Editing Moller M400 Skycar

{{Short description|Canadian prototype flying car}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
|name        = Skycar M400
|image       = Moller Skycar M400.jpg
|image_caption     = Moller Skycar M400
|aircraft_type        = [[Flying car]]
|manufacturer= [[Moller International]]
|designer    = [[Paul Moller]]
|status      = Experimental
|unit cost   = US$500,000 (estimated){{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
|first_flight=
|introduction=
|retired=
|produced=
|number_built=
}}
[[File:Skycar poster.jpg|thumb|A poster advertising the Skycar]]

The '''Moller Skycar''' is a [[flying car]] with [[VTOL]] (vertical take-off and landing) capability which has been under development by [[Paul Moller]] for over fifty years.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Boston Globe]] |title= Self-driving cars are coming; can flying be next? |author= Kennedy, George |url= http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2016/04/08/self-driving-cars-are-coming-can-flying-next/si7ybxYw9za9ezTPGLYxcM/story.html |date=2016-04-09 }}</ref><ref name=burn>{{cite news |publisher= The Register |title= Moller Skycar to finally crash and burn? |author= Page, Lewis |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/23/moller_on_the_ropes/ |date= 2009-11-23 }}</ref> As of 2023, the M400 has not achieved free flight.

Due to the project's failure to deliver and associated financial issues, Moller has been accused of deliberate fraud. The parent company, Moller International, has been dormant since 2015.<ref name='Dormant'/>

==Description==
The M400 is a four-seat [[flying car]], a type of VTOL personal air vehicle described by Moller as a "volantor" Skycar models from single-seat up to six-seat accommodation have also been envisaged.<ref>[http://www.networkperformancedaily.com/2007/08/just_too_cool_interview_podcas.html Interview with Paul Moller about future cars] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185947/http://www.networkperformancedaily.com/2007/08/just_too_cool_interview_podcas.html |date=2007-09-27 }} (August 3, 2007)</ref> It is intended to be flyable by anyone who can drive, incorporating automated flight controls, with the driver only inputting direction and speed required.

The body of the M400 comprises a fairly conventional four-seat ground vehicle, which is expected to provide some aerodynamic lift in forward flight. Folding wings and a large, fixed [[horizontal stabilizer]] provide the main lifting surfaces, although early prototypes had no wing fitted. VTOL lift and forward thrust in the air are provided by four pivoting [[ducted fan]] pods which deflect air vertically for takeoff and horizontally for forward flight. The pods enclose the propellers and engines, which are direct-coupled, and have movable deflector vanes at the rear to provide additional thrust vectoring.

The Skycar is not intended to be piloted like a traditional fixed wing airplane, and would have limited pilot controls, which the pilot uses to inform the computer control system of the desired flight maneuvers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.moller.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=61 |title=Operation |access-date=2010-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710075948/http://www.moller.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=61 |archive-date=2010-07-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Rotapower engines===
The Rotapower engines used in the prototypes are being developed by an affiliate Moller company called Freedom Motors.<ref>[http://www.freedom-motors.com/ Freedom Motors]</ref> Each power unit comprises a [[Wankel engine|Wankel rotary]] engine directly driving a ducted fan.<ref name='volantor'>{{Cite web |url=http://www.moller.com/images/pdf/TXposter.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816012843/http://www.moller.com/images/pdf/TXposter.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |title=The Skycar Volantor |access-date=2010-03-03 |date=January 14, 2010 |publisher=Moller International }}</ref><ref name=rotapower>[http://www.moller.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=72 Rotapower Engine Technology]</ref> The housing is lined with [[Kevlar]] to contain the fan blades in the event of failure.<ref name='volantor'/> The Skycar has four such [[nacelle]]s, each with two Rotapower engines mounted in tandem. All eight engines operate independently under computer control and, as demonstrated during a tethered flight, allow for a vertical controlled landing should any one engine fail.<ref name='volantor'/>

