Moller M200G hovercraft heading into production

Moller Industries, the brainchild of inventor Dr. Paul Moller, announced recently that production would begin on the company's M200G volantor, a UFO-esque hovercraft that apparently can "glide over terrain at 50 MPH." Moller, long known for his work in both hovercrafts and flying vehicles (see the dubious Skycar), has been working on alternative forms of transportation for 40 years. The futuristic looking craft is driven by the company's Rotapower engines, and can allegedly operate up to 10 feet in altitude. Of course, while Moller Industries offers lots of exciting talk about the future of transportation (as well as t-shirts, models, and investment options) to its customers, the company has never brought a vehicle to market. Clearly, the announcement of a "Jetsons-like" craft may fuel enthusiast's hope (and pull in some escrow cash), but the actual production and sale of the $90,000+ vehicle has yet to be seen. Check the video after the break to see Dr. Moller's invention at work.

[Via Wired]

[March Castle @ Jul 21st 2007 4:17PM]

Hovering up and down is all very well, but where's the rapid horizontal movement which would make it a more practical alternative to a car? + it looks like it's struggling to stay level (although judging by the clothes and music this is no recent piece of footage)

[brett @ Jul 21st 2007 4:55PM]

It's not rapidly moving horizontally because it's attached by a safety line to that crane you occasionally see in the footage. Moving too far away from the crane would cause too much slack to be released from the line for it to be effective as a restraining device.

Think about it...

[steve Johnson @ Jul 21st 2007 4:30PM]

Where's the market for this? Who wants to pay 90 grand for something that only goes 10 feet high?

I think this model first flew in the 70's and they're just bringing it to market NOW? So is the four-passenger M400 going to take 35 years to get into production too?

[Jonathan Keim @ Jul 21st 2007 4:41PM]

People pay a lot more than $90k for cars that set an inch off the ground.

[Bill @ Aug 3rd 2007 10:34PM]

No, just another $40 million in "development costs"

[Andrew Neesley @ Jul 21st 2007 4:32PM]

What's that music in the video? I had that on CD way back in the day.

[CaptSaltyJack @ Jul 21st 2007 4:38PM]

Celestial Soda Pop

[Samo @ Jul 21st 2007 4:34PM]

Can you imagine what kind of injuries may occur if this landed on someone, and that someone was under one of the turbines???

...One blended head, coming right up!

[pork_musket @ Jul 21st 2007 7:35PM]

Cranium smoke. Don't breathe this!

[Karim @ Jul 21st 2007 11:19PM]

LOL!

I once accidentally inhaled some cranium smoke, and I briefly hallucinated flying cars.

[mutex @ Jul 21st 2007 4:34PM]

Is it street legal ? :D

[TJ @ Jul 22nd 2007 1:17PM]

Streets? Where we're going, we don't need streets!

[CaptSaltyJack @ Jul 21st 2007 4:36PM]

Ray Lynch FTW!

[chefgon_ign @ Jul 21st 2007 4:38PM]

Why are we watching a video that is so obviously from the 70's?

[strider_mt2k @ Jul 21st 2007 4:42PM]

Look how far ahead of it's time this idea was!

We had to wait for the technology to catch up to the concept!

Great stuff! I wish 'em all the best.

(Get bent, Luddites)

[DJ Tripp @ Jul 21st 2007 4:48PM]

Anyone else notice it's connected to the crane? I'm only assuming it's there for safety reasons, but still looks fishy.

[bla @ Jul 21st 2007 8:16PM]

Um, did you notice that the cable was SLACK?!?!?!?

[Ian Bruce @ Jul 23rd 2007 9:32AM]

Um, did you notice at 01:27 it WASN'T slack? Did you also notice everyone was wearing bellbottoms and earplugs?

[Glazun @ Jul 21st 2007 4:50PM]

At about 3.18 or so you see a rope attached to the thing.. o_O

[Fenway Beer Man @ Jul 21st 2007 5:09PM]

that's... because... it's ... a.. SAFELY HARNESS!!!

Seriously, you didn't notice the big ass crane in the background?

