Moller Skycar Could Be Used by U.S. Military in Afghanistan

"a rotary engine that is low in ... emissions. "

Hah! I find that hard to believe.

Safe? Doubt it. Even loseing one engine would likely cause it to crash.

Cost effective? Compared to a helicopter maybe but put only one engine on it's nose, give it a high lift STOL wing and some rugged landing gear and then you would have something useful.

As is it will have no range, make an incredible amount of noise and do almost nothing that a fixed wing bush plane couldn't do at a fraction of the cost.

For the rare times where hovering is a good idea in a war zone, the helicopter already has that covered.

Did I pass out and wake up on April 1st?

I think they already have a combat ready version of this car. They call it the Osprey.

Helicopters require an insane amount of maintenance vis-a-vis operable flight time. It's not the least bit comparable to a jet or prop plane.

Osprey is a gigantic and expensive compared to this thing. An osprey is about 70 million per copy. The moller is listed right now at about $500k a copy. If they legitimately work for that price then it'll be a steal compared to a helicopter.

The Moller can fit - at most - half a dozen people, and that's being extremely generous. How many can an Osprey, Huey, or Blackhawk carry? Now how much gear in addition? Over what distance? Carrying what armaments? How about those rotary engines in the Moller?

Also, you compare the price of an Osprey to the price of a Moller then say it's a steal compared to a helicopter. The Osprey isn't a helicopter.

@blueguydotcom: Perhaps the Skycar is 'listed' at 500k, but I can guarantee when and if it ever makes it to production, it will cost much much more. There's a reason the V-22 took so long and so much money to produce-it's an entirely new class with mountains of testing, research and development required. If it were easy, ten other companies would have already done it.

That said, the capabilities of the two aircraft are wildly different. A V-22 can carry a Hummvee suspended beneath...or a couple of Skycars. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MV-22_carries_a_HMMWV.jpg). Or 32 troops. Or 15k pounds of cargo. Comparing these two vehicles is like comparing a $2,000 dirt bike to a $200,000 motorhome. Now does the price difference seem reasonable?

Will it be a spy vehicle? Will it have armament? What is the point of use for the military? I like the look but don't know how it will hold up in rough terrain where the enemy is hiding. housing grants

@Cobryson - dwhamman MENTIONED THE OSPREY. I was responding to that. I know what an Osprey is and how the moller would have a completely different place.

The Moller - if it ever works - would offer a tremendous savings over a helicopter. Helicopters are neat but they're extremely difficult to maintain. My wife's uncle is a lifelong helicopter pilot and has flown in combat and for over 20 years commercially. They're amazing vehicles but overall they're not reliable or cost efficient.

If moller's idea ever does work as envisioned the m400 will offer something faster, more efficient and cheaper than a helicopter for moving ~4 people. We'll see.

I'm not going to dismiss it out of hand. Moller's been working on this blasted thing for decades.

A gov contract could reduce the overhead costs of producing these futuristic vehicles.

Once it is militarized and adorned with the requisite armor necessary to make it mil-spec, one of three things will happen:

1. Useful load will decrease, lessening it's attractiveness and value.

2. Power will increase to compensate for increased weight, thus giving it less range and - you guessed it - less perceived value.

3. Fuel load will increase to sustain range, decreasing useful load (again), making this vehicle less maneuverable and....well, nevermind, you get it.

In all scenarios, cost will likely be at least double that of a commercial version. That is going on precedent for the procurement of weapons systems.

Listen, as a pilot, I would love to have a flying car like the Moller parked in my driveway, but I doubt you'll see a mil-spec version of the vehicle flying even in the near future. It might even be delayed to the point of obsolescence - since the battlefield is becoming an increasingly unmanned environment.