The Rotapower engine is based on a rotary engine developed by [[Outboard Marine Corporation]] (OMC) in the 1970s<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://freedom-motors.com/freedom_530cc.html|title = Freedom Motors}}</ref> and is claimed to be able to run on various fuels<ref name=rotapower/> including gasoline, diesel, methanol, and clean renewable [[ethanol]]. Earlier Rotapower models used [[gasoline]]. On November 1, 2013 Moller announced that the 530&nbsp;cc Rotapower engine had achieved {{convert|102|hp}} using alcohol (ethanol) on their test stand, yielding an effective 3 horsepower per pound (5&nbsp;kW/kg) of weight.<ref>[http://moller.com/dev/index.php/14-latest-news/67-3hp-lbs Moller’s Skycar® Rotary Engine Proves Ability To Produce 3 Horsepower Per Pound] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407070850/http://moller.com/dev/index.php/14-latest-news/67-3hp-lbs |date=2014-04-07 }}. 1 November 2014.</ref>

Like the M400 itself, the Rotapower engine has never entered production.

==History==

After forty years and $100,000,000 in expenditure<ref>[http://www.moller.com/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=93#4.2 M400 Skycar FAQ - Moller International]</ref> the Skycar demonstrated tethered hovering capability in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.simonwhatley.co.uk/moller-skycar |title=Skycar tethered test |access-date=2010-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505141403/http://www.simonwhatley.co.uk/moller-skycar |archive-date=2010-05-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It has been extensively marketed for pre-order sale since the 1990s as Moller attempted to raise more money for development.

In 2003, hover tests were performed by a Skycar prototype that for insurance reasons was tethered, but not hung, to a crane.<ref>[http://www.moller.com/test.htm Test<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011054752/http://moller.com/test.htm |date=2007-10-11 }}</ref>

===Setbacks===
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, even though Moller's statements had passed the review and received "cleared comments" from the SEC during the filing and public information phase prior to being listed as a publicly traded company. Without admitting any wrongdoing, Moller agreed to pay $50,000 to settle the matter quickly so as not to delay the initial public offering of the stock.<ref name="seccase">[https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/lr17987.htm Securities And Exchange Commission v. Moller International, Inc., and Paul S. Moller, Defendants] from the [[Securities and Exchange Commission|U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]] website</ref> In the words of the SEC complaint, "As of late 2002, MI's approximately 40 years' {{sic}} of development has resulted in a prototype Skycar capable of hovering about fifteen feet above the ground."<ref name=seccase/> The shareholders of Moller International banded together to form a group known as "Shareholders of Moller International ("SoMI"),<ref>[http://www.somi2003.org/our_story.html Shareholders of Moller International website]</ref>

In October 2006, Moller attempted to auction the only prototype of its M200X model on [[eBay]]. It failed to sell. The highest bid was $3,000,100; Moller reported at the annual meeting of stockholders on October 21, 2006 in Davis, California, that the reserve price had been $3,500,000.<ref>[http://www.motorauthority.com/news/concept-cars/ebay-watch-moller-m400x-skycar-prototype/ "eBay Watch: Moller M400X Skycar prototype"] from MotorAuthority.com</ref> A previous attempt in 2003 to sell the M400 via eBay was also unsuccessful,<ref>[http://www.moller.com/files/DEC2006CAMPInSightMollerreprint.pdf "The Skycar: Transportation of the Future"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206050451/http://www.moller.com/files/DEC2006CAMPInSightMollerreprint.pdf |date=2007-02-06 }} from official Moller website ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]] file)</ref> as were two subsequent attempts to sell the M400 prototype on eBay in July 2017.

