Over at Moller International they take the idea of a flying car very seriously. Moller's June 28, 2007 press release announced the start of production for their, "Jetsons-like M200G volantor, a small airborne two passenger saucer-shaped vehicle that is designed to take-off and land vertically." Further excerpts from the press release appear below along with video of what appears to be an earlier prototype.
CEO Paul Moller calls the M200G, “the ultimate off-road vehicle,” able to travel over any surface.
“It’s not a hovercraft, although its operation is just as easy,” he says. “You can speed over rocks, swampland, fences or log-infested waterways with ease because you’re not limited by the surface. The electronics keep the craft stabilized at no more than 10 feet altitude, which places the craft within ground effect where extra lift is obtained from operating near the ground. This lets you glide over terrain at 50 mph that would stop most other vehicles.”
While the company does not foresee the requirement for significant training or licensing to operate the vehicle, it is prepared to offer demonstration sessions in Davis, Calif., once the vehicle is ready for market.
See also:
In 50 Years: Cars Flying Like Missiles! (Chicago Daily Tribune, 1959)
Where's My Jetpack? (2007)
Automobiles Without Wheels (1958)
Flying Car Patent (1991)
18 comments:
paul moeller is a fraud and the skycar is aeronautical vaporware at best and an outright scam at worst.
Moller has been pushing his junk forever. Vaporware is the right word.
Anons 1 and 2 beat me to the punch. This guy has been telling us he'll be ready to bring this to market "real soon now." I've been hearing this since I first heard of him 10 years ago.
That thing looks about as reliable as an Avro Air Car.
I wouldn't call Moeller a fraud, but he's been saying that his flying car will come to market "real soon, now" for the last 40 years.
And you can clearly see the cables
Wow, what terrible video quality - something's wrong. It reminds me of the hand written signs I see when I get off the highway or on the street corner, "Want to earn $15K-$20K/week?"
Umm, isn't that a huge crane in the background? Like, right above the car?
A huge crane with a cable attached to the craft?
Now, if they had demonstrated it in a field doing said 50km/h...
I don't neccessarily disagree that it is a fraud, but as far as the crane and cable go...it appears that the cable is there as a safety precaution. The craft is never really directly below the cable and the cable never seems completely stretched out. I do, however, wish that the video was of better quality...especially the music choice.
This video is over 30 years old (the 'skycar' features is the Mollar XM-4, I think) which was halted in the 70's.
I'm sure they have made some progress by now. Why not show a modern video?
I'll believe Steorn's Perpetual Motion Machine before this ... I remember seeing this on the Leonard Nemoy hosted "In Search Of" in the late 70's/early 80's.
Does anyone know where I can find that electronic version of "Call Me"
The cable seems to be doing more than just safety duty though, as you can see the craft swing at very odd angles. You don't swing at angles like that with vertical thrusters powerful enough to lift your craft and not flip violently.
Fraud or not, a consumer skycar is a stupid idea for a number of reasons.
The first one that comes to mind is: we already have private light rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, don't we?
http://wolffaerocycle.com/
I worked there when the saucer flew. It's real in the sense that if flew with him on board. We had enough gas and battery power for about 4 minutes of operation. Nothing non-essential was on board. thats a long way from a complete set of aircraft systems, two people, and an hour's worh of gas. His red m400 machine has hovered, but only unmanned, and under remote control. I doubt it can even get a pilot off the ground. He has been succeding at filaure for four decades. Look into his history - each vehicle in the lineage has flown (or not) only once, then been retired....
It's just a techno-scam. Unfortunately, some of the robots we developed flew nicely, but he deliberately took actions to make sure none of them ever went anywhere. He'll retire soon, set for the rest of his life and then some, having never made good on any of his promises, and having taken a lot of money from a lot of people. I'm amazed he hasn't met with an untimely end...
I am happy to see that technology is moving forward. It looks like Mr. Moeller has something that is getting near to development. There are probably ten thousand better and simpler systems but atleast here is someone who is showing us one, not ten thousand, one that is actually flying. Any product takes years of design and marketing. Huge amounts of money and generally world fairs are associated with these kinds of productions. Inspired people work hard to get 'things off the ground'. I think that jealous communists, religeous phanatics and other cynics better get off their beds and out of their slave pits and begin to realize that in the 21st century if they don't
s--t up, ''they'' may be the anarchists, republikans and the like - to do the ''disappearing acts''. Bell wasn't Canadian, President McKinley was an assassinated hero, and we have a long memory.
My friend Raymond climbed that mountain (and is a famous Canadian).He died in an avalanche in the Savoie under (what from my perspective) is
relativistic ''mysterious'' circumstances. You l--d mouths watch it or you'll be the ones doing the disappearing acts and some of us might be in control of the magic show!
Luddites like your taunting cynics
should see if they like it out on the street for a few months or years. Commie scum Griersons go back to your native England. British semi-automatic imperialists have no place on North American soil. Hurray for Texan redneck Bush! Plug the terrorist Ossama-cots and let us drink the sweet juice as it drains from the dead of ''head and night!''
Plug away brothers and sisters.
Plug noses, to these shnoooobes.
Plug noses to the common cold.
Plug away and maybe the delinquent in you will prevent the string wires from fraying or breaking, an electric guitar and Elvis might pull you out of your sordid misery.
The beatnicks never die - 88 ols.
I'm on the ''roll - royale'', gospel sisters - cashmere is too chiffon.
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh blooming.
Tell that to the psycho Abraham when he leaves the Chaldeans.
I'm into Daddy Terah's tourist torah. Ho Ho Ho! Russel Crow.
The feeling of Christmas - its CJAD.
Whats that PHILADELPHIA? Spread your wings, are those real - delicious on Bagg street.
http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/lr17987.htm
There!
Post a Comment