Paul Moller
Encyclopedia
Paul Sandner Moller is an engineer
who has spent the past forty years developing the Moller Skycar
personal vertical takeoff and landing
(VTOL) vehicle.
The engine technology developed for the Skycar has also been adapted as a UAV
platform called the aerobot. The rotapower engine itself has been spun off to a separate Moller company, Freedom Motors.
In 1972, Moller founded Supertrapp Industries to market his invention of an engine silencing system. Moller sold Supertrapp in 1988 in order to fund development of his Skycar and its rotapower engine.
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 Skycar. Moller settled this lawsuit by agreeing to a permanent injunction and paying $50,000.
Moller is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis
and lives in Davis
. He was featured in Popular Science's
January 2005 issue and recently appeared on the Coast To Coast AM
. He also appeared in Popular Science's
September 1967 issue.
In 2007, Moller announced that the M200G Volantor
, a successor to the Moller Skycar, would hopefully be on the market in the United States by early 2008. His proposed Autovolantor model includes an all-electric version powered by Altairnano
batteries.
Moller's credibility has been questioned in recent years because of the vaporware
nature of his creations. In April 2009, the National Post
characterized the Moller M400 Skycar as a 'failure', and described the Moller company as "no longer believable enough to gain investors".
On May 18, 2009, Dr. Moller has filed for protection under the Chapter 11 reorganization provisions of the federal bankruptcy law.
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
who has spent the past forty years developing the Moller Skycar
Moller Skycar
-Criticism:The only flight demonstrations have been hover tests performed in 2003 by a Skycar prototype that for insurance reasons was tethered to a crane...
personal vertical takeoff and landing
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
(VTOL) vehicle.
The engine technology developed for the Skycar has also been adapted as a UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
platform called the aerobot. The rotapower engine itself has been spun off to a separate Moller company, Freedom Motors.
In 1972, Moller founded Supertrapp Industries to market his invention of an engine silencing system. Moller sold Supertrapp in 1988 in order to fund development of his Skycar and its rotapower engine.
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 Skycar. Moller settled this lawsuit by agreeing to a permanent injunction and paying $50,000.
Moller is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
and lives in Davis
Davis, California
Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He was featured in Popular Science's
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
January 2005 issue and recently appeared on the Coast To Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
. He also appeared in Popular Science's
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
September 1967 issue.
In 2007, Moller announced that the M200G Volantor
M200G Volantor
The M200G Volantor, recently re-named M200 Neuera is a prototype of a flying saucer-style hovercraft, designed by aeronautics engineer Paul Moller. The vehicle is envisioned as a precursor to the Moller Skycar M400. The M200G Volantor uses a system of eight computer-controlled fans to hover up to ...
, a successor to the Moller Skycar, would hopefully be on the market in the United States by early 2008. His proposed Autovolantor model includes an all-electric version powered by Altairnano
Altairnano
Altair Nanotechnologies is a Reno, Nevada-based research company that develops nanotechnology-based products for energy storage and the life sciences. In particular, the company is known for its "NanoSafe" lithium-ion battery technology that is used in battery-electric vehicles...
batteries.
Moller's credibility has been questioned in recent years because of the vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
nature of his creations. In April 2009, the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
characterized the Moller M400 Skycar as a 'failure', and described the Moller company as "no longer believable enough to gain investors".
On May 18, 2009, Dr. Moller has filed for protection under the Chapter 11 reorganization provisions of the federal bankruptcy law.
See also
- Moller SkycarMoller Skycar-Criticism:The only flight demonstrations have been hover tests performed in 2003 by a Skycar prototype that for insurance reasons was tethered to a crane...
- M200G VolantorM200G VolantorThe M200G Volantor, recently re-named M200 Neuera is a prototype of a flying saucer-style hovercraft, designed by aeronautics engineer Paul Moller. The vehicle is envisioned as a precursor to the Moller Skycar M400. The M200G Volantor uses a system of eight computer-controlled fans to hover up to ...
- Moller M200X
- Flying carFlying carA flying car or roadable aircraft is an aircraft that can also travel along roads. All the working examples have required some manual or automated process of conversion between the two modes of operation....
- Roadable aircraft