Need a lift?

[Corey]

http://www.moller.com/

Aerobotics? Brings to mind hot pink unitards with baby blue headbands and Olivia Newton John videos. Swoon... Wow, I'd forgotten all about Olivia Newton John for about 2 decades actually so you'll have to excuse me for a moment while I fantasize. [insert Jeopardy music]

OK, I'm back. Anyhoo, on that site I particularly love on the "Investment" page where they say, "If you are an existing shareholder, please go to the Contacts page if you wish to e-mail us." and if you follow the link the first thing it says is, "Due to recent promotions of our product and website, we are no longer capable of responding immediately to the large volume of email we are receiving."

But wait, I thought they said to email? Oh I see, they DO want me to email, after all, I'm an investor and therefore important, they just don't want to ANSWER the email, that's all... Hee har.

I guess they're in that sooper akward position we see so many booming businesses nowadays getting trapped in of being a "highly attractive business investment which is set to revolutionize an entire industry" but whom can't afford $400/mo to get a service to answer investor emails. Or $3,000 for a decent web site for that matter...

Beautiful. Where did you say my 12 million dollars went John? John? Helloooo???

Imagine having to explain to your wife that you've invested your collective retirement savings on that web site, "Ummmmmm, promise not to get mad if I tell you something?"

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[Corey]

Re: Need a lift?

Allrightey just for fun let's break down the text on their "SkyCar" page, shall we?

The Skycar

So far so good...

Moller International has developed the first and only feasible, personally affordable, personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle the world has ever seen.

If it's the only one then it must also be the first one, do I smell bragging? No wait it's just my socks...

You've always known it was just a matter of time before the world demanded some kind of flying machine which would replace the automobile.

Really, was that me? Dang... I always had me pegged as more of a rocket skates kind of guy. Dr. Moller-1 Me-0.

Of course, this machine would have to be capable of VTOL, be easy to maintain, cost effective and reliable.

Of course... [nods confidently] Let's see how much are these puppies, $1,000,000.00, well at least they got the cost efficient part right, the average automobile owner of tomorrow should have no problem with that...

Well, we at Moller International believe we have come up with the solution. That solution is the volantor named M400 Skycar.

Love the "Well" to begin the sentence, very aggressive. In your face investor, you want some of this??? Note the term "the solution" and that is because there is only one solution so you and your buddies can put away the tools and beer, it ain't going to happen, Dr. Moller allready found "the" solution and it's tough beans for the laws of psychics if they think otherwise. In your face physics!

Let's compare the M400 Skycar with what's available now, the automobile.

And here I had a whole list of stuff such as subways, bikes, walking, boats, airplanes, trains, and goats/camels... Oh well, I'll tuck that away for now, I'm certain Dr. Moller will be more than happy to address that during the Q & A at the next stockholder meeting.

Take the most technologically advanced automobile, the Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, Lamborgini, or the more affordable Acura, Accord, or the like.

So which is it? That's one of the more confusing sentences to punch me in the nose lately. I think I'll take the Lamborgini since it's spelled wrong, I like that in a car...

It seems like all of the manufacturers of these cars are touting the new and greatly improved "aerodynamics" of their cars.

Are SUVs aerodynamic? Cause that's where all the automobile manufacturers marketing money goes, and as we all know the touting follows the dollar, touting is fickle that way. Everything I see from the auto industry touts safety, roominess, and luxury first. But they did say "seems" so technically...

Those in the aerospace industry have been dealing with aerodynamics from the start.

In your face historians!!!

In the auto industry they boast of aerodynamics, performance tuned wide track suspensions, electronic ignition and fuel injection systems, computer controllers, and the list goes on. What good does all this "advanced engineering" do for you when the speed limit is around 60 MPH and you are stuck on crowded freeways anyway?

In your face consumer!!!

Can any automobile give you this scenario? From your garage to your destination, the M400 Skycar can cruise comfortably at 350+ MPH and achieve up to 28 miles per gallon.

No, I know of no automobile that chews through $50/hour worth of gas and can get me from here to the Mac's store 4 blocks away in .0000001 of a second. I admit you got me there Dr. M.. But define "comfortably", because if you think you can pry me loose from my seat at 350mph in that thing you'll also need to define, "not a chance!" and, quite possibly, "you really should have that black eye looked at..."

I wonder how many miles per gallon they get while plummeting earthward. Probably some pretty atttractive numbers but then again automobiles also get marvellous plummeting mileage so I'll call that feature a draw...

No traffic, no red lights, no speeding tickets. Just quiet direct transportation from point A to point B in a fraction of the time. Three dimensional mobility in place of two dimensional immobility.

Yeah, it's not like the government and police regulate anything else, I'm sure they'll be more than happy allowing free and unfettered access to the city skies for said 350mph jaunts. They might even encourage it from the sounds of it. "No traffic"??? Wait a minute so there's only one of these things for sale, ever? That sounds very well thought out which, in turn, increases my confidence that the product itself was similarly well thought out...

As for the "quiet" bit, check out the videos below, If you enjoy meditating 3 feet from the speaker bins at an Aerosmith concert you will love the queitness of this vehicle. Very soothing, kind of like having a chainsaw inside your mouth except soothier...

