Moller skycar still kicking

"David O" wrote in message
...
Richard Riley wrote:


I bet this could fly from point A to point B without speed limits. See
www.vranek.ch/aerocar.htm

Maybe. http://www.fordpinto.com/mitzar1.htm


Thanks for the link, Richard. From the "update" section of that web
site, "The wing struts were attached to the Pinto's body panels with
sheet metal screws and everything was really bad. The guy died over
Oxnard when the struts detached and the wings just folded."

And from http://www.airspacemag.com/ASM/Mag/I...6/DJ/ccsf.html

In the 1950s and '60s, Leland Bryan produced a series of
highway-certified folding-wing Roadables that used their pusher
propellers for both air and road power. Bryan died in the crash of his
Roadable III in 1974. And in 1973, Henry Smolinski, mimicking the
ConVairCar rental unit concept, fastened the wings, tail, and aft
engine of a Cessna Skymaster to a Ford Pinto. The wing struts
collapsed on its first test flight, killing Smolinski and the pilot.

David O -- http://www.AirplaneZone.com


And now for the NTSB report:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=84720&key=0#

KB

"Mike Beede" wrote in message
...
In article , Harry K
wrote:

http://www.moller.com/

Check out http://www.moller.com/purchase/purch_info.html. Only $100K
to secure a delivery slot! And the "car" will be priced at (slightly)
less than
a million smackers! If you're willing to wait till after position 250 (I
think it
was), you only pay $10K and a final price of $500K.

I think I'll wait till postion 100K and pay $10,000....

I presume most of the investors would not lose sleep over the loss of
$100K... they probably consider these payments as purely assisting an R&D
effort. It's the same concept as people kicking in $5 for a worthy cause...

Mike Potts wrote:
"Mike Beede" wrote in message
...

In article , Harry K

wrote:

http://www.moller.com/

Check out http://www.moller.com/purchase/purch_info.html. Only $100K
to secure a delivery slot! And the "car" will be priced at (slightly)

less than

a million smackers! If you're willing to wait till after position 250 (I

think it

was), you only pay $10K and a final price of $500K.

I think I'll wait till postion 100K and pay $10,000....


I presume most of the investors would not lose sleep over the loss of
$100K... they probably consider these payments as purely assisting an R&D
effort. It's the same concept as people kicking in $5 for a worthy cause...



The key word there is 'WORTHY' cause. If you're going to invest in R&D,
invest in something that has some hope of succeeding. The 4
computer-controlled engines supporting 4 corners concept is a
technological safety nightmare that makes the Marines V-22 Osprey look
as safe as a tricycle. Just ONE of those 4 engines goes south and you
DIE since the car itself has the aerodynamic signature of an old boot.

Circus showmen like Moller need to be exposed for what they really are
so that people who are doing research with some hope of success instead
of looking for publicity can find funding.

--
http://www.ernest.isa-geek.org/
"Ignorance is mankinds normal state,
alleviated by information and experience."
Veeduber

Do they sell their rotary engine for aviation applications?

-- Charlie Springer

Bill Daniels wrote:

Building a flying car is hard. Building a flying ONE CAR GARAGE is easier
and you can put anything in it you like.

hmm.... I wonder how big of a car you could get in a DC-3 through the
standard cargo door.

Chris W
--
Bring Back the HP 15C
http://hp15c.org:8080

Not getting the gifts you want? The Wish Zone can help.
http://thewishzone.com:8086

Ernest Christley wrote in message . com...
Mike Potts wrote:
"Mike Beede" wrote in message
...

In article , Harry K

wrote:

http://www.moller.com/

Check out http://www.moller.com/purchase/purch_info.html. Only $100K
to secure a delivery slot! And the "car" will be priced at (slightly)

less than

a million smackers! If you're willing to wait till after position 250 (I

think it

was), you only pay $10K and a final price of $500K.

I think I'll wait till postion 100K and pay $10,000....


I presume most of the investors would not lose sleep over the loss of
$100K... they probably consider these payments as purely assisting an R&D
effort. It's the same concept as people kicking in $5 for a worthy cause...



The key word there is 'WORTHY' cause. If you're going to invest in R&D,
invest in something that has some hope of succeeding. The 4
computer-controlled engines supporting 4 corners concept is a
technological safety nightmare that makes the Marines V-22 Osprey look
as safe as a tricycle. Just ONE of those 4 engines goes south and you
DIE since the car itself has the aerodynamic signature of an old boot.

Circus showmen like Moller need to be exposed for what they really are
so that people who are doing research with some hope of success instead
of looking for publicity can find funding.

The second key word is 'VOLUNTARY'. I don't recall being asked for my
approval before the gummint kicked in what? 5 mil? Twice? of my tax
money.

Harry K

Chris,

If its a C-47, then the answer is a WW2 Jeep. I'm guessing a Mini, Metro, or
VW Bug-sans-fenders might also go. Even better would be an old Austin Healey
or Triumph, etc... then you could work the whole "Look what I brought back
from England after the war" angle.

I also once saw a photo of Martin Caidin (sp?) rolling a Harley chopper out of
a JU-52.

BTW, Moller's current incantation (incarnation? incarceration?, inceneration?)
looks an aweful lot like an XV ship that was built about 40 years ago. Four
vectored engine/props hung on the corners of what looked like a Lear fuselage.
Suffice to say that it didn't work. Ditto for Piasecki's (sp again?) Helistat
(blimp bag w/4 Sikorski helicopters welded to its keel).

I had a chance to see Bell's XV-15 in 1984 when it was on its way to Ft. Rucker
for Army trials. When it stopped in at Lafayette, LA, it taxied up to the PHI
ramp, shut down, and then spent the next 5 minutes being toweled off inside.
Apparently, it had a healthy hydraulic leak that we weren't supposed to see.
It was an impressive ship, extremely quiet, and faster than a Citation 4...
But I'd be willing to bet that transitioning in thinking from flying
rotary-wing to fixed-wing, and back again is very hard to master. After
driving my truck all day, its very hard to jump in my car and remember not to
shift out of park by pulling on the windshield-wiper stalk.

Fun stuff,
Harry