The Future

The Moller Skycar and other new aircraft

“Mark my word: A combination airplane and motor car is coming. You may smile. But it will come.”

— Henry Ford, 1940

Although many interesting types of aircraft will be flying in the future, the Moller Skycar inspired C3D Aero to propose the use of Aviation Web Services in order to make it easier for pilots to get information while in flight. The Skycar is a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) personal airborne transportation system which is currently in development. Once the Skycar becomes available, instead of driving to the nearest small airport, a traveler will only need to drive several blocks to the nearest vertiport (a small 35 foot diameter area similar to a helicopter pad which will be located in cul-de-sacs, parking lots, and on top of buildings). The Skycar will then take off vertically, fly to the vertiport closest to the destination, and drive the remaining distance (probably another couple of blocks).

Value

The Skycar concept clearly has a lot of value. For example, it will be able to go door-to-door from West Chester, PA to Langley Research Center, VA (a distance of 200 miles) in 40 minutes. A traveler will not have to switch between vehicles and will not have to worry about finding a place to park their car at the airport, finding a taxi, or renting a car.

The Skycar is currently in the prototype stage and is categorized as a ducted fan powered lift aircraft. This means it deflects air vertically for takeoff and horizontally for forward flight. A Skycar currently costs a million dollars to build, but mass production should lower the cost to between $60,000 and $80,000.

Safety

The Skycar will be safer than current small aircraft. The Skycar has eight Wankel rotary engines which are extremely reliable because they have only three moving parts. Two engines are located in each of the four intakes, providing redundancy in case one of the engines fails. If the Skycar experiences a catastrophic failure, it will be able to glide and deploy a ballistic airframe parachute. The Skycar will carry two parachutes—one for high-speed flight, the other for low-speed.

Environmentally friendly

The Skycar will be environmentally friendly and fuel efficient, getting 28 mpg. The Wankel rotary engines burn fuel extremely cleanly, produce little pollution, can be run on many different types of fuel, and are relatively quiet. When taking off, the Skycar will only produce as much noise as traffic on a nearby freeway. This will only last for a few seconds, because it climbs so quickly.

Performance

The M400 Skycar is projected to cruise at 325 mph, with a top speed of 370 mph. It will have a 920 mile range, and will have a useful load of 950 lbs. This means it will be able to carry four people and 50 lbs of baggage. Moller International is also designing the M600, which will be able to carry six people.

Development

An aircraft as revolutionary as the Skycar will take some time to reach its full potential. The Skycar will probably be used by police, medivac teams, and the military before it becomes available to the general public. Without NASA's SATS and HITS programs, the Skycar and other future aircraft (please see the "Links" section on the right side of this page) will be expensive toys and only a few people will be able to afford to fly them. However, with the help of new communication technologies like Aviation Web Services proposed by C3D Aero, piloting aircraft will become easier and more people will be able to fly.