FWIW, Moller Again ?

In rec.aviation.piloting wrote:
On Jul 6, 11:25 am, wrote:
In rec.aviation.piloting Al G wrote:

GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE PRODUCTION LAUNCHED
Moller International has completed tooling for its M200G volantor, a small,
"Jetson-like" two-passenger vehicle designed to take-off and land
vertically. The M200G is saucer-shaped, about the size of a small
automobile, and is intended for operation continuously about 10 feet above
ground level. "It's the ultimate off-road vehicle, able to travel over any
surface," claimed Dr. Paul Moller, CEO. He further claimed the M200G could
speed up to 50 mph over a variety of terrain because the electronics keep
the craft stabilized at no more than 10 feet altitude, where extra lift is
obtained from operating near the ground. For more information, visit
www.Moller.com.

I'll bet it's a real thrill going over hills, especially on the downhill
side.

--
Jim Pennino

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That's called flying in "hill effect", or maybe its "slope
soaring"... :-)

Just one of the reasons hovercraft are hardly ever used anywhere other
than over water.


--
Jim Pennino

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wrote:
In rec.aviation.piloting Al G wrote:


GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE PRODUCTION LAUNCHED
Moller International has completed tooling for its M200G volantor, a
small, "Jetson-like" two-passenger vehicle designed to take-off and
land vertically. The M200G is saucer-shaped, about the size of a
small automobile, and is intended for operation continuously about
10 feet above ground level. "It's the ultimate off-road vehicle,
able to travel over any surface," claimed Dr. Paul Moller, CEO. He
further claimed the M200G could speed up to 50 mph over a variety of
terrain because the electronics keep the craft stabilized at no more
than 10 feet altitude, where extra lift is obtained from operating
near the ground. For more information, visit www.Moller.com.

I'll bet it's a real thrill going over hills, especially on the
downhill side.


I'll bet nobody knows.

WHat ****es me off is that EAA is hyping it for him.

Way back, I got a chance to play with some prototype "ATV - like" consumer
ground effect machines. They looked like a cross between a Vespa motor
scooter and an ice rink resurfacing machine. We unloaded them in a big,
empty parking lot and fired them up.

The first thing you learn about ground effect machines is that they stir up
a LOT of dust - even where you didn't expect there would be any dust.

The second thing is that they will almost uncontrollably slide downhill. In
this case, until they got to the storm drain gratings in the corner of the
parking lot where they grounded themselves - there's no ground effect above
a grating. We then faced the problem of an 800 pound machine with no wheels
firmly stuck on a storm drain grate. Fortunately, the truck that delivered
them had a wrecker crane - possibly due to the developers previous
experiences with storm drain grates.

We decided that dry land was possibly not their native environment so we
tried them over water since water is 'mostly' level.

The first thing you learn about ground effect machines over water is that
they kick up a LOT of spray - enough to thoroughly soak the driver. You
need goggles to keep the spray out of your eyes but spray covered goggles
are hard to see through.

The second thing you eventually discover is that when the engine quits over
water the thing sinks FAST. Fortunately, the developer had a water recovery
skiff with a crane and plenty of drying out stuff - possibly due to previous
experiences with over water engine failures.

Maybe this is why you don't see a lot of consumer ground effect ATV's.

Bill Daniels


wrote in message
...
In rec.aviation.piloting Al G wrote:


GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE PRODUCTION LAUNCHED
Moller International has completed tooling for its M200G volantor, a
small,
"Jetson-like" two-passenger vehicle designed to take-off and land
vertically. The M200G is saucer-shaped, about the size of a small
automobile, and is intended for operation continuously about 10 feet
above
ground level. "It's the ultimate off-road vehicle, able to travel over
any
surface," claimed Dr. Paul Moller, CEO. He further claimed the M200G
could
speed up to 50 mph over a variety of terrain because the electronics keep
the craft stabilized at no more than 10 feet altitude, where extra lift
is
obtained from operating near the ground. For more information, visit
www.Moller.com.

I'll bet it's a real thrill going over hills, especially on the downhill
side.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

In rec.aviation.piloting Gig 601XL Builder wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote:
wrote:
In rec.aviation.piloting Al G wrote:


GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE PRODUCTION LAUNCHED
Moller International has completed tooling for its M200G volantor, a
small, "Jetson-like" two-passenger vehicle designed to take-off and
land vertically. The M200G is saucer-shaped, about the size of a
small automobile, and is intended for operation continuously about
10 feet above ground level. "It's the ultimate off-road vehicle,
able to travel over any surface," claimed Dr. Paul Moller, CEO. He
further claimed the M200G could speed up to 50 mph over a variety of
terrain because the electronics keep the craft stabilized at no more
than 10 feet altitude, where extra lift is obtained from operating
near the ground. For more information, visit www.Moller.com.

