Avion

Issue date: 10/17/06 Section: Aeronautica

Media Credit: MOLLER SKYCAR A PROTOTYPE OF THE M400X Moller Skycar is for sale on the online auction site eBay. The car is being sold by the company to raise capital. As of press time, the highest bid was over $2 million.

Moller International is selling its one and only M400X prototype Skycar on eBay until Oct. 19, 2006.

Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) categorizes the Skycar as a "powered lift" aircraft. The Skycar is the latest in the development of vertical take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, while being at approximately the same size as an everyday car. It can accommodate four passengers, and can fly at a maximum speed of 380 miles per hour.

A total of $200 million and over one million hours of labor has been put into the design, construction, and development of the Skycar. It is powered by eight air-cooled Rotapower rotary engines, where two are placed in each of four nacelles. Each nacelle is capable of generating 500 pounds of vertical thrust. Stabilization of aircraft is provided by two onboard digital computer systems, which controls its gyroscopes, accelerometers, and rate sensors. The Skycar is piloted by providing input commands to its onboard computers to control altitude and orientation of the vehicle.

The Skycar is equipped with two separate fuel tanks, and is being tested to use methanol fuel, though it can also run on 87-octane gasoline.

The company hopes that the Skycar would be the first in the beginning of a line of "flying cars" to be mass producible, high-speed and low-cost private aircraft. Potential buyers, however, are warned that there are still flight restrictions placed on the aircraft, and that it is not yet approved as being a road vehicle.

Moller International hopes that the selling of its Skycar would help raise capital for the company. The M400X Skycar has been featured in several magazines and newspapers throughout the world, and has been the featured cover story of Forbes FYI, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and USA Today. It has also been seen in several TV and cable networks, in particular being crowned by The Learning Channel's show, "Ultimate Ten Machines."

As of Sunday, Oct. 15, the Skycar has a top bid of $2,000,402.00.

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