Plus, I've seen this video a million times... well a million and one, now.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jul 22nd 2007 4:19AM]

Take a closer look at all the slack in the cable. Also note it is attached to the crane. Clearly it is dangling. Second, their are plenty of witnesses on hand to verify that the crane cable had nothing to do with it's elevation.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jul 22nd 2007 4:33AM]

I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jul 22nd 2007 4:33AM

Also take a look at this photograph, you can see another one of Dr. Moeller's cars with a cable attached and it too is slacked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moller_M400_hover_test.jpg

[Frederick Johnson @ Jul 21st 2007 5:40PM]

For Gods sake, post some current video. This is insane. If you want to build buzz about an alternative form of transportation that no one will use and that will ultimately fall into obscurity, just copy this site:

http://www.segway.com

[Joe @ Jul 21st 2007 9:23PM]

Segways are hardly non-existent.... even here in the Boston Area we still see them on the sidewalks / bikeways in the non-winter months.

[TJ @ Jul 22nd 2007 1:20PM]

Been seeing security guards in malls riding them. A couple in the Denver area, plus some at the Planet Hollywood (formerly Aladdin) hotel in Vegas.

[Frederick Johnson @ Jul 22nd 2007 1:31PM]

Hey don't get me wrong, I LOVE Segways. But I also remember how Dean Kamen promised they would change the world... or "transportation as we know it".

But it's several years later, and Segways are still obscure. I mean, you see one now and again, and when you do its like "hey look, a Segway!". The way they positioned the device was that they'd be as ubiquitous as bicycles. Not the case. I can't recall the last time I said "hey look, a Schwinn!"

And face it, if Segway is having trouble penetrating a staid transportation market at $5k, imagine the negligible impact a $90k vehicle would have?! Maybe a few rich celebs, drug lords, and tech millionaires might by one, but that's about it.

And further, I live in Los Angeles... people here drive like they're having seisures behind the wheel. Can you imagine those same people above your head in flying lawnmowers?

I don't want to be the first person decapitated by a soccer mom who was trying to put on make-up while hovering. I say this company should cut their losses and maybe focus on something to help further the use of electric or hybrid vehicles. Flying cars are so, 1950.

[nostrildomus @ Sep 18th 2007 12:41PM]

honestly, if a recent video were made, they'd probably still be wearing bell-bottoms

[Brian @ Jul 21st 2007 5:57PM]

guess there really is one born every minute

[John @ Jul 21st 2007 6:01PM]

Are the new models Orbo powered?

[Emceay @ Jul 21st 2007 6:21PM]

This will piss off a lot of ladies that just got their hair did.

[jason carlton @ Jul 21st 2007 6:50PM]

I bet Henry Ford heard the same thing :|

It doesn't really seem that cool to just grill someone who's spent the better part of their life trying to push technology forward and revolutionize... and probably spent a lot of money doing so.

But whatever, flame away net_starz!

[John @ Jul 21st 2007 9:26PM]

Check the wikipedia talk page for Moller and look at the links they have to archived versions of Moller's pages. You get to see a disturbing little trend where every year, the deadline for when they expect results gets pushed forward. Yes, many companies experience delays, but then again, many companies also experience results.

[John @ Jul 21st 2007 9:28PM]

To clarify the previous comment, 'push forward' means 'push forward in time', as in move from 2003 to 2008.

[Scabrous Vermicelli @ Jul 21st 2007 7:19PM]

"The futuristic looking craft is driven by the company's Rotapower engines"

Presumably the same engine that's been blowing smoke out their collective ass and into investors' faces for 40 years now.

[Doug H @ Jul 21st 2007 7:28PM]

Great PR stunt. Why even publicize these?

[Homeboy @ Jul 21st 2007 8:29PM]

Can it be controlled using a Wii remote?

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jul 22nd 2007 4:33AM]

Also take a look at this photograph, you can see another one of Dr. Moeller's cars with a cable attached and it too is slacked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moller_M400_hover_test.jpg

[James @ Jul 21st 2007 8:51PM]

The thing with these vehicles is, there's no reason whatsoever that they can't work. I mean, if the fate of the USA rested on having a flying car ready *next month*, and Congress wrote DARPA a blank check, these things would be rolling off the production lines before Labor Day. The motors do produce a pretty amazing thrust-to-weight ratio; we've got the ability to make onboard control computers that can react in sub-microsecond time frames and gyroscope-on-a-chip components so cheap they put three of them (OK, one chip with three accelerometers) in each controller for a popular video game system. If a big budget got behind it, and the regulatory bodies that need to get involved had a fire lit under them, we could all be getting these things (OK, wishing we could afford these things) this time next year. The problem is, nobody wants to be the first to take a gamble.

[Glenn @ Jul 21st 2007 8:56PM]

Looks like a good lease as a movie prop, if nothing else. Does it come with a 'whizzing' sound effect?

