M400 Skycar, rotary powered!
03-27-03, 07:29 PM
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M400 Skycar, rotary powered!
Quote from http://www.techtv.com/news site on the Moller M400 Skycar.
"It has the rotary engines that we developed," Moller says of the Freedom engines installed in the Skycar. "[They're] quite powerful. Each of these engines... is about 55 horsepower."
The link to the Freedom site about the engines takes you to http://www.freedom-motors.com/
Their history is okay but can anyone here confirm the facts they use in it?
"It has the rotary engines that we developed," Moller says of the Freedom engines installed in the Skycar. "[They're] quite powerful. Each of these engines... is about 55 horsepower."
The link to the Freedom site about the engines takes you to http://www.freedom-motors.com/
Their history is okay but can anyone here confirm the facts they use in it?
03-27-03, 09:22 PM
#2
Old [Sch|F]ool
Welcome to 20 years ago. 
Moller is a wonderful means of separating money from venture capitalists.
Interesting side note: Imagine how loud eight rotