t cross the country to own a strange piece of history, he did it to bring one back to life.
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With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