On May 18, 2009, Paul Moller filed for personal protection under the Chapter 11 reorganization provisions of the federal bankruptcy law<ref>[http://biz.yahoo.com/e/100216/mler.ob10-q.html, "MI Financial Statements"]</ref> and it is unknown how this will affect the fate of his ideas; Moller International itself did not file for bankruptcy but reduced operations.<ref name=burn/>

On June 21, 2011 Moller International applied for Experimental Airworthiness Certification of the M400 Skycar with the [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] who accepted the application. Demonstration flight plans were scheduled for October 2011 and a flight test consultant was maintained by Moller International.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://generalaviationnews.com/2011/06/23/moller-files-for-experimental-certification-for-skycar/ |title=Moller files for experimental certification for Skycar |access-date=2019-03-19 |date=June 23, 2011 |publisher=General Aviation News|author=Janice Wood }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author= |date=June 30, 2011 |title=Skycar Gets FAA Experimental Airworthiness Certificate – Thunderbirds Are Go ! |url=https://www.uasvision.com/2011/06/30/skycar-gets-faa-experimental-airworthiness-certificate-thunderbirds-are-go/ |access-date=2019-03-19 |website=uasvision.com |publisher=UAS Vision}}</ref> However, no demonstration flight ever occurred.

===Refinancing===
A [[Memorandum of understanding|memorandum of understanding (MOU)]] was signed in January 2013 between Moller International and a US-China and e-business network agreeing to the goal of developing production for Moller Skycars in the United States and the [[People's Republic of China]].<ref name="joint_venture">{{Cite web|url=http://www.eathenatech.com/en/news/134-skycar-developer-moller-international-signs-mou-with-us-based-firm |title=Skycar® developer, Moller International, Signs MOU with US-based Firm|access-date=2013-09-17 |date=January 23, 2013 }} from eAthenaTech.com</ref>

As of October 2015 nothing further has been reported on developments of this previously announced joint venture despite Moller International's January 2013 press release having stated the following:
"The JV will initially invest $80 million (USD) of a planned $480 million investment with the objective of producing a variety of VTOL aircraft by 2014."<ref name="bloomberg_press_release">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/article/2013-01-24/a3vY2qbFSTh4.html |title=Skycar® developer, Moller International, Signs MOU with US-based Firm|website=[[Bloomberg News]] |access-date=2015-10-07 |date=January 24, 2013 }}</ref>

On November 5, 2013 Moller kicked off a crowdfunding campaign with an official announcement on the ''[[Happening Now]]'' program on [[Fox News Channel]] in the US. He subsequently followed the broadcast announcement with a press release and a radio-broadcast announcement on the ''[[Coast to Coast AM]]'' radio program with host [[John B. Wells]] interviewing Moller for 2 hours.

The campaign was formulated to raise money to further develop the systems to fly the Skycar without a tether and with a pilot on-board - something that Moller had yet to accomplish with the flights that had been conducted to date with the M400X prototype vehicle. Moller launched a donation-only crowdfunding campaign - not subject to [[Security and Exchange Commission|SEC]] scrutiny - and promised to provide gifts and other items to donors, included a ride in the M400X as the top gift of the campaign. The Moller crowdfunding campaign ended on January 4, 2014 and raised a total of [[United States dollar|US]]$29,429.00 from 188 funders, far short of its $950,000 goal.<ref>{{cite news |title= Moller launches crowdfunding campaign for Skycar test flight |date= November 5, 2013 |publisher= Fox News |url= https://www.foxnews.com/auto/moller-launches-crowdfunding-campaign-for-skycar-test-flight |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150216035258/http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/11/05/moller-launches-crowdfunding-campaign-for-skycar-test-flight/ |archive-date= February 16, 2015}}</ref>

===Cessation of operations===
As explained in a Freedom Motors newsletter from August 2019, Moller International has been dormant since 2015.<ref name='Dormant'>[https://freedom-motors.com/blog/2019/08/21/august-2019-newsletter/ August 2019 Newsletter -Freedom Motors Blog]. Accessed on 30 September 2019.</ref> Shares of Moller International were revoked by the SEC in September 2019.<ref>[https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2019/34-87020.pdf Administrative proceeding]</ref>

