Posted on 08/02/2007 3:47:19 PM PDT by Kevmo
A flying saucer that glides 10 feet off the ground and carries two passengers has gone into commercial production.
Moller International, based in Davis, Calif., has begun to manufacture parts for its Jetsons-like personal flying pod, the M200G Volantor.
The M200G is the size of a small car and is designed to take off and land vertically.
Click here to see a video of an M200 prototype in action.
Company founder Paul Moller, in a press release, called the craft "the ultimate off-road vehicle" as it is able to travel over any surface.
"It's not a hovercraft, although its operation is just as easy," said Moller, a retired professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California at Davis. "You can speed over rocks, swampland, fences or log-infested waterways with ease, because you're not limited by the surface."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
It looks to be stable and well out of ground effect. The crane is there for safety backup but during the video it seems to be just available and the line tethering the vehicle is slack.
It may not be economically viable (and the sound of the vehicle isn't on the video - it's probably really loud with eight unmufflered Wankels) but it sure looks like good old American ingenuity and drive aren't completely dead yet.
I don't think states can regulate emissions on aircraft.
That is a blimp project. I’ve always thought that would be fun to build my own blimp, just for goofing off, like Alberto Santos-Dumont.
All Things Considered, August 2, 2007 · At daybreak on a recent morning, a strange-looking aircraft is joining the birds in flight.
Dan Nachbar is piloting a 100-foot experimental blimp.
The yellow and black striped blimp has a playful look to it like the Yellow Submarine fused with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But why invent a new kind of blimp?
Beautiful Views, Less Noise
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Bumperooney
doubtful
They’re claiming to be in production rather than Prototype stage. I know it’s a dog, but it’s a production dog that might draw the attention of some enterprising genius.
That almost looks like Sonny Bono in the left seat...
Lol, How I’d love to post my little Jetson spaceship!!
WOW...That’s a lot higher than 10 feet. Looked more like 30 feet...I’ll take one.
Figure on the order of 2 mpg.
Are you allergic to doing your homework on the topic before pontificating off the top of your derision?
Just guessing, but I'd say about 30 plus feet. Way cool.
Stock shot up 36% today to 64 cents a share!
800 hp @ 16hp per gallon per hour = 50 gallons per hour.
50 gph @ 50 mph= ONE mpg.
Invest soon!
They sure as heck can regulate his manufacturing anything right out of existence.
My statement was tongue in cheek, although looking at the state of California I’d have to suggest that they have had quite a bit of practice doing exactly that.
Are you allegic to a little satiracal humor? Go out and get a new sense of humor.
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I know!
That’s what I wuz thinking of
I wonder who threw money down that moneypit
AVRO in Canada had one the US military got interested in
But it was incredibly unstable and there are videos of it run on The History Channel that show how dangerous and useless the AVRO flying saucer project gizmo was
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