Moller M200G Volantor
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The M200G Neuera is a prototype of a
flying saucer A flying saucer, or flying disc, is a purported type of disc-shaped unidentified flying object (UFO). The term was coined in 1947 by the United States (US) news media for the objects pilot Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting, Kenneth Arnold claimed fl ...
-style
hovercraft A hovercraft (: hovercraft), also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and various other surfaces. Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the ...
, designed by aeronautics engineer Paul Moller. The vehicle is envisioned as a precursor to the Moller M400 Skycar. The M200G Volantor uses a system of eight computer-controlled fans to hover up to above the ground. Volantor is a term coined by Moller meaning "a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft."


Design

The M200 is a design for a VTOL personal air vehicle, a class of vehicle described by Moller as a "volantor". The M200G Neuera is a circular craft with seats in the middle for two passengers and a control panel. The vehicle is tall and in diameter. Eight Wankel rotary engines power eight enclosed fans. The fans allow for
vertical take-off and landing A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-wing ...
and, once the vehicle is aloft, rely upon the ground effect to create a cushion of air that the vehicle sits upon while flying. The eight separate engines exist for redundancy, allowing the craft to continue flying if one engine goes out. If two engines go out, the craft will make a "survivable hard landing". The engines can be powered with
gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
,
diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...
or
ethanol Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the ps ...
fuels. In 2023 was announced an electric and hybrid version would be possible. The computer system monitors stability and the vehicle has only two controls, one for speed and direction and the other for altitude. The computer system also prevents the machine from flying higher than above the ground. Per
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
regulations, any vehicle which flies above 10 feet is regulated as an aircraft. The M200G Neuera is expected to be capable of travel over any terrain at speeds up to . Moller intends to design smaller aircraft to conform with the FAA
Light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictions on weigh ...
category, among them a 200LS and 100LS.Moller International develops two new light-sport Skycars
''AirFramer'', 30 January 2012. Accessed: 4 February 2012.


History

Paul Moller, the vehicle's inventor, has been working on flying saucer projects since the 1960s, having first been given the idea when studying radial diffusers. He promoted his Discojet project in 1974, with target certification and production dates in 1976. Featuring eight Wankel snowmobile engines, a central bubble and a low tail fin, photographs of a mock-up were published in 1976. The Discojet never appeared, although the later M200X closely resembles it. None has yet come to market and news reports have been skeptical that the latest M200G vehicle will fare any better, citing a case by the
Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...
which noted that in 1997 promotional materials for the Skycar had predicted 10,000 units sold by 2002. Moller and his team claim that over 200 test flights of the M200G Neuera have already been conducted, though these flights rely on ground effect and do not necessarily suggest significant movement toward the goals set forth for the flagship model, the Skycar M400. Moller had predicted they would have the M200G ready for sale by early 2008 with a goal of 250 units produced in the year, but this did not occur. Depending upon demand, the M200G could cost under US$100,000 according to the company. As of August 2007, Moller had not yet established if the vehicle will be regulated by the United States Federal Aviation Administration or the Department of Transportation.


Criticism

In a 2005 episode of the
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television show ''
MythBusters ''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television series created by Peter Rees (producer), Peter Rees and produced by Beyond International in Australia. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast in ...
'' it was reported that more than
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200 million had gone into the development of the Skycar. Moller has been claiming to be attempting to build a flying car since 1974, constantly promising delivery dates that are just "around the corner" but the closest Moller has come to producing a vehicle that flies is the M200G Neuera, which has been demonstrated to hover outside of ground effect. He has not produced any evidence or figures to support the promised abilities, such as fuel economy equivalent to that of an automobile; indeed, each proposed model would use eight less fuel-efficient but very good weight to power ratio
Wankel engine The Wankel engine (, ) is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric (mechanism), eccentric Pistonless rotary engine, rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. The concept was proven by German engineer Felix Wankel, f ...
s, each of which must maintain high RPMs even when idle. The only demonstration approaching flight was a "hover" test performed by a Skycar prototype that was tethered, not hung, to a crane, which Moller claimed was "for insurance purposes". Each time the deadline approaches, Moller has postponed it. For example, since 2003, when he started taking presale deposits for the flagship model M400, the date for FAA certification promised to investors and buyers has been moved forward one year each year, and lastly stood at December 31, 2008. 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 company's flagship M400 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 .5 mabove the ground."


Variants

;Discojet :An early 1970s design, never advanced beyond the mock-up stage. ;M200X :The prototype M200. Moller claims a performance of , range, 8 low-emissions Wankel engines that run on a 70% ( bio)
ethanol Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the ps ...
and 30%
water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
mixture; earlier models ran on
gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
. The ethanol/water fuel mixture reduces fire hazards, as it does not easily burn outside the engines. The water cools the engines from within, and the engines can use higher compression ratios and hereby make more power than with 100% ethanol. Because of the mixture, the engine fulfills
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
SULEV Super ultra-low emissions vehicle (SULEV) is a U.S. classification for passenger vehicle emissions. The classification is based on producing 90% fewer emissions than the average gasoline-powered vehicle. The SULEV standard is stricter than the sta ...
requirements.Aug 10, 2006, Business Wire: Rotapower Engine Achieves SULEV Emissions Goal
Citat: "...The 530cc engine tested produced 22 hp at 4500 rpm with an air/fuel ratio of 20 and lambda of 1.35.
The toxic emission levels with ethanol were as follows:
Unburned hydrocarbons (HC) = .5 ppm or .0043 gm/hphr
Carbon monoxide (CO) = 9 ppm or .03 gm/hphr
Nitrous oxide (NOx) = 3 ppm or .016 gm/hphr..."
;M200G Neuera :The planned production version of the M200. It is reputed to be certified for flight above the FAA 10-foot altitude restriction. ;Firefly :Designed as a high-rise rescue vehicle, which would carry up to 3 passengers and 1 operator.


Specifications


References

{{Reflist, 30em


External links


Moller brochure
for the M200G Volantor. Hovercraft Roadable aircraft Upcoming products Aircraft first flown in 1989 M200 Circular-wing aircraft Lift fan Wankel-engined aircraft Eight-engined piston aircraft Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear 1980s United States experimental aircraft