The future of transportation????

[Ishmael]

I've been tracking this company for 6 years now. They are proceeding with flight testing of the newest model. It's getting close so I thought that I'd share with you folks.

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

The company has been in negotiations with the FAA for 4 years now concerning piloting requirements for a vehicle that is essentially computer controlled. It appears that a break-through is pending there as well.

Ishmael

 

[Ishmael]

They are far enough along in their testing that they are now taking interest bearing, fully refundable deposits on the M400 production models.

Ishmael

 

[Bob_Bytchin]

It's a dream that's been a long time coming...but just not sure if having rage flyers will be a good idea.

 

[Ishmael]

It's a dream that's been a long time coming...but just not sure if having rage flyers will be a good idea.

Ya mean like rage drivers are a good idea?

Actually I can see this as changing the entire way cities etc. are planned. If you figure that a 30 minute work commute is acceptable, industrial complexs could now be located a hundred miles from housing centers. All the fertile soil that is now paved over could be reclaimed and the industrial centers moved to less desirable or non-arrible lands.

Just some thoughts.

Ishmael

 

[Bob_Bytchin]

Ya mean like rage drivers are a good idea?

Actually I can see this as changing the entire way cities etc. are planned. If you figure that a 30 minute work commute is acceptable, industrial complexs could now be located a hundred miles from housing centers. All the fertile soil that is now paved over could be reclaimed and the industrial centers moved to less desirable or non-arrible lands.

Just some thoughts.

Ishmael

That's very true...paved highways would become a thing of the past...freeing up a LOT of land. And all of that recycled pavement could be put to better use.

And having industry well away from residential areas should help with health care costs in the long run.

Now they just need to work on hydrogen fuel cell engines...cut out emissions all together.

 

[Lost Cause]

I saw that test fly on the tube....

Outfuckingstanding! I've been following this invention since the early years of the concept. Up here, we have that inventor that attached wings to a Pinto/CVCC/Accord that are detachable, allowing the car to drive you to work.
Now combine this with mag-lift trains, and auto-monorails!

 

[scylis]

make me a motocyle one, and i'll be happy.

 

[Ishmael]

That's very true...paved highways would become a thing of the past...freeing up a LOT of land. And all of that recycled pavement could be put to better use.

And having industry well away from residential areas should help with health care costs in the long run.

Now they just need to work on hydrogen fuel cell engines...cut out emissions all together.

Well, the Interstate system would still be there for the movemment of goods. But it is in this area, heavy trucking, that fuel cell research will yeild the greatest benefits. It will be a far longer period before it will become practicle for personal transportation.

The land that I was refering to was the land used by the industrial people. Plant space and parking lots. Most cities are built on very arrible land. That's why they were there to begin with.

Ishmael

 

[Bob_Bytchin]

Well, the Interstate system would still be there for the movemment of goods. But it is in this area, heavy trucking, that fuel cell research will yeild the greatest benefits. It will be a far longer period before it will become practicle for personal transportation.

The land that I was refering to was the land used by the industrial people. Plant space and parking lots. Most cities are built on very arrible land. That's why they were there to begin with.

Ishmael

True...but if Skycars become a reality, I would like to see less money put into the interstate cash cow.

A resurgance in the rail system could definitely help do away with interstates as well. A clean, high-speed, safe rail system would be welcomed.

 

[Ishmael]

True...but if Skycars become a reality, I would like to see less money put into the interstate cash cow.

A resurgance in the rail system could definitely help do away with interstates as well. A clean, high-speed, safe rail system would be welcomed.

I agree, but land is the issue. The railways are private and own the land the roadbed is on. The Interstates are public lands.

Ishmael

 

[teddybear4play]

I've been tracking this company for 6 years now. They are proceeding with flight testing of the newest model. It's getting close so I thought that I'd share with you folks.

