And a Canadian is idea's big dreamerPaul Moller worked on Avrocar saucer.

A Canadian transplanted to California could become the first person to turn the 86-year-old dream of "the flying car" into a commercial reality.

Paul Moller, founder and president of Davis, Calif.-based Moller International Inc., has spent more than 50 years of his life trying to drive his vision up and forward.

Next spring, Moller — who turned 67 last Thursday — plans to test fly his M400 Skycar over a man-made lake in front of investors, reporters, and vehicle manufacturers from around the world.

The candy-apple red Skycar is a "volantor," meaning it can take off and land vertically. Moller's company Web site says it all: "From your garage to your destination, the M400 Skycar can cruise comfortably at 350+ mph and achieve up to 28 miles per gallon.

"No traffic, no red lights, no speeding tickets. Just quiet direct transportation from point A to point B in a fraction of the time."

If the spring demo works, it could be the prototype's major step toward commercial production.

A flying car, you say? Images that come to mind include Dick Van Dyke in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, made by the people who brought you James Bond.

Airborne autos also made appearances in the Jetsons, and sci-fi classics such as Star Wars and Blade Runner.

Real-life pursuit of flying automobiles stretches back to 1917, when aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss unveiled something called the Autoplane.

A nice try for its time, it never really took off. And while Henry Ford's "sky flivver" did take off in 1928, production got nixed after a friend of Ford's who was piloting one model died in a crash.


View: Full Article | Source: Toronto Star