Limited numbers are expected to be available within the next three years. These will be used for marketing demonstrators, special sales, and military applications. A FAA certified model is more than four years away. We already have over 100 reservations for the FAA certified models. The timing of the models available to the public will depend on the speed of the government in certifying the vehicle as airworthy. Moller has little or no control in this process.

Revolutionary ideas are not born overnight. We have been in development since the 1960's and have flown several prototypes and concept vehicles. The progress of the M400 is on a very quick schedule when you review the man-hours and dollars expended. Only $100 Million has been spent in R & D at Moller International, compare this to the $1.2 Billion required for the gearbox design on the Bell-Boeing V22 Osprey.

In limited production (500 units per year) the M400 Skycar® will sell for a price comparable to that of a four-passenger high performance helicopter or airplane, approximately $500,000. As the volume of production increases substantially, its price can approach that of a quality automobile ($60,000-$80,000).

Not at this time.

A limited number of model Skycars® are available for sale. We offer a 1/38th scale model of the M400 along with other branded merchandise. Please give us a call to check on availability and pricing.

With very few moving parts the M400's Rotapower® engines require little maintenance. Also the Rotapower® engine has the unique capability of burning a variety of fuels - thus making it affordable to operate regardless of which liquid fuels are readily available in your area.

No. Airspace is usable in 3-dimensions, and provides us with more flexibility than ground transportation that can use only surface area. Our view is that you would have layers of air traffic and whenever one altitude became overcrowded another would be utilized. To give you an idea of how this would work, imagine if each car on road today were turned into a Skycar® and put into the air using this new system. Each Skycar® in the sky would still be over a mile apart in all directions!

The FAA and NASA are studying a system to manage air traffic for smaller aircraft. In conjunction with this new "flight control" for all aircraft, current systems such as GPS and TCAS will also be utilized by the M400. In addition, prior to M400 production, it is expected that technological advancements will allow for increased flight safety by relying on additional systems such as advanced computerized transponder signal relays, pre-programmed flight plans, and nearby traffic display.

Ultimately, the airway network will direct all Skycars® in such a manner that, while traveling in a specific direction on a designated computer controlled airway, they will all be going at the same speed and be automatically separated from one another.

It will taxi; however, it was engineered for ground travel only as is required to travel from your home to its point of take-off and back. Using electric motors for propulsion, the top ground speed will be 30-35 miles per hour. It does not require special roads.

The M400 was engineered to meet the size and other requirements set forth by the DOT and will be "street legal" primarily because it can be treated under the same category as a three-wheeled motorcycle. It should be noted that Skycar® was developed for short distance ground travel at low speeds as a means to conveniently transport it from storage locations to approved take-off locations and back.

At this time, "power-lift" aircraft are authorized for take-off and landing only from airports and heliports as defined by the FAA. We expect that with the success of the M400, additional locations (vertiports) will be approved specifically to accommodate this mode of transportation. Possible candidates for vertiport sites may include small sections of local parking lots, fields and private properties that fit the specifications for space and noise requirements by the FAA.

Yes but as with any VTOL aircraft, it needs a stable surface such as pavement, grass or hard clay for take-off and landing. Don't forget M400 must also adhere to all FAA regulations for this type of aircraft.

Yes, at some point. This vehicle is capable of travel at 30,000 feet and aircraft require pressurization to operate above 12,000 feet.

It can be adapted for water operation.

All of our M400 Skycar® vital systems have redundant back-up including flight control, navigation, engines, etc. As long as both engines in the same duct do not fail, the Skycar® can be landed at a convenient airport. With multi-engine failure (like multiple bird ingestion) the system can be manoeuvred to a suitable site to deploy the parachutes.

Yes. Strain gauges at the wheels will ensure that the maximum weight is not exceeded and that the weight distribution is acceptable for flight.

The production version of the M400 will have space for storage inside the cabin and a forward storage hatch. Again, the M400 was designed to transport passengers safely and efficiently and was not engineered for large cargo. In addition to the front hatch, you can also make use of the substantial area behind the rear seat.

We are currently working with the insurance industry regarding this issue.

