Marketing Tool A model of the Skycar, for speaking engagements and investor presentations, shows the concept: eight 150hp rotary engines powering four ducted fans, which pitch up for vertical flight. Michael Darter

http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-space/article/2005-01/paul-moller

Flying saucer 'nears US take-off'

It has been called the vehicle of the future and the ultimate way to beat the rush hour commute.

It is the M 200G, otherwise known as a "flying saucer", which is being built by a company in Davis, California called Moller International.
It says the futuristic contraption will go on sale in a few months and hopes to expand production to 250 a year.
Company representatives say it is easy to operate, with plenty of leg room and space for a passenger.
But customers may still have a while to wait.
So far, the flying car's inventor has been hard at work for more than four decades - and despite frequent assurances that success is just around the corner, the vehicle has yet to get anywhere near the mass market.
'Highway in the sky'
Capable of vertical take-off and landing, the craft - so far a one-off prototype - hovers like a helicopter up to 10ft off the ground. Any higher and the driver would need a pilot's licence.
It is the brainchild of Dr Paul Moller, an aeronautics engineer who envisions a "highway in the sky" which he believes could cut conventional commuter traffic in half.
"We have this wonderful natural resource above us," Dr Moller told the BBC.
"Look at the sky above us - how many aircraft do you see? It's a great space that is not being utilised. That is what we plan to use. Cars are finished as a means of getting around. It's only a matter of time."
The flying saucer is powered by eight engines which can run on petrol, diesel or even ethanol.
Dr Moller and his team say they have already conducted more than 200 test flights and say the flying saucer could prove useful to rescue teams as well as landowners.

Faster versions
Moller International has yet to establish which US agency - the Federal Aviation Administration or the Department of Transport - will authorise its use.
It sees the flying saucer as a precursor to the M400 - otherwise known as the "Skycar" - which looks a bit like the Batmobile, also boasts vertical take-off and landing, and can be driven on the road as well as flown through the sky.
The company is currently offering an M400 for sale on its website at between $500,000 and $1m, depending on how many orders it receives.
Dr Moller says the Skycar could be in production within six years or so, and promises a vehicle capable of climbing 6,000ft a minute and travelling at up to 400 miles an hour.

Many promises
But the promise has been made several times before.
In 2003, the US financial watchdog, the Securities and Exchange Commission, filed a case against Dr Moller alleging that he had used "false and misleading statements" when trying to find fresh investors.

One example contained in court documents claimed that in 1997 his company's promotional material had predicted 10,000 sales of a 400-mile-an-hour flying car by 2002, and had promised a stock market listing - and a sharp rise in share prices - which never materialised.
The case was later settled out of court, with the company paying a civil penalty of $50,000.
So If Dr Moller and his magnificent men get their way, the days of dropping in to the shops or the office may not be far away.

But eager amateur aviators may be well-advised not to hold their breath.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6970031.stm

Securities and Exchange Commission

Litigation Release No. 17987 / February 19, 2003

Securities And Exchange Commission v. Moller International, Inc., and Paul S. Moller, Defendants (U.S.D.C., Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division, Civil Action No. 2:03-CV-261 (WBS) DAD.

On February 12, 2003, the Commission filed a settled civil fraud action against Paul S. Moller ("Moller") and Moller International, Inc. ("Moller International"), in connection with a fraudulent unregistered stock offering and the filing of a fraudulent registration statement with the Commission.

The Commission's complaint alleges that Moller International, a California company, and Moller began selling the unregistered shares of stock directly to the public via the Internet, raising approximately $5.1 million from more than 500 investors nationwide. The company was supposedly engaged in the development of a revolutionary personal aircraft, dubbed "the Skycar," that would allow a person to travel at speeds over 400 miles-per-hour above roadways for about the same price as a luxury automobile. Moller, age 64, the company's founder, chief executive office and president, made false and misleading statements about the company's imminent listing on the NYSE and the Nasdaq Stock Market, the projected value of company shares after such listing, and the prospect for Skycar sales and revenue. In September 2001, the company filed a fraudulent registration statement with the Commission that exaggerated the true scope of patents the company held for the Skycar. During the Commission's investigation, the company belatedly cooperated with the staff in an attempt to bring it into compliance with the securities laws and to resolve all outstanding enforcement issues.

In its complaint, the Commission alleged that Moller International and Moller violated the antifraud and the registration provisions of the federal securities laws. Specifically, it is alleged that the Defendants violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act), Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, as well as Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act. Simultaneously with the filing of its action, the Commission announced that each of the Defendants had agreed to a settlement in which they consented to the entry of a permanent injunction and in which Moller agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $50,000.

The Commission would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Office of Securities Commissioner, State of Kansas.