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

The company has been in negotiations with the FAA for 4 years now concerning piloting requirements for a vehicle that is essentially computer controlled. It appears that a break-through is pending there as well.

Just out of complete curiosity . . .

how has 9/11 affected their business plans? Twenty or thirty of these could put some pockmarks on the Chrysler building . . .

TB4p

 

[Lancecastor]

What About The Segway?

 

[sexy-girl]

silly unimportant question but how much do they cost

 

[Lancecastor]

Shelbyville has a Monorail Now!

 

[The Heretic]

Moller has been at this for longer than just 4 years - IIRC he has been working on this project for about a decade. I personally don't think we will see flying cars for quite some time. There are numerous problems to over come beyond making one fly (which is not insignificant in itself):

1) There is a huge infrastructure problem that would take years if not decades to solve. 'Nuff said on that.

2) Everyone thinks that flying cars are better than ground-bound cars, yet they present many more problems. For one thing they are quite a bit noiser. Don't like the occasional airliner flying over your home? Imagine what life would be like with hundreds of thousands of flying cars passing over head every day - and there would be no escaping it. At least now I don't have to deal too much with highway noise because it is confined to the highway, but what happens when my hundreds of neighbors all have flying cars and they come home from work at 5 PM? A hell of a lot more noise than when they come home in their ground cars.

I used to live at a small airport, I used to live near a very large airport (Sea-Tac), and my father has been flying me around since before I could walk (he is a pilot). I know how much noise all different kinds of aircraft make and how much room they need to maneuver, even when they are computer controlled airspaces as Moller proposes. As much as I would like to have a flying car, I think his proposition is impractical for now. Maybe when we have some other quieter means of flying it would be practical, but I don't see this happening anytime soon.

 

[Problem Child]

What was this called again? The ReTaRdmobile? Something like that I think.

 

[teddybear4play]

I thought it was called the "Dorkcycle."

TB4p

 

[crysede]

God I hope not! Drunk drivers and assorted other idiots cause more than enough damage now - I don't want to have to worry about some asshole coming through my roof at over 350 MPH in his flying car!

And seriously, would there be any chance of survival at all in a collision? And what about the poor suckers on the ground who get nailed by flaming hunks of wreckage?

Arm the legions of crappy drivers with flying cars, and al-Qaida will be totally redundant.

 

[Ishmael]

Interesting responses. Almost all negative.

Everyone bitches about the environment, fossil fuels, traffic, quality of life. But let something real come along that has the possibilty of making a huge difference, and everyone turns into nattering nabobs of negativity. Blind to the possibilities, to lazy to tackle the solutions to the problems that are obviously there with inventions like these.

Look at all the traffic control problems and safety issues that had to be evolved for the automobile?

But if you like being stranded in a 2 dimensional world, sobeit.

Ishmael

 

[The Heretic]

Re: Re: The future of transportation????

God I hope not! Drunk drivers and assorted other idiots cause more than enough damage now - I don't want to have to worry about some asshole coming through my roof at over 350 MPH in his flying car!

And seriously, would there be any chance of survival at all in a collision? And what about the poor suckers on the ground who get nailed by flaming hunks of wreckage?

Arm the legions of crappy drivers with flying cars, and al-Qaida will be totally redundant.

Well what Moller proposes is for the most part a traffic control system that would be computer controlled - so theoretically drunk drivers wouldn't be that much of a problem, but like I said such a system would require a huge effort in time and money.

The vehicles themselves are not inexpensive to own or operate. I don't think many people can afford a half million dollar aircraft, nor the maintanence required on its 8 engines. For that reason alone I don't think it would have much if any impact on traffic congestion, and if the cost was affordable, this would just transfer the congestion (and noise) to the air.

 

[The Heretic]

Interesting responses. Almost all negative.

Everyone bitches about the environment, fossil fuels, traffic, quality of life. But let something real come along that has the possibilty of making a huge difference, and everyone turns into nattering nabobs of negativity. Blind to the possibilities, to lazy to tackle the solutions to the problems that are obviously there with inventions like these.

