Skycar going to China

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with this inventor from California, Dr. Moller, but he’s a guy who I’ve followed for years that has developed what a lot of experts are saying could be the next paradigm shift in mass transport: the Skycar. It’s a VTOL (vertical takeoff/landing) aircraft that’s also limitedly road able. It’s a pretty well publicized phenom and studies have shown it to be quite viable technology that could end traffic jams, solve the energy crisis, yadda, yadda, yadda…

Here’s a link to his site: www.moller.com...

There is news out last month that despite already having a prototype developed, Moller is packing up his toys and moving production operations to China. Here’s the link:

www.editinternational.com...?cat=40de34bf8fadb&sub=4366c85710554

My question: Is this gross US Government incompetence or something else? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Jbright

Good riddance. The guy is a con artist. He’s been showing his “Skycar” for more than 20 years and all I’ve ever seen is it hover a few feet from the ground while hanging from a crane.

Given the machine's very protracted development and its ambitiousness, skepticism that the machine will work as claimed remains high. In 2003, the Securities and Exchange Commission sued Moller for civil fraud (Securities And Exchange Commission v. Moller International, Inc., and Paul S. Moller, Defendants) in connection with the sale of unregistered stock, and for making unsubstantiated claims about the performance of the Skycar. Moller settled this lawsuit by agreeing to a permanent injunction and paying $50,000. In the words of the SEC complaint, "As of late 2002, MI's approximately 40 years' of development has resulted in a prototype Skycar capable of hovering about fifteen feet above the ground."
en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 18-5-2006 by El Tiante]

Ye gods, after all our disagreements here is something we agree on

The Moller Skycar is a joke, and not a very funny one. When one zooms over my house I will kiss my own arse

Originally posted by El Tiante
Good riddance. The guy is a con artist. He’s been showing his “Skycar” for more than 20 years and all I’ve ever seen is it hover a few feet from the ground while hanging from a crane.

I've heard that before, but have seen published studies by heavies like Boeing that say the concept is sound. I'm with you, though, in being skeptical of him being able to produce these things at the kind of costs he's advertising (apx. 50K for a flying car once mass production starts).

I'm more interested now in keeping our frauds close, just on the off chance he may be on to something. Remember, he's already selling these things out of the Nieman Marcus catalogue:

www.engadget.com...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUU yes it is a joke
I saw a klip of it "flying" with sound!!!!!!
Eight wankel engines screaming like hell is not what you wonna hear. This is louder than a concorde being supersonic near the ground

Originally posted by vorazechul
OOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUU yes it is a joke
I saw a klip of it "flying" with sound!!!!!!
Eight wankel engines screaming like hell is not what you wonna hear. This is louder than a concorde being supersonic near the ground

Thats just what I thought when I saw it "this is completely wankel"

I hear the skepticism but my take on this technology is slightly different.

The physical technology is generally agreed to be feasible. But for it to be used as everyday transport by non-pilot-qualified people it would need a MASSIVE network for remote/automated control to prevent collisions. That presents the problems of cost, sheer scale, redundancy (network crash takes on literal meaning?), frequency shortage etc etc. Therefore for some time the vehicle would be limited to piloted flight within existing civilian flight control frameworks -and that limits the market place.

Added to this, this form of transport is hardly environmentally friendly, not by a long shot. Any general shift away from eco-cars to this type of vehicle should rightly be opposed.

On face value the vehicle, which is essentially a variation on the tilt-fan concept, offers some advantages over helicoptors. however from a military perspective I can't see this having any advantages over other forms of mobility, aside from novalty. It's about as likely as the USMC rolling into battle on Segways. Therefore I can't see any problem for it being exported to China. in fact the Chinese could build it anyway without Moller's help anyway if it really was that useful to them. Instead we are just seeing cheap labour winning the production contracts and investment opportunities.

[edit on 18-5-2006 by planeman]

[edit on 18-5-2006 by planeman]

I had high hopes for the skycar. Even if it does only hover 15' off the ground, that's like doubling the amount of roadway in cities. Who knows, ifChina goes nuts with this then we'll see how effective it actually is.

Originally posted by planeman
I hear the skepticism but my take on this technology is slightly different.

The physical technology is generally agreed to be feasible. But for it to be used as everyday transport by non-pilot-qualified people it would need a MASSIVE network for remote/automated control to prevent collisions. That presents the problems of cost, sheer scale, redundancy (network crash takes on literal meaning?), frequency shortage etc etc. Therefore for some time the vehicle would be limited to piloted flight within existing civilian flight control frameworks -and that limits the market place.



[edit on 18-5-2006 by planeman]

[edit on 18-5-2006 by planeman]

Good points all, but I how about as compitition to regional jet market with existing infrastructure. Surely that would appeal to high end business traveler. That's a rapidly growing market sector I'd hate to see go overseas.

If there were to be any market for this vehicle then it would be as a flashy and expensive alternative to a Cessna 172 etc, certainly not, in my view, as an alternative to the car.

The idea of unqualified people piloting these things is obviously a non starter and as for automated piloting/management systems? Well you only have to see how sat navs currently send drivers round in circles or direct them into four feet of water to know that this is also too far fetched.

Looks like this guy wants cheap slave labour in China. Maybe he can suck the chinese into thinking this is the coming tech of the 21st century?

they are gonna have to steal a lot of ideas from the first world yet in order to make this thing work.