[Miike @ Jul 21st 2007 9:13PM]

I can see the wire! This movie is worse than Van Helsing.

[sendeth @ Jul 21st 2007 9:31PM]

actually the skycar was an incredible machine, and safer than a plane, but it required a pilots license to operate. it also kicked the faa in the ass and made them begin the skyway program which is now being implemented for some small aircraft pending the bugs being worked out. the tether is there more for insurance reasons than anything. once second generation prototypes are completed, freeflight tests will begin. moller.com used to have the hover tests for the skycar up, which were very impressive. i'm sure they can be found someplace. homeland defense and the army were also supposed to have several of the skycars on order for testing as medivac units.

i do agree, however that this particular craft is more of a joke.

[Dave @ Jul 21st 2007 10:23PM]

You could trick that bad-boy out with some neon and blacklights and be a total space-pimp.

[Saul Wall @ Jul 21st 2007 10:38PM]

Why would he spend all this time working on the Skycar only to return to and release the devise he gave up on years ago?

[Jerry @ Jul 21st 2007 11:12PM]

Having spent almost a decade working for this guy, I can tell you it’s a dilusional scam. I think Moller believes it can work, but he has no idea how, in as much as the details are concerned. he has always been trying to push a “showroom” looking product, usually non-functional. There is NO power plant in production for this vehicle. The unit which has hovered briefly (now three years ago…) was powered by one of a kind (eight of a kind :-)) hand tweaked engines.The design is changed (improved?) every few years, just to keep the program going - meaning putting money in Moller’s pocket. He has made a thirty-plus year career out of this scam. The sad thing is that a few of the ideas and machines (like small robotic flyers) coming out of Moller might work, but that would mean actually building and selling a product - the last thing he wants to do. Hundereds of people have come and gone at Moller, many of them very talented and dedicated. He systematicly prevents their work from becoming a reality - that’s why he can’t keep anybody for long, especially these days. Remember that the M400 you have seen is over ten years old now, and has only hovered a few times under remote control, carrying only a few percent of it’s rated payload - read: fuel, electronics, passengers, avionics, etc. Its a scam, pure and simple. He is promising BIG things this year, so get ready to laugh some more….Personally I’m keeping an eye on the engine they are developing which will run on half diesel, and half water. Oh yeah!

[jean ranyell @ Aug 2nd 2007 12:25AM]

I met a guy who invented a way of running an engine on halfe petrol halfe water and he sold the patent to a major petrol company way back in the days of innocence not realising they would shelve it.He invented the shale oil extraction proscess also, so i tend to believe him.

[Reality @ Jul 21st 2007 11:14PM]

For those of you saying go to his site and read so we understand, wake up. Aren’t you guys reading the information yourselves!!?? This guy has been working on this for 20 years and has produced no valid results. The only progress he makes is when he updates his website every year. Moller claims he has put $50 mil into this over 20 years time and all he has is a fancy fiberglass body that can hover for a few minutes as long as it has a safety tether. Put it into perspective - the Scaled Composites group (with Paul Allen financing) built a little thing called SpaceshipOne for $23 mil (probably in under 8 years, the Ansari X Prize wasn’t even established until 1996) and launched it into space. You could honestly pay a group of college students $10,000 (add a few $1,000 to have some body shop create a fancy body for it) to accomplish what Moller has - a tethered flight of a powered-lift vehicle. Dreams are important, but realizing when you’re being suckered is just as important.

[BillyBones @ Jul 22nd 2007 12:10AM]

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moller_Skycar

Given the machine's very protracted development and its ambitiousness, skepticism that the machine will work as claimed remains high. In 2003, the Securities and Exchange Commission sued Moller for civil fraud (Securities And Exchange Commission v. Moller International, Inc., and Paul S. Moller, Defendants) in connection with the sale of unregistered stock, and for making unsubstantiated claims about the performance of the Skycar. Moller settled this lawsuit by agreeing to a permanent injunction and paying $50,000. In the words of the SEC complaint, "As of late 2002, MI's approximately 40 years' of development has resulted in a prototype Skycar capable of hovering about fifteen feet above the ground."

[RaDd @ Jul 22nd 2007 1:09AM]

screw a skycar/hovercraft, i'm still waiting for some crazy scientist to invent the hoverboard!

[angela @ Jul 22nd 2007 4:26AM]

Hmmm... New inventions...
It's unique.

www.netpreneur.cybersiti.com

[Mojo @ Jul 22nd 2007 6:16AM]

Are those tyre-tracks in the grass behind the saucer?