Posted on 08/02/2007 3:47:19 PM PDT by Kevmo
A flying saucer that glides 10 feet off the ground and carries two passengers has gone into commercial production.
Moller International, based in Davis, Calif., has begun to manufacture parts for its Jetsons-like personal flying pod, the M200G Volantor.
The M200G is the size of a small car and is designed to take off and land vertically.
• Click here to see a video of an M200 prototype in action.
Company founder Paul Moller, in a press release, called the craft "the ultimate off-road vehicle" as it is able to travel over any surface.
"It's not a hovercraft, although its operation is just as easy," said Moller, a retired professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California at Davis. "You can speed over rocks, swampland, fences or log-infested waterways with ease, because you're not limited by the surface."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
But then, when you go over to Moller's website, it claims that it IS a ground effect vehicle. It only flies 10 FEET above the ground. That's a far cry from a flying car. http://www.moller.com/files/M200_Production_starts.pdf
For your ping list, so they can throw darts at Moller...
Video I linked is a different model then the one in the Fox report. Haven’t seen the Fox report one
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
California will shut him down unless it is eco friendly green, it’s manufacture has a very low carbon footprint, and meets or exceeds CAFE standards for mileage.
Not to mention is biodegradable and completely Vegan.
This would make an awesome combat UAV.
Under FAA rules?
The video shows it still tethered to a crane. I don’t think it is ready for marketing yet...........
10 feet off the ground would be great in heavy snow. And in flooding too, assuming it can fly 10 feet above water. If these catch on at all, it’s going to require a whole new legal structure for traffic laws!
Well just like Mr. Loofah I'm sure it blows.
He will just have to do what so many other businesses are doing: move out of Khalifornistan. There's forty-nine other states and many of them are much friendlier to do business in.
Moller XM4
He has been selling “info packs” for years.
This thing is like free energy, lots of hype but no real examples. The “prototype” has only ever flown tethered. It will never get certified unless it proves it can fly safely.
Looks like a gas guzzler.
Looks like a gas guzzler.
They sure could have used a bunch of these in Minneapolis today. The guy is planning to offer a “rescue configuration” with the ability to “dock with skyscrapers” (??? very short skyscrapers?). But for rescue in water (it does do water, per the brochure) or snowy mountains, it sounds like it could really save a lot of lives. My guess is that will be its main application for the foreseeable future.
It looks to be stable and well out of ground effect. The crane is there for safety backup but during the video it seems to be just available and the line tethering the vehicle is slack.
It may not be economically viable (and the sound of the vehicle isn't on the video - it's probably really loud with eight unmufflered Wankels) but it sure looks like good old American ingenuity and drive aren't completely dead yet.
I don't think states can regulate emissions on aircraft.
That is a blimp project. I’ve always thought that would be fun to build my own blimp, just for goofing off, like Alberto Santos-Dumont.
All Things Considered, August 2, 2007 · At daybreak on a recent morning, a strange-looking aircraft is joining the birds in flight.
Dan Nachbar is piloting a 100-foot experimental blimp.
The yellow and black striped blimp has a playful look to it — like the Yellow Submarine fused with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But why invent a new kind of blimp?
Beautiful Views, Less Noise
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Bumperooney
doubtful
They’re claiming to be in production rather than Prototype stage. I know it’s a dog, but it’s a production dog that might draw the attention of some enterprising genius.
That almost looks like Sonny Bono in the left seat...
Lol, How I’d love to post my little Jetson spaceship!!
WOW...That’s a lot higher than 10 feet. Looked more like 30 feet...I’ll take one.
Figure on the order of 2 mpg.
Are you allergic to doing your homework on the topic before pontificating off the top of your derision?
Just guessing, but I'd say about 30 plus feet. Way cool.
Stock shot up 36% today to 64 cents a share!
800 hp @ 16hp per gallon per hour = 50 gallons per hour.
50 gph @ 50 mph= ONE mpg.
Invest soon!
They sure as heck can regulate his manufacturing anything right out of existence.
My statement was tongue in cheek, although looking at the state of California I’d have to suggest that they have had quite a bit of practice doing exactly that.
Are you allegic to a little satiracal humor? Go out and get a new sense of humor.
.
I know!
That’s what I wuz thinking of
I wonder who threw money down that moneypit
AVRO in Canada had one the US military got interested in
But it was incredibly unstable and there are videos of it run on The History Channel that show how dangerous and useless the AVRO flying saucer project gizmo was
Lots of people think I have a good sense of humor about many things depending on the context.
Problem is,
the constant derision hereon re the topic prevents/turns off over 100 fellow FREEPERS from having a serious discussion about the topic.
I’m exceedingly tired of seeing that stolen from us by such attitudes.
Wanna see something cool? Perform a Google search on “Project Silverbug”.
Uhhhh, what planet are we on?
What stock?
To what end?
How much have you invested?
I can place my free energy machine in production tomorrow. Doesn't mean it will produce free energy. This thing is, and always has been, a pipe dream. I taught aerodynamics at Cal Poly in SLO in the late 1960's. I can tell you this thing is not about aerodynamics, it is pure thrust and a delicate balancing act. It is dynamically unstable and impossible to build in enough backup systems to be safe. He can not even build a remote controlled model of this thing that will fly.
[That’s what I wuz thinking of]
Lol, no name on it and you know how I protect my gifs!
Think of all the years they have been talking of ‘personal’ flying machines of any sort.
Can you just imagine everyone taking off into the airways? Massive chaos!
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The “Flying Pancake” flew, was fast, short takeoff - leaped into the air
Huge props, high rake with incredibly high front landing gear
Military dropped it
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“Projuect Silverbug”
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“THC” has great footage on very early Russkie and German jets and rocket powered aircraft
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They have had a number of highway pileups recently
Personal air-taxis would be insane
Air traffic, air controllers, etc.
Oh what fun
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JFK Jr, - small aircraft
John Denver - experimental
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Not fer moi!
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Those flying saucers look like a model I made of pine painted silver with a half of a vet’s soluble capsule cut down for the pilot’s dome-cockpit in easly HS
I knew then it would be unstable
Except for throwing to dogs
Or for Odd Job and Steed to adapt into their hats!
If you could actually make it go back and forth down the field with anything that resembles control enough to drive it somewhere........then maybe.
[Personal air-taxis would be insane]
Not just for them either! They would be crashing and dropping on us like flys!
My kids had a Jetsons craft toy, think is it still in the attic. Looks just like my gif - or rather, my gif looks just like it, lol.
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Neil Armstrongs’s tests on controlling a “Moon Lander” were on a jet powered open gizmo
Armstrong almost lost it in one video - but he was a heck of a pilot
But he came thru in controlling it running out of fuel and finally finding a safe moon site to land on
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