I'll bet it's a real thrill going over hills, especially on the
downhill side.


I'll bet nobody knows.

WHat ****es me off is that EAA is hyping it for him.

It's not hard to figure out; not even the Marine Corp has balls big
enough to try running a hovercraft over a hill bigger than a small
sand dune.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Bill Daniels wrote:
Way back, I got a chance to play with some prototype "ATV - like" consumer
ground effect machines. They looked like a cross between a Vespa motor
scooter and an ice rink resurfacing machine. We unloaded them in a big,
empty parking lot and fired them up.

The first thing you learn about ground effect machines is that they stir up
a LOT of dust - even where you didn't expect there would be any dust.

The second thing is that they will almost uncontrollably slide downhill. In
this case, until they got to the storm drain gratings in the corner of the
parking lot where they grounded themselves - there's no ground effect above
a grating. We then faced the problem of an 800 pound machine with no wheels
firmly stuck on a storm drain grate. Fortunately, the truck that delivered
them had a wrecker crane - possibly due to the developers previous
experiences with storm drain grates.

We decided that dry land was possibly not their native environment so we
tried them over water since water is 'mostly' level.

The first thing you learn about ground effect machines over water is that
they kick up a LOT of spray - enough to thoroughly soak the driver. You
need goggles to keep the spray out of your eyes but spray covered goggles
are hard to see through.

The second thing you eventually discover is that when the engine quits over
water the thing sinks FAST. Fortunately, the developer had a water recovery
skiff with a crane and plenty of drying out stuff - possibly due to previous
experiences with over water engine failures.

Maybe this is why you don't see a lot of consumer ground effect ATV's.

Bill Daniels

Bill, that was hilarious. Thank you.

I can see I-40 now during rush hour. On of the Aircars runs over a
drainage grate and goes crashing to the ground. Then there is a 300
aircar pile-up, because short of tossing an anchor over the side, I see
nothing on the thing to make an emergency stop with.

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
...
Way back, I got a chance to play with some prototype "ATV - like" consumer
ground effect machines. They looked like a cross between a Vespa motor
scooter and an ice rink resurfacing machine. We unloaded them in a big,
empty parking lot and fired them up.

The first thing you learn about ground effect machines is that they stir
up a LOT of dust - even where you didn't expect there would be any dust.

The second thing is that they will almost uncontrollably slide downhill.
In this case, until they got to the storm drain gratings in the corner of
the parking lot where they grounded themselves - there's no ground effect
above a grating. We then faced the problem of an 800 pound machine with no
wheels firmly stuck on a storm drain grate. Fortunately, the truck that
delivered them had a wrecker crane - possibly due to the developers
previous experiences with storm drain grates.

We decided that dry land was possibly not their native environment so we
tried them over water since water is 'mostly' level.

The first thing you learn about ground effect machines over water is that
they kick up a LOT of spray - enough to thoroughly soak the driver. You
need goggles to keep the spray out of your eyes but spray covered goggles
are hard to see through.

The second thing you eventually discover is that when the engine quits
over water the thing sinks FAST. Fortunately, the developer had a water
recovery skiff with a crane and plenty of drying out stuff - possibly due
to previous experiences with over water engine failures.

Maybe this is why you don't see a lot of consumer ground effect ATV's.

Bill Daniels


wrote in message
...
In rec.aviation.piloting Al G wrote:


GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE PRODUCTION LAUNCHED
Moller International has completed tooling for its M200G volantor, a
small,
"Jetson-like" two-passenger vehicle designed to take-off and land
vertically. The M200G is saucer-shaped, about the size of a small
automobile, and is intended for operation continuously about 10 feet
above
ground level. "It's the ultimate off-road vehicle, able to travel over
any
surface," claimed Dr. Paul Moller, CEO. He further claimed the M200G
could
speed up to 50 mph over a variety of terrain because the electronics
keep
the craft stabilized at no more than 10 feet altitude, where extra lift
is
obtained from operating near the ground. For more information, visit
www.Moller.com.

I'll bet it's a real thrill going over hills, especially on the downhill
side.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.



Thanks Bill, that made my day.

Al G

Gig 601XL Builder: The 2005 EAA video from Oshkosh had just a quick short
flick of a Rotorcraft. Of all they had to choose from they selected the
AirScooter. The AirScooter has no autorotation capability and has the
perfect opportunity for a Lawn Dart Conversion when an engine out occurs at
the max recommended ceiling of 50'. I'm not sure where the "Powers that
Be" are trying to take EAA. It sure seems like it is in a direction away
from amateur built aircraft.

