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Moller Skycar - Long Time ComingThe M400 kicks off a sweet daydream. Who can’t, after a gasp, imagine themselves cruising at 36,000 feet, zooming along at 360 mph in your own personal flying car, tunes cranking at full blast? Sadly it’s simply too difficult to take it all very seriously.
Specs
The Manufacturer Says“Moller International has developed the first and only feasible, personally affordable, personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle the world has ever seen.” “It would look right at home on the set of Bladerunner or the latest Star Wars film, but the Moller M400 Skycar… is definitely for real.” —- gizmag.com The Critics Say...“It would look right at home on the set of Bladerunner or the latest Star Wars film, but the Moller M400 Skycar… is definitely for real.” —- gizmag.com “This matter involves a fraudulent, unregistered offering and the filing of a fraudulent Form 10-SB by Moller International, Inc. ("MI" or "the company"), a California company engaged in the development of a personal aircraft known as ‘the Skycar.’”—From Securities and Exchange Commission v. Moller International Inc and Paul S. Moller, Defendants (U.S.D.C., Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division, Civil Action No. 2:03-CV-261) OverviewSo much of the automotive industry runs on the fumes generated by hype; how much air can you blow? And it’s very easy, even for jaded industry veterans, to fall for it, generally because you want to believe. One look at the 4-passenger Moller M400 Skycar and we don’t much care who you are, this is a dynamo—hustler and hooker, the collective futurecars dream. Then we wake. And it’s a mess. Of the manufacturer’s claims quoted above, namely that the M400 is “feasible, personally affordable, personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle”, the one that is hardest to accept—and that almost ruins the dream for us—is the VTOL aspect. This technology requires an extraordinary amount of force and thrust. The manufacture claims it can achieve this with “a patented thrust deflection vane system that redirects thrust.” Could be, but to get an idea of how successful the far-better-funded US Army has been with VTOL, read about the V-22 Osprey. Or better yet, read about the RAF’s Harrier Jump Jet, with which the M400 claims some technological affinity. What We LikeThe design and the cockpit. In the video on this site, watch Adam Savage from Mythbusters gush when he gets in. He’s gushing for all of us, because that is one killer cockpit, purely because of what it suggests for the future. The fuel. Ethanol, with some suggestion that compressed natural gas (CNG) might also be feasible. The safety. Emergency parachutes (you won’t likely see that again anytime soon in a car review). What We Don’t LikeThe efficiency. After gasping at so many of the web site’s proposed specifications, 20 mpg is a bit of a disappointment. ConclusionUltimately, the M400 kicks off a sweet daydream. Who can’t, after a gasp, imagine themselves cruising at 36,000 feet, zooming along at 360 mph in your own personal flying car, tunes cranking at full blast? Sadly it’s simply too difficult to take it all too, too seriously. Yet. Dive DeeperRelated Articles and ResourcesVideosNewsBlogsSponsored Links |
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My fav future car
thats awesome! My favorite as
I think that the lithium
I think that the lithium recharge vehicles are a good idea but they are missing a little detail, the engineers say that when they charge completly it last 250 miles on the charge, why don't they put a generator in the engine that way while it runs it's going to charge at the same time that way you never have to plug it in because it's going to have everlasting energy. Simple runing and charging at the same time.
The solar energy is as
The solar energy is as powerfull as any other greener alternative, why?, because you can use it in your home independly, for example: charging during the day 50% of it's capacity and using the other half for your needs that means that this alternative is also good like the lithium because you comsume but at the same time your home is charging independly, you can call it independant energy, this way your home is going to have free and everlasting energy, you never have to pay a bill ever again, it's one investment but it worth it, you never have to worry about a bill ever again. I gave this example because even in cars you can use solar energy to charge a lithium powered machine, how?, also simple, replacing or using the desing of the roof of the car for a solar panel making it look like the roof it's made of carbon fiber that way it looks stylish, beautifull and it's going to charge and give energy to the car while it runs, like i said before runing and charging at the same time, that way you never have to plug the car ever, what i think about this is using the tools we have to create all kinds of full powered independant energy witch means that if ours engineers do it this way we are going to contribute for a better tomorrow free of plug in movile energy and is going to be more greener saving this way also the resources of our planet and taking us ahead of the future.