Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

ringo · Apr 7, 2002, 04:02 PM

http://www.moller.com/

Company that makes a flying VTOL car.

Can any automobile give you this scenario? From your garage to your destination, the M400 Skycar cruises comfortably at 350+ MPH at 15 miles per gallon. No traffic, no red lights, no speeding tickets. Just quiet direct transportation from point A to point B in a fraction of the time. Three dimensional mobility for the same price as two dimensional mobility.

Their media page has a movie of an early model hovering about. The latest model looks like this:

Does anyone know if this is legit or a hoax?

[ 04-07-2002: Message edited by: ringo ]

SOLIDAge · Apr 7, 2002, 04:06 PM

when it comes in a delorean model...i'm in

spb · Apr 7, 2002, 04:15 PM

thunderbird 3 ?

spb · Apr 7, 2002, 04:17 PM

btw ringo - nice sig..!

lucky bastard....

RWoelk · Apr 7, 2002, 04:26 PM

It's legit, but it's been in the works for years. I for one would love to see these come on line.

lucylawless · Apr 7, 2002, 04:31 PM

I thought we've had flying cars for decades already. Isn't the whole point of a spoiler to prevent the car from flying?

spb · Apr 7, 2002, 04:36 PM

nice one..

so much for boy racers..!!!!

maybe.. DRAG racing's.. where it's at..

silk kimonos in a lambo anyone ??

Gene Jockey · Apr 7, 2002, 05:19 PM

Thought this thread was going to be about this:

Flying Car

Hi-larious.

spb · Apr 7, 2002, 05:23 PM

THAT could never happen in real life...

Andrew 8808 · Apr 7, 2002, 06:26 PM

That would be fun to drive, but I hope, in the future, flying cars aren't the normal thing, like you see in all the ideas of the distant future. There are so many idiots now who can't drive a car on a road, can you imagine them in the air?

Cellery · Apr 7, 2002, 06:57 PM

I remember reading a Popular Science magazine in the 80s and another one in the early 90s about this. It's a cool concept, but a lot of things would have to be changed around (regulation wise, like air ordinances, traffic lanes, etc.) for it to be feasible. I really wonder if it's ever going to get off the ground. (boo, hiss)

Face Ache · Apr 7, 2002, 07:15 PM

I think Segway technology is going to have huge implications for things like this. Balance is everything. I also think you would need a pilot's license and be on a flight path to use one of these, unless they invent a GPS based auto-pilot system.

No way are they gonna let Ca$h get behind the wheel of one of these puppies.

dillerX · Apr 7, 2002, 07:23 PM

That is all we need! People who can't drive....flying.

maxintosh · Apr 7, 2002, 08:43 PM

It's legit. Here's how it will work.

IUJHJSDHE · Apr 8, 2002, 01:53 AM

Originally posted by maxintosh:
It's legit. Here's how it will work.

Hehehe, I love how stuff works

Mediaman_12 · Apr 8, 2002, 04:49 AM

Originally posted by Andrew 8808:
That would be fun to drive, but I hope, in the future, flying cars aren't the normal thing, like you see in all the ideas of the distant future. There are so many idiots now who can't drive a car on a road, can you imagine them in the air?

The Moller thing (the single seater version looks cooler) is going to be computer piloted using GPS so you punch in your destination and it takes you there allong a pre-programed authorized route. So there is a reduced chance that all the idiots on the road would end up flying these things int each other.

jholmes · Apr 8, 2002, 02:53 PM

I've been following the Moller research for years and they seem to be very close - next six months or so - to an actually hovering prototype. They've been dicking around with all the stability software for years and for some inexplicable reason they've been doing it with only half of the engines installed. Naturally when they started putting in all of the engines they found that the center of gravity and the power curve were different. (these guys are really engineers)
So since the middle of last year they've been reworking the calculations to account for the added weight and power of the additional engines. I think they may be pretty close.

I want one really bad. I figure my grandmother went from riding in a covered wagon to watching men walk on the moon - why the hell can't I have a flying car?

KellyHogan · Apr 8, 2002, 04:42 PM

I can see it right now. People flying cars around, crashing in mid air and destroying homes below.

jholmes · Apr 8, 2002, 05:34 PM

Not the way it would work - these vehicles are supposed to have almost robitic control and be guided via GPS. You plug in waypoints and the destination and the car does the rest. It is my understanding that the developers are building in airspace reference features so that two vehicles couldn't come into the same airspace. They are also working with the FAA to create a certification program for drivers/pilots that is similar to those for S/VTOL craft like the V-22 Osprey.

It's a little more complicated than the Jetsons makes it look.

Andrew 8808 · Apr 8, 2002, 06:09 PM

Then what happens if the satellite fscks up? Everyone would be then crashing into each other.

Mediaman_12 · Apr 8, 2002, 06:19 PM

Originally posted by Andrew 8808:
Then what happens if the satellite fscks up? Everyone would be then crashing into each other.

If the US Military decides to kill the GPS signal near you, you could try the
European Civilian Alternative. With higher (civilian) accuracy too.

[ 04-08-2002: Message edited by: Mediaman_12 ]