US Army Could Use Flying Cars
Jetsons to Afghanistan: flying car is US Army's future says, er, flying car company...
A Skycar. Not in army camouflage...
Taking the ethos of 'why drive on it when you can fly over it', the Moller Skycar "provides a more cost effective, highly maneuverable, lethal and safe platform for the 21st century soldier," according to the US Army's Lieutenant Colonel James Thomas, in a recently released white paper entitled 'Winning an Asymmetric War with Skycars.'
As the lieutenant rather observantly put it 'Afgahnistan is not Iraq' and the unique challenges it presents would be well suited to the Skycar, which combines the vertical take-off and landing capabilities of a helicopter, with the speed of a conventional prop aircraft, while also providing 'limited' on-road ability.
Lt Col Thomas isn't the only one praising the long-awaited Skycar. Moller tells us that, in an article titled 'A Revolutionary Vehicle for the Future', Colonel Larry Harman, then Vice Director of the Combat Service Support Battle Laboratory at Fort Lee, Virginia discusses the Skycar's military version.
"Without any doubt, this technological innovation will succeed internationally in the private, commercial, and military sectors," says Colonel Harman. "I hope that the US Army will be the first army in the world to embrace and exploit this technology. But sooner rather than later, this aerial vehicle technology will affect all of our lives. It is just over the horizon."
The Skycar is powered by ethanol-burning rotary engines which combine both power and efficiency (we'll believe that when we see it - it's something Mazda has yet to master), while emitting exhausts that are sometimes cleaner than the surrounding air, which should prove reassuring when the surrounding air is shooting at you.
Despite all these advantages, you are unlikely to see the Skycar over a battlefield near you anytime soon, as there's no indication that the Skycar, or its engines, will go into production.
And take the whole thing with a healthy pinch of salt. Moller has been in the process of creating the Skycar for more than 20 years, and the source of most of these quotes is, er, Moller...
Most squaddies could drive a car, I doubt most of them could fly a plane and you need a pilots license to fly one... I also seem to remember the thin air because of the altitude causes issues for all kinds of helicopters in Afghan, which would suggest this wouldn't neccessarily cope hugely well.
Oh well, DARPA will probably fund it - some of the ideas that they throw money at look bats
t insane even compared with this!
The fact that the principal of the company "Dr" Moller hasn't been dragged off to the clink is the single most amazing thing about this "vehicle".
Moller has been dreaming with other peoples money for close to twenty years now (or more) and all his creations have ever done is rise vertically and go back down again. None of them has even covered the distance that the Wright brothers did and they did it with spruce,canvas and a home made engine.
The guy is a shyster and a con artist, don't expect to see the American World Police hosing down civilians with automatic fire from one of these EVER.
couldnt agree more, every 6-12 months there is another press release from this bunch of dreamers, I pity the poor saps that have invested any money in this tripe.The fact that the principal of the company "Dr" Moller hasn't been dragged off to the clink is the single most amazing thing about this "vehicle".
Moller has been dreaming with other peoples money for close to twenty years now (or more) and all his creations have ever done is rise vertically and go back down again. None of them has even covered the distance that the Wright brothers did and they did it with spruce,canvas and a home made engine.
The guy is a shyster and a con artist, don't expect to see the American World Police hosing down civilians with automatic fire from one of these EVER.
I saw a write up for a VTOL Bike, that was on the drawing board last year from some other company, and that looked a lot less cumbersome than this beast.
Also, don't the mujahaddeen have those heat seeking shoulder missile launchers that the americans sold them once upon a time?
If memory serves me correctly they can shoot down a jet fighter, and this crap only goes as fast as a prop driven plane. Still its probably cheaper than an F18, will it help the yanks shoot in the right direction though...
The fact that the principal of the company "Dr" Moller hasn't been dragged off to the clink is the single most amazing thing about this "vehicle".
Moller has been dreaming with other peoples money for close to twenty years now (or more) and all his creations have ever done is rise vertically and go back down again. None of them has even covered the distance that the Wright brothers did and they did it with spruce,canvas and a home made engine.
The guy is a shyster and a con artist, don't expect to see the American World Police hosing down civilians with automatic fire from one of these EVER.
If ever the U.S. military DID become involved that would almost certainly develop it into a reality I reckon but not convinced that it does offer any significant strategic military value over something as tried as e.g. a Harrier.
http://www.firebox.com/product/415/Moller-Skycar-M...
they have been advertised on firebox (other shopping sites are available) for years now. I can't why tho, has one of these actually ever moved off the ground?
They vertically take off and land, Fly much faster than a prop plane and have limited on-raod ability
Even if the Moller could be utilised in the battlefield (HUGE could), it'll be of no more use than anything else out there - in an asymmetric warfare environment (e.g. Afghanistan), the enemy will just find a way to exploit the weaknesses of any transport method - a well rigged volleyball net could probably take out a Moller Skycar.
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