Moller Skycar

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Moller Skycar M400

The Moller Skycar is a “ flying car ” from the developer Paul Moller , which, according to the developer's wish, will one day replace the car as a means of private transport .

Since the 1960s, Paul Moller working on VTOL - aircraft (Vertical take-off and landing) and built several functioning prototypes . The first hover flights with the two-seater M200 Neuera took place in 2003 . So far (as of 2017) [obsolete] none of the prototypes left the ground effect .

variants

Newera

The Moller Neuera

The Moller Neuera (also called M200X Neuera) is a flying car in the form of a flying disc . The diameter of the disc is 10  ft (3.05  m ). Lifting and propulsion are ensured by eight ducted propellers . The maximum speed is given as 100 mph (161 km / h).

The technology of the Neuera forms the basis for the Skycar.

Skycar 100 LS

The Skycar 100 LS is a single-seat version of the Skycar. It is moved by two ducted propellers , each driven by a Rotapower Wankel engine and an electric motor. The total output of the engines is given as 170  HP (125  kW ). It is said to have a top speed of 280 mph (451 km / h).

Skycar 200 LS

The Moller Skycar M200M

The Skycar 200 LS is a two-seater version of the Skycar. It is moved by two ducted propellers , each driven by a Rotapower Wankel engine and an electric motor, and another lift nozzle , driven by two electric motors. The total output of the engines is given as 170 HP (125 kW). It is said to have a top speed of 242 mph (389 km / h).

Skycar 400

The Moller Skycar M400

The four-seater M400 model is still in the development phase in 2013. A version approved by the FAA is planned for the next four years, i.e. by 2017.

The aim is a means of transport that takes off and lands vertically without any action on the part of the occupants and flies fully automatically to any desired location programmed into the on-board computer, so that no private pilot's license or driver's license is necessary. The problem of approval as a self-flying aircraft is still unsolved, so a pilot's license is still required.

The M400 should fit into a garage, have a total rescue system and be able to roll to the launch site called vertiport . Eight rotary engines should enable a cruising speed of 496 km / h and a top speed of 533 km / h at a cruising altitude of just under 11,000 m. Under 3000 m, however, according to the applicable aviation regulations, no faster than 450 km / h may be flown. The target for fuel consumption is around 10 to 14 l / 100 km, a value in the range of normal cars . The sales price for the market launch is expected to be around 500,000 US dollars (508,216 euros ; 455,277 Swiss francs ), in the medium term with higher quantities but at a price comparable to normal cars, 60,000 to 80,000 US dollars (50,822 to 67,762 euros; 54,633 to 72,844 Swiss francs) Francs).

Autovolantor

In addition to the M400, Moller is working on an aircraft under the title Autovolantor , which is based on a Ferrari 599 GTB and is basically a car with wings . In addition to the blades, eight ducted propellers also provide lift and propulsion on the Autovolantor .

Motorization

Together with the company Freedom Motors , Moller produces inexpensive Wankel engines that it has developed itself under the name Rotapower . However, they do not yet meet all the requirements of the M400 project . The main problems lie in the fuel consumption and the noise level.

criticism

In the USA, there have recently been increasing voices calling into question the seriousness of the company. a. A conviction for investment fraud could only be avoided by a settlement for 50,000 US dollars (42,351.3 euros; 45,527.7 Swiss francs).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f On the development history of the Skycar on the website of the manufacturer Moller International ( Memento from April 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English); Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  2. a b c About Moller Neuera on the website of the manufacturer Moller International ( Memento from May 6, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English); Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  3. a b c d About the Moller Skycar 100 LS on the website of the manufacturer Moller International ( Memento from April 14, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English); Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  4. a b c d About the Moller Skycar 200 LS on the website of the manufacturer Moller International ( Memento from May 8, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English); accessed on April 19, 2020.
  5. Data sheet of the M400 at Moller International ( Memento from April 20, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English); Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  6. a b About the Autovolator on the website of the manufacturer Moller International ( Memento from April 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English); Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  7. About the Rotapower on the Moller International website ( Memento from May 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English); Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  8. The US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Moller International (English); Retrieved April 23, 2013.