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It's stated on Moller's website that the Moller Skycar, linked above and also featured in the article, that it can "achieve up to 28 miles per gallon." That's better than I'm getting.

Moller Skycar Info.

Well, according to them you won't have to wait more than 2 more years for your flying car.

I read Slashdot and it's a bit whiney.

http://www.moller.com/skycar/ you have one of these?

You can find it in the trunk of your flying car, right next to your alcohol-powered laptop.

Does the skycar count?

Better start believing since they do already:

http://www.moller.com/skycar/

well kinda...

> You're thinking of flying cars.

Here ya go

Not that I want idiots flying over my house when they can barely drive on the ground.

Basically it is a museum of Science Fiction?

You know... all those things that will never happen like say... Flying Cars, Teleportation and Orbital Laser Beams?

I want the museum of things that DID happen and just sucked... Other than Microsoft Bob...

Quote: Just like how they predicted everyone would using flying cars in the 21st century. Yawn.

Not so fast, my friend. It is the 21st century now, and there are flying cars available that the lower upper and upper upper middle class can conceivably afford. The restriction is not technological; it is regulatory.
See?

The Skycar, flying car is already a reality. The only thing stopping you from having one is the price tag.

The Skycar, flying car is already a reality. The only thing stopping you from having one is the price tag.

Flying cars have been made several times in the past. The deal is that flying is hard. Moller's Skycar, which purports to solve this problem, will be available "real soon now."

Well, there's always the Moller M400. Top speed of 350 mph, uses regular gasoline, gets 20 mpg (better than an SUV).

Of course, Moller Skycar website has some cool stuff as well, but I'm sure most have checked it out already...

> Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm still waiting on my flying car. Dammit.

M400 Skycar.

I'm more excited about nuclear spacecraft.

Why should we be tethered to the ground? Let's move into the sky with the Moller Sky Car!

I'm curious what people think of the developing Sky Car.

In the last howevermany years, every "car of the future" article in Pop(Sci|Mechanics) that I've seen features the stuff from Moller International out near Sacramento.

Before the masses get together and complain about the troubles of 3 dimensions vs. 2 when driving, take a look. I've seen the prototypes in action and as far as innovation goes on this topic, it's the most out there and concrete thing I've seen going on for this subject.

Check it out - http://www.moller.com/

We need flying cars.

There's no reason a flying car can't be built. Just because Moller has been botching it for forty years doesn't mean it can't be done. Hiller did it in the 1950s. The big problems back then were stability and the poor power/weight ratio of reciprocating engines. Both of those problems have been solved.

If Rutan built one, it would work. One good prototype flying car would turn things around.

Here. Now before you whine that you can't buy one yet, you should decide which way you want it. On one hand, you're saying the big "technological developments" of late (e.g. the internet) are not really new. Of course that is true, but generally technology doesn't get interesting until it approaches commercial viability. That's when it becomes the next big thing, even though the "breakthrough" that made it possible occurred five or ten years before.

From that perspective, technology isn't really about inventing revolutionary new things or processes. Almost everything is an iterative advancement based on older technology. The bulk of the work in technology is making it useful and affordable.

There's promises about ultra efficient fuel cells and nanotubes and such but there were promises forty years ago as well. They even had better promises back then.

Like computers in every home and office, in cars and appliances? Wrist phones (which never really caught on, but there are phones not much larger than a largish watch)? Video phones (think webcams)?

Think of all the things we have today that weren't available (to the average consumer) 30 years ago (Internet, cell phones --even cordless phones, Tivo --hell you probably didn't have more than 3 or 4 TV channels in 1974 unless you lived in a major metro area). And you're complaining because some things (flying cars and holographic immersion) haven't come along yet.

To answer your question, the "advanced technology" will probably be a small advance here, a little improvement there, that may add up to something significant. Maybe even the "next big thing".

It covers most of the issues you bring up with the exception of the automation issue (note the 300 MPH cruise speed at altitude). For short hops it can do 140+ MPH. It is VTOL, so there is no tough navigation issue other than collision avoidance on takeoff/landing. I'd think landing areas (parking lots) would have vertical corridors at each end, one for landing, one for taking off. Vehicles would either land in the landing zone and then taxi (hover at ground level) to their parking spot, or reverse the process to take off. Avoiding hitting people would be the biggest issue, which might call for manual control at ground level only.

This type of vehicle would be quite suitable for short-haul, as well as long-haul, travel. It'd sure be nice reading/surfing during the trip to work...

Remember, the way this would actually work is that small numbers of early adopters would pioneer this (air taxis according to the article). Once the initial wrinkles are worked out, it'd be ready for wider adoption. Economies of scale would set in, making them less expensive over time. At the same time, software able to handle truly large numbers of vehicles in the air simultaneously will arrive.

Clean hydrogen or alcohol turbines will make the pollution/mileage issue moot. The M400 is supposed to get 20 MPG anyhow, which is better than many vehicles on the road today...

I think it'll happen...it's only a matter of when. :-)

There already exists a flying car that's just about ready: the Muller SkyCar.

It's been beaten around the flying bush for a long while.