==Criticism==
The Skycar has never achieved free flight. The ongoing lack of funding for the Moller company to actually fly the M400 led the ''[[National Post]]'' to characterize the Skycar as a 'failure'. The management of the company and the inability to bring a product to market draws the most ire from commentators.<ref>[https://nationalpost.com/cars/story.html?id=1486209, Grainger, David; "Flying cars"; National Post, April 11, 2009]</ref>

==Variants==
;Moller M150 Skycar
:The initial single seat technology demonstrator, incorporating the fuselage of a Bede BD-5 with two of Moller's ducted fan units. Prototype only; no public demonstration flights.
;Moller M400 Skycar
:The prototype version powered by four Moller propulsors incorporating [[Rotapower 500]] Wankel rotary engines; has flown several times without a pilot but tethered via slack safety line to an overhead crane
;Moller 400 Skycar
:Production version; unbuilt.
;Moller 100LS and 200LS
:Proposed 1-and-2 seat air vehicles, similar to the 400 Skycar

==Specifications (M400 Skycar)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=<ref name=specs>{{Cite web|url=http://www.moller.com/moller_skycar400.html |title=M400 Skycar Specs |access-date=2016-06-06 |year=2016 |publisher=Moller International }}</ref> and <ref>[http://www.moller.com/moller_skycar_technology.html thrust, SFC]</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!-- General characteristics -->
|crew=1
|capacity=4
|length m=6.5
|length ft=21
|length in=6
|span m=2.6
|span ft=8
|span in=6
|height m=2.3
|height ft=7
|height in=6
|empty weight kg=1,088
|empty weight lb=2,400
|gross weight kg=1,415
|gross weight lb=3,120
<!-- Powerplant -->
|eng1 number=8
|eng1 name=530cc Rotapower
|eng1 type=[[Wankel engine|rotary engines]]
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->138
|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->180
|eng2 number=8
|eng2 type=electric motor back-up (short-term boosts of up to 900lb thrust with both rotary and electric engines powering the prop)
||eng2 hp=<!-- prop engines -->120
<!-- Performance -->
|max speed kmh=533
|max speed mph=331
|cruise speed kmh=496
|cruise speed mph=308
|range km=1,213
|range miles=805
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->5.9 hours
|ceiling m=10,973
|ceiling ft=36,000
|climb rate ms=24
|climb rate ftmin=4,800
}}

==Appearances in popular fiction==
The Moller M400 Skycar was featured in the 2010 telemovie ''[[The Jensen Project]]'' with [[LeVar Burton]] and [[Kellie Martin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Moller International Skycar to be Featured in NBC's The Jensen Project |url=http://www.moller.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149:the-jensen-project&catid=35:moller-news |website=Moller International |date=13 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306220606/http://www.moller.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149%3Athe-jensen-project&catid=35%3Amoller-news |archive-date=6 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

It also appears in [[Clive Cussler]]'s novel ''[[Atlantis Found]]'', where it is flown by [[Dirk Pitt]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/skycar-for-sale-74036522.html |title=Skycar for Sale |date=27 January 2003 |website=PR Newswire |access-date=18 December 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Bell X-22|Bell X-22A]]
* [[Moller M200G Volantor]]
* [[PAL-V]]
* [[Terrafugia Transition]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.moller.com/ Moller International]
* [http://www.skycar.co.za/ Skycar Africa (Pty) Ltd., the South African agent to Moller International]
* [http://www.downside.com/scams/moller Moller Discojet brochure from 1974]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305104216/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3475918 "Seven Flights of Fancy that Fizzled" - MSNBC]
* [http://www.gizmag.com/go/1378/1/ Gizmag]
* [http://daviswiki.org/Moller_International Davis California Wiki]

{{Flying cars}}

[[Category:Tilting ducted fan aircraft]]
[[Category:Moller aircraft|M400]]
[[Category:Abandoned civil aircraft projects of the United States]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Eight-engined four-prop tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Wankel-engined aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear]]
[[Category:Unflown aircraft]]
[[Category:Roadable aircraft]]