CAR CHOICE

Some years ago, flying car might be an imagination only. It only a imagination vehicle in animation films. But, flying car is reel. Hope it will come to the market a couple of years to go. Moller Skycar M400, its a succeed flying car prototype which just has been tested several days ago.

The Moller Skycar is a prototype personal VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft — a “flying car” — called a “volantor” by its inventor Paul Moller, who has been attempting to develop such vehicles for many years. The design calls for four ducted fans – the propellors being covered which is safer and more efficient at low speeds.

The Skycar might use a system like the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) in 3D “crowded” airspace areas. Further, developers claim that by using eight inexpensive Wankel rotary engines – compared to jet engines, the vehicle’s price may eventually fall close to that of a luxury car ($100,000), even if at the moment the price for the first units is expected to be close to USD$1 million.

A smaller version of the low-emissions Wankel engine from the M400 was slated for the Moller M200X, and these engines runs on a mixture of 70% (bio)ethanol and 30% water. Earlier models used gasoline. The ethanol/water fuel mixture makes the fuel almost totally non-flammable outside the engines, which dramatically lowers the fire hazard. The water cools the engines, with a higher usable compression and the result is better performing engines than with 100% ethanol. The mixture makes the engine pollution lower than the California strict SULEV standard (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle). Even with pure ethanol the engines fulfills the SULEV standard.

The Skycar demonstrated limited tethered flight capability in 2003. Scheduled tethered flight tests, that were to occur in mid-2006, were apparently canceled. Moller upgraded the Skycar’s engines in 2007, and the improved prototype is now called the “M400X”. Additional flight tests were supposedly to be conducted once Moller engineers have completed the upgrades to the Skycar’s nacelles with the larger engines. Recently, the skycar has gone through several permulations after wind testing. The wind testing has allowed the engineers of Moller International to actually improve safer landings and ground stability.