No matter how you look at it the automobile is only an interim step on our evolutionary path to independence from gravity. That's all it will ever be.

In your face automobile!!!

"No matter how I look at it?" Hey wait a sec, suddenly this copy is starting to lose its hitherto impeccable veracity/luster. What if I look at it like a fruitbat for example, no way in the world a fruitbat is going to conclude that... Not a chance. Or for that matter what if I take up a contrary position, wouldn't George Carlin say, "THAT'S a way of looking at it which would reach a different conclusion!" Dr. Moller?

Therefore I conclude that there are precisely three (and only 3) possible ways one may view this; Like Dr. Moller, like an opponent of Dr. Moller, or like a fruitbat, your choice...

Errr no wait a sec, now that I see my words in print I realize there's also a 4th way too, a contrary fruitbat. But that's it, 4 ways only, take your pick...

Moller International's M400 Skycar volantor is the next step.

The next step in, "independence from gravity"??? But without gravity I'd snore my liver out at night. There'd be no waterfalls, or fireworks, or rollercoasters, or floating birthday balloons, or leaping kitty cats. Sounds evil Dr. M. Oh IIIIIIIII see, you mean just us humans, we're evolving beyond gravity, OK that's different. THAT I'll buy....

Click on Skycar image to view flight test videos.

Wait a minute, I take it all back. After watching those grainy clips of an incredibly large, loud, ugly, and obtrusive vehicle barely scrambling for enough control to hover 8 feet off the ground (while hanging from a wire) under the guidance of a highly trained test pilot I am convinced. Great confidence builder those "flight" videos, especially "model with folding wings" with the Hans Solo and Stormtrooper action figures inside. Where do I sign up, let me check the site. Oh I see how it works, the car is one million bucks with a mandatory 10% deposit but you don't actually have any and you can't tell me when I get mine. I'll have my banker wire the cash immediately...

I can hardly wait until the 93 year old lady down the block with one inch thick tri-focals uses her shiny new Alberta driver's license to qualify for one of these babies, she's on more drugs than Tommy Chong at this point god bless her...

P.S. I notice one video says the wire is only for insurance purposes, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, I suspect that's precisely in the same way I can't seem to find a girlfriend purely for insurance purposes, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, but having watched those videos let's just say I'd want to see the readout from a tension guage on that wire before wheelbarrowing in my $1,000,000.00 just yet. My opinion, without that wire that thing would have flipped faster than The Flying Panini Brothers on Ed Sullivan.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[Lorne]

Re: Need a lift?

Whoa, don't be a hater. Moller's been working on this project for more than 20 years now. This isn't a fly-by-night affair (no pun intended).

[Derek]

Re: Need a lift?

lol

I definately want one tho. imagine the fun ... and the response from the neighbors? James Bond stuff .. brilliant!

[John-oh]

Re: Need a lift?


I've put my name down for one
- well, only a die cast model, but we all need to start somewhere - but, I don't think it will impress the neighbors.

But, when I can afford the full sized version and attack their kids with air strike missiles .....

Sorry, I got carried away there.

[Adam]

Re: Need a lift?

WOW thats cool, I want one NOW!! This car and the Segway personal transporter will team up to take over the world as we know it. Imagine never having to use those darn legs again, and being able to get from point A to point B in mere seconds in your flying car.

[Lorne]

Re: Need a lift?

I actually remember reading about this in Popular Mechanics back in, uh, the 8th or 9th grade.

Since then I've been waiting impatiently for my Moller sky car...

BTW, check out the thrust:weight ratio on those little engines of his...pretty darn impressive.

Now, if only Moller was as prolific as Burt Rutan...

[Corey]

Re: Need a lift?

I'm starting to suspect that Lorne *is* Dr. Moller, a.k.a. "Dr. Molar" the nemesis from the dental safety films of my youth... I hate to be so cliche but the cold truth is that I've never seen them in the same room at the same time.

I'd rather be neutered than be seen riding a segway, a razor scooter, a mechanical bull, a girl's bike, or a moped... I'll stick to my skate.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[Lorne]

Re: Need a lift?

I've always wanted to take a segway offroad. Downhill segway championships, here I come...

Corey, I think you'd get a kick out of Burt Rutan, champion of private enterprise and "can-do" enthusiasm. He's one of my favorite characters in aerospace today...wild sideburns and all.

You may remember him as the creator of the Voyager plane that flew around the world without refueling.

My Dad used to subscribe to Kitplanes magazine, which was a monthly periodical for people interested in building their own private aircraft. I remember reading about Scaled Composites when I was just a kid.

It'll be neat to see how SpaceShipOne turns out.

[Adam]

Re: Need a lift?

Offroad Segway, now that would be fun. Maybe some big off-road tires and a supercharged electric engine.

oh baby I'd buy one (if I could afford it of course).

[Derek]

Re: Need a lift?

"(if I could afford it of course). "

... and we all know you can, Adam - being the IR 'employee of the month' etc

[Corey]

Re: Need a lift?

KONK!

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software