--
Stuart & Kathryn Fields, Publishers
Experimental Helo magazine
P. O. Box 1585
Inyokern, CA 93527
(760) 377-4478 ph
(760) 408-9747 publication cell
(760) 608-1299 technical cell
www.experimentalhelo.com
www.vkss.com


"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
wrote:
In rec.aviation.piloting Al G wrote:


GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE PRODUCTION LAUNCHED
Moller International has completed tooling for its M200G volantor, a
small, "Jetson-like" two-passenger vehicle designed to take-off and
land vertically. The M200G is saucer-shaped, about the size of a
small automobile, and is intended for operation continuously about
10 feet above ground level. "It's the ultimate off-road vehicle,
able to travel over any surface," claimed Dr. Paul Moller, CEO. He
further claimed the M200G could speed up to 50 mph over a variety of
terrain because the electronics keep the craft stabilized at no more
than 10 feet altitude, where extra lift is obtained from operating
near the ground. For more information, visit www.Moller.com.

I'll bet it's a real thrill going over hills, especially on the
downhill side.


I'll bet nobody knows.

WHat ****es me off is that EAA is hyping it for him.

"Stuart & Kathryn Fields" wrote in message
...
Gig 601XL Builder: The 2005 EAA video from Oshkosh had just a quick short
flick of a Rotorcraft. Of all they had to choose from they selected the
AirScooter. The AirScooter has no autorotation capability and has the
perfect opportunity for a Lawn Dart Conversion when an engine out occurs
at the max recommended ceiling of 50'. I'm not sure where the "Powers
that Be" are trying to take EAA. It sure seems like it is in a direction
away from amateur built aircraft.

--
Stuart & Kathryn Fields, Publishers
Experimental Helo magazine
P. O. Box 1585
Inyokern, CA 93527
(760) 377-4478 ph
(760) 408-9747 publication cell
(760) 608-1299 technical cell
www.experimentalhelo.com
www.vkss.com


"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
wrote:
In rec.aviation.piloting Al G wrote:


GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE PRODUCTION LAUNCHED
Moller International has completed tooling for its M200G volantor, a
small, "Jetson-like" two-passenger vehicle designed to take-off and
land vertically. The M200G is saucer-shaped, about the size of a
small automobile, and is intended for operation continuously about
10 feet above ground level. "It's the ultimate off-road vehicle,
able to travel over any surface," claimed Dr. Paul Moller, CEO. He
further claimed the M200G could speed up to 50 mph over a variety of
terrain because the electronics keep the craft stabilized at no more
than 10 feet altitude, where extra lift is obtained from operating
near the ground. For more information, visit www.Moller.com.

I'll bet it's a real thrill going over hills, especially on the
downhill side.


I'll bet nobody knows.

WHat ****es me off is that EAA is hyping it for him.




What better test bed for a Zero-Zero Ballistic Recover System. The
opportunities to test under actual conditions will abound.

Al G

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
...
Way back, I got a chance to play with some prototype "ATV - like" consumer
ground effect machines. They looked like a cross between a Vespa motor
scooter and an ice rink resurfacing machine. We unloaded them in a big,
empty parking lot and fired them up.

The first thing you learn about ground effect machines is that they stir
up
a LOT of dust - even where you didn't expect there would be any dust.

The second thing is that they will almost uncontrollably slide downhill.
In
this case, until they got to the storm drain gratings in the corner of
the
parking lot where they grounded themselves - there's no ground effect
above
a grating. We then faced the problem of an 800 pound machine with no
wheels
firmly stuck on a storm drain grate. Fortunately, the truck that
delivered
them had a wrecker crane - possibly due to the developers previous
experiences with storm drain grates.

We decided that dry land was possibly not their native environment so we
tried them over water since water is 'mostly' level.

The first thing you learn about ground effect machines over water is that
they kick up a LOT of spray - enough to thoroughly soak the driver. You
need goggles to keep the spray out of your eyes but spray covered goggles
are hard to see through.

The second thing you eventually discover is that when the engine quits
over
water the thing sinks FAST. Fortunately, the developer had a water
recovery
skiff with a crane and plenty of drying out stuff - possibly due to
previous
experiences with over water engine failures.

Maybe this is why you don't see a lot of consumer ground effect ATV's.

Bill Daniels

That was great. I was read for a couple of really good laughs.

Peter

Peter Dohm wrote:


That was great. I was read for a couple of really good laughs.

What we really need is a Moller-Bede joint enterprise.