One aspect that's been brought forward in the Skycar trials is the one they haven't figured out yet: the noise. Imagine those few hundred (or more) flying cars thrusting downward on take-off/landing. Be it turbo fans, jets or propeller, they will generate a LOT of noise, and a heck of a lot of dust.

Impractical for any kind of city travel.

Yes, he's been at it for a long time. And it's always RealSoonNow(tm).

Anybody ever seen one of his things actually fly? Unmanned tethered hover doesn't count.

Moller Corp is working on their Skycar project, with specifications here. According to their page they will be getting about 20 mpg, which as far as I know is better then most SUVs on the ground. I'm sure that will be tweaked after extensive flight testing, but that testing isn't scheduled to take place for at least a few more months.

The moller skycar will supposedly get 28 miles to the gallon with a cruising speed of 350+ mph, that's a little bit better than a suburban.

The Moller Skycar has been in the works for years. Popular Science has done several issues on them. Now suddenly Honda and the like are planning on making flying cars? Is everyone just waiting for his patents to expire or something?

1962 - Dr. Moller makes the XM2
1966 - Moller makes the XM3
1970 - Moller makes the XM4 which is probably the device you remember.
1989 - Moller makes the M200X. Between the XM3 and XM4 they did more engine work then flying car work.
Present - Moller has been working on the M400, a 4 passenger Skycar. This model has undergone significant changes in the past 8+ years and now is near a final design. They recently held a press conference where they demoed it flying and have videos of it on there site here. They are working on completing a second test vehicle before extensive flight tests are started.

They have in the recent past completed deals with other companies for the manufacture of the final product and also become a publicly traded company (not sure on the reasoning for this, but companies without products don't typcially go public). I hope this is helpful.

1962 - Dr. Moller makes the XM2
1966 - Moller makes the XM3
1970 - Moller makes the XM4 which is probably the device you remember.
1989 - Moller makes the M200X. Between the XM3 and XM4 they did more engine work then flying car work.
Present - Moller has been working on the M400, a 4 passenger Skycar. This model has undergone significant changes in the past 8+ years and now is near a final design. They recently held a press conference where they demoed it flying and have videos of it on there site here. They are working on completing a second test vehicle before extensive flight tests are started.

They have in the recent past completed deals with other companies for the manufacture of the final product and also become a publicly traded company (not sure on the reasoning for this, but companies without products don't typcially go public). I hope this is helpful.

1962 - Dr. Moller makes the XM2
1966 - Moller makes the XM3
1970 - Moller makes the XM4 which is probably the device you remember.
1989 - Moller makes the M200X. Between the XM3 and XM4 they did more engine work then flying car work.
Present - Moller has been working on the M400, a 4 passenger Skycar. This model has undergone significant changes in the past 8+ years and now is near a final design. They recently held a press conference where they demoed it flying and have videos of it on there site here. They are working on completing a second test vehicle before extensive flight tests are started.

They have in the recent past completed deals with other companies for the manufacture of the final product and also become a publicly traded company (not sure on the reasoning for this, but companies without products don't typcially go public). I hope this is helpful.

1962 - Dr. Moller makes the XM2
1966 - Moller makes the XM3
1970 - Moller makes the XM4 which is probably the device you remember.
1989 - Moller makes the M200X. Between the XM3 and XM4 they did more engine work then flying car work.
Present - Moller has been working on the M400, a 4 passenger Skycar. This model has undergone significant changes in the past 8+ years and now is near a final design. They recently held a press conference where they demoed it flying and have videos of it on there site here. They are working on completing a second test vehicle before extensive flight tests are started.

They have in the recent past completed deals with other companies for the manufacture of the final product and also become a publicly traded company (not sure on the reasoning for this, but companies without products don't typcially go public). I hope this is helpful.

1962 - Dr. Moller makes the XM2
1966 - Moller makes the XM3
1970 - Moller makes the XM4 which is probably the device you remember.
1989 - Moller makes the M200X. Between the XM3 and XM4 they did more engine work then flying car work.
Present - Moller has been working on the M400, a 4 passenger Skycar. This model has undergone significant changes in the past 8+ years and now is near a final design. They recently held a press conference where they demoed it flying and have videos of it on there site here. They are working on completing a second test vehicle before extensive flight tests are started.

They have in the recent past completed deals with other companies for the manufacture of the final product and also become a publicly traded company (not sure on the reasoning for this, but companies without products don't typcially go public). I hope this is helpful.

1962 - Dr. Moller makes the XM2
1966 - Moller makes the XM3
1970 - Moller makes the XM4 which is probably the device you remember.
1989 - Moller makes the M200X. Between the XM3 and XM4 they did more engine work then flying car work.
Present - Moller has been working on the M400, a 4 passenger Skycar. This model has undergone significant changes in the past 8+ years and now is near a final design. They recently held a press conference where they demoed it flying and have videos of it on there site here. They are working on completing a second test vehicle before extensive flight tests are started.

They have in the recent past completed deals with other companies for the manufacture of the final product and also become a publicly traded company (not sure on the reasoning for this, but companies without products don't typcially go public). I hope this is helpful.