Look at all the traffic control problems and safety issues that had to be evolved for the automobile?

But if you like being stranded in a 2 dimensional world, sobeit.

Ishmael

I don't want to be stranded in a 2D world, I would love to have something to fly around in, but reality rules. I have kept track of Moller for about 6 years now since I first heard of his project, and I have thought it over and read the other analyses. At this point in time his proposal just isn't realistic or practical. He would do much better marketing it just like any other aircraft. Just how many people does he think can afford a half-million dollar aircraft? Where is his volume going to come from to lower his prices? I doubt that something with 8 engines and all the other tech needed to fly is going to get down to the $60-80K he dreams of.

Like I said, I would love to have one, but having spent a lot of time in and around aircraft I know their shortcomings, and there is nothing about his aircraft that really has any impact on that, except for the physical footprint for his VSTOL aircraft being smaller than most other VSTOL aircraft.

 

[Ishmael]

Re: Re: Re: The future of transportation????

Well what Moller proposes is for the most part a traffic control system that would be computer controlled - so theoretically drunk drivers wouldn't be that much of a problem, but like I said such a system would require a huge effort in time and money.

The vehicles themselves are not inexpensive to own or operate. I don't think many people can afford a half million dollar aircraft, nor the maintanence required on its 8 engines. For that reason alone I don't think it would have much if any impact on traffic congestion, and if the cost was affordable, this would just transfer the congestion (and noise) to the air.

Sales price is around 60 thousand, not in millions or even the hundreds of thousands.

You better do some more research before you spout off that stuff TSG. I know a considerable amount about Moller and the design, the noise figures, etc. Go study please.

Ishmael

 

[Ishmael]

I don't want to be stranded in a 2D world, I would love to have something to fly around in, but reality rules. I have kept track of Moller for about 6 years now since I first heard of his project, and I have thought it over and read the other analyses. At this point in time his proposal just isn't realistic or practical. He would do much better marketing it just like any other aircraft. Just how many people does he think can afford a half-million dollar aircraft? Where is his volume going to come from to lower his prices? I doubt that something with 8 engines and all the other tech needed to fly is going to get down to the $60-80K he dreams of.

Like I said, I would love to have one, but having spent a lot of time in and around aircraft I know their shortcomings, and there is nothing about his aircraft that really has any impact on that, except for the physical footprint for his VSTOL aircraft being smaller than most other VSTOL aircraft.

You are profoundly wrong.

I hold an SE Complex ticket. My brother was a pilot for AA. My father is also a pilot. We all seem to be equally impressed.

Ishmael

 

[kotori]

. . . nattering nabobs of negativity. . .

William Safire, writing for V.P. Agnew. The Spirit of Spiro lives!

Hey, but really, cool idea. I used to daydream about a personal sized dirigible--low and slow. I agree, Ish, if we want to move ahead, we can't get too bogged down in all the infrastructural details. Sometimes it takes a broad brush to paint a big picture. 100 years ago when the Ford Motor Co started, there weren't a lot of gas stations and few paved roads. It's symbiotic--things have to develop together.

 

[Ishmael]

William Safire, writing for V.P. Agnew. The Spirit of Spiro lives!

Hey, but really, cool idea. I used to daydream about a personal sized dirigible--low and slow. I agree, Ish, if we want to move ahead, we can't get too bogged down in all the infrastructural details. Sometimes it takes a broad brush to paint a big picture. 100 years ago when the Ford Motor Co started, there weren't a lot of gas stations and few paved roads. It's symbiotic--things have to develop together.

Yep, Ford brought a great deal of freedom to the common man.

Whether we forge ahead or allow ourselves to be bogged down in the present will be determined by how free we really want to be. Many people are frightened of freedom and will do anything in their power to deny it to others. It's just "Too dangerous."

Ishmael