Currently the Skycar® is categorized as a "powered-lift normal" aircraft by the FAA. This means that, yes, you will require a "powered-lift normal" category pilot's license to operate a Skycar®. However, it is our intention that the volantor will eventually evolve into a completely automated form of transportation making you a passenger - not a pilot/driver. At that point, no pilot's license would be required as long as you operate within this control network.

We do not have videos for sale at the present time.

For press only: You can obtain a BETACAM SP tape with flight/hover footage of the M400 and M200X by calling us at 530-756-5086. There is a required $25 refundable deposit.

High disc loading (up to a point of course) leads to higher propulsive efficiency at higher speeds. For example, typical tilt-rotor aircraft (V22, BA609) has a disc loading of less than 50 lbs./ft2 compared to 150 lbs/ft2 for the M400. The V22 should be 75 miles per hour slower than the M400, based on the historic relationship between speed and disc-loading, but by using more power in cruise than in hover it is able to approach the M400's cruise speed. However the V22 can only accomplish this by burning over three times as much fuel per passenger mile in cruise. The volantor's higher disc loading with its small efficient ducted fans account for this reduced fuel consumption.

On the contrary, the previous version width was slightly over 10 feet, while the folded wing version is configured at 8 1/2 feet. This is within the current width limits without any exemption. Roadability and containerized shipping were both considerations for this design. In addition to the more compact design, the aircraft now gets about double the fuel economy of the previous version. These improvements are due to its increased wing surface and better lift-to-drag ratio.

MI has looked at models ranging in size from single person to six-passenger. The final decision on which model(s) go into production will depend on demand. Right now it appears that the highest demand for a near-term product may be from the military. Their interest in a higher payload capacity vehicle than our M400 (750 lbs.) may move us towards the M600 (six passenger model with crew and/or cargo of ~1,500 lbs.) The M600's configuration is approximately the same as the latest M400 design, only about 20% bigger and is at the limits of what we believe our style of ducted-fan VTOL can handle.

Yes, the nacelles rotate. The rotation through approximately 45°, in combination with the vane deflection system provides very efficient vertical thrust for vertical take-off, landing and hovering. As forward speed increases the nacelles will rotate from their initial position to horizontal followed by reducing the vane deflection from 45° to near 0°. Since the nacelles reach the horizontal position at relatively low forward speed, leading edge lip stall (flow separation) is prevented.

Current plans call for one engine to provide electrical power to motors in the drive wheels. Alternatively, one engine could provide sufficient thrust for ground propulsion as a backup to the electric drive.

We agree that with the astronomical advertising budgets that seem to be available for products like sports drinks, football games, auto racing, etc that it would be a "no-brainer" to slice off a small chunk for the Skycar®. The potential publicly could be enormous! We now have well over 750 members of the domestic and international news media who have requested to attend a demonstration flight of the Skycar®. The coverage available to a sponsor of such an event would be close to that obtained by sponsors of the Olympics or other such international events. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor is encouraged to contact us for further details.

The Light Sport Aircraft (SLA) category is indeed not the appropriate category for the Skycar®. Terrafugia's recently received exception to the 1,200 weight classification will allow them to certify in this category, but it won't get them the Department of Transportation waivers they will need to effectively drive on public roads. Because they are a four-wheeled vehicle, the rigorous requirements for crash protection apply to their vehicle, but if they try to comply with these requirements I believe the additional weight will make their aircraft's performance very poor. Lastly, the Terrafugia is not VTOL and therefore will have to travel considerable distances on the road, perhaps even on highways, to get to and from an airport.

Because the Skycar® uses a three-wheeled undercarriage it is not currently required to meet the same standards as a four-wheeled road vehicle. Our design's center of gravity is well balanced on a tricycle landing gear, whereas the Terrafugia's design cannot. Our intent is to register under the three-wheeled vehicle safety standards, similar to those used for a motorcycle or utility vehicle, which do not require air-bags, crumple zones, etc. Additionally, we do not envision the need to drive the Skycar® great distances or at high-speeds as we are VTOL capable and can land and take-off much closer to one's home or destination.