Moller Skycars

They're not quite for sale yet. They have built one prototype for testing but won't start extensive testing until a second one is near completion. They've been moving pretty slow over the past several years but have been making steady progress. They are taking preorders, but nothing will ship for several years at least.

I mean, sure, if you make them small enough, they will be completely useless...unless of course, you need to do "remote" aerial surveillance of the room you are standing in...

Really, a Splinter Cell-like "sticky cam" would be better.

*THIS* is a flying robot:

http://www.moller.com/aerobot/

And besides, I might end up with one of these (if you folks would just pass the hat for me):

http://www.moller.com/purchase/purch_info.html

I mean, sure, if you make them small enough, they will be completely useless...unless of course, you need to do "remote" aerial surveillance of the room you are standing in...

Really, a Splinter Cell-like "sticky cam" would be better.

*THIS* is a flying robot:

http://www.moller.com/aerobot/

And besides, I might end up with one of these (if you folks would just pass the hat for me):

http://www.moller.com/purchase/purch_info.html

I double checked, and there is now a firm date of Dec 31 2006.
http://www.moller.com/purchase/purch_info.html

Flying cars and 2 TB memry cards. But I'm still waiting on a private holosuite...

Obligatory Skycar link.

You wanna know what I think? Maybe not. Anyway, here's what I think...

I think a bunch of marketting types have been watching Star Trek twenty-four hours a day for several years now in an effort to get to know their most covetted target audience, the alpha geeks. They've come to the conclusion that we technical types fantasize about an all-knowing, all-powerful tricorder type of device which confers success, smartness, and admiration upon its owner.

And I think they're mostly right. Most of us want success, smartness, and admiration, and we'll happily pay for a device that'll bring it instantly. The perfect all-in-one gadget is the holy grail that geeks sought long before the invention of the transistor. It's the reason for the constant evolution of the Swiss Army knife, and the Leatherman. It's the reason that people keep building cars that fly, sort of. The gadget that beats all other gadgets is the nerd version of a no-hassle weight loss system, hair growing tonic, love potion #9, etc.

But ultimately, they're wrong. When we get over our dreams of world domination and ultimate hipness, most of us realize that what's really important is having the right tool for the job, not some feature-laden gadget that flies, sort of.

After all, true fans realize that even on Star Trek, the tricorder, camera, phaser, etc. are all different devices.

are you sure?!?
http://www.moller.com/skycar/

i bet a commercial amphibious vehicle will never be available either, eh?!

http://www.aquada.co.uk/
http://www.watercar.com/

Flying Personal Transport Device's (PTD's) makes sense to me, especially when I see all those poor souls wasting their lives sitting in gridlock. I say PTD because the car is a hopelessly outmoded design, one that needs to die soon.

The PTD would need multiple safety redundancies (backup power, turbines, parachute, whatever) but the major stumbling block for consumer acceptance would be one thing: The interface.

The PTD should basically take just a set of GPS coordinates and that's it. The vehicle should be able to fly itself using a simplistic genetic algorithm, with the entire traffic system looking like a type of swarm intelligence. This would also help on the regulatory front. How could the FAA force you to have a pilot when the only control on the device is a GPS entry console?

The PTD obviously shouldn't ever have a locus of central control. Besides traffic net system failure, it would an obvious target for terrorists. A good PTD design would probably be so light that any terrorists using them to attack targets would probably do little damage and do us a favour killing themselves. Sure they could pack the cabin full of explosives but they could already do that using an RC plane.

The rise of such vehicles would probably drive a transition to buildings made of nanocomposites so tremendously strong that a little PTD bouncing off them probably wouldn't even leave a mark. This kind of infrastructure would be built automatically. Anyone who's been to Japan and witnessed the post WWII economic miracle knows it was the Japanese automotive exports that drove that economic expansion.

I just googled the Skycar and noticed they IPO'd on 21 November 2001. Poor bastards.

I read a book when I was 8 that said we'd contact aliens by 2010-2015. I've been holding my breath ever since. They also wrote about the flying cars, moon bases, and solar power satellites that we've been enjoying these past 4 years or so... I just wish I didn't live in such a back-waters part of the country that's still driving around on 4 tyres.

Hum, this was not so innacurate. At least we'll have the flying cars soon if this company doesn't bankrupt before shipping the first one.

As for the solar satellites, this was a bad idea anyway and as for the moon, if we want to send GWB there, we'll have to build it quite soon so all hope is not lost yet ;)

This should allow the Moller Skycar to be flown without a full license now.

What are you waiting for?

I'm still waiting for my robot maid, holiday on the moon and flying car.

Flying cars are already here, you can't spend a holiday on the moon (yet), but this guy got the next best thing, and there aren't any fully fledged robotic maids out there yet, so you'll have to do with this sucker.

The 21st century has only just begun.

I'm not going to be satisfied until I get my flying car. I've given up on the personal jet pack, but I'm not backing down on the flying car.

... and neither to those that will die flying off the bridge. Well, at least they'll have beat Moller to the punch!