{"id":286,"date":"2013-01-29T06:15:24","date_gmt":"2013-01-29T06:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=286"},"modified":"2013-01-30T14:41:38","modified_gmt":"2013-01-30T14:41:38","slug":"sci-tech-update-on-paul-moller-space-sciences-urbanaero-aerofex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=286","title":{"rendered":"Sci-Tech: Update on Paul Moller, Space Sciences, UrbanAero & Aerofex"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve been checking in on\u00a0 Paul Moller<\/a> and his SkyCar<\/a> project occasionally since the late 1980s when I read an article in the Economist about his project.\u00a0 He has been working on flying cars since the 1960s and has made a few millions along the way with spinoff inventions such as the SuperTrapp muffler<\/a> and a line of compact rotary engines<\/a>. But still no flying car.\u00a0 Just hovering cars as seen in these videos<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Via the Spaceports<\/a> blog comes a pointer to an announcement from Moller that a Chinese based firm has agreed to provide $80M initially and up to $480M to get a VTOL vehicle in production:\u00a0 Moller Forms Joint Venture with Athena Technologies, Inc. – Moller <\/a><\/p>\n

DAVIS, Ca. January 23, 2013–Moller International, Inc. (MI) (OTC-QB: MLER), the developer of the Skycar
\n\u00ae and Neuera\u2122 aircraft announced today that it has received a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreeing to create a US-based Joint Venture (JV) with Athena Technologies Inc. of Harbor City, California. The goal of the newly formed JV is to establish co-production for its aircraft in the US and the People\u2019s Republic of China.<\/p>\n

Under the provisions of the memorandum, MI will team with this US company-led JV to jointly produce numerous models of its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. 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. Production will include the Skycar\u00ae 200 LS, Skycar\u00ae 400, Skycar\u00ae 600 and Neuera\u2122 aircraft.<\/p>\n

MI is to retain its Intellectual Property (IP) while providing the JV with aircraft designs,ready-to-install Rotapower\u00ae rotary aviation engines, and the requirements for the airframe and flight control systemhardware to be produced in China. The JV is to provide all necessary production funding, purchase a 35% ownership in MI and provide MI with 25% fixed ownership in the JV for a period of 10 years<\/p>\n

The full text of the announcement is available at: Moller-Athena-MOU.pdf<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Meanwhile, the company Space Sciences Corporation<\/a> in New Mexico has an agreement with Moller to commercialize an early version<\/a> of the SkyCar. In this Moonandback interview from last October, the\u00a0 co-founders of the firm\u00a0 “talk about their activities over the past year in developing vertical takeoff\/vertical landing (VTVL) craft \u2013 a putative Flying Saucer” : John D’Alessandro and Lindsay Quarrie – A Flying Saucer Update – Moonandback<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[Update Jan.30.13<\/strong>: In Part 2 of the interview they “talk about how a flying saucer excites the public and kindles the educational experience, and they look at some of the applications for a vertical takeoff and landing flying vehicle” : John D\u2019Alessandro and Lindsay Quarrie – The Cool Factor – Moonandback<\/a>.
\n]<\/p>\n

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As I’ve mentioned before, I think the best hope for a practical VTOL flying car will be more along the lines of the Israeli UrbanAero<\/a> AirMule<\/a>. You can follow its progress via their\u00a0 updates<\/a> and videos & downloads<\/a>. The Aerofex Tandem Duct Aerial Vehicle<\/a>\u00a0 takes a similar design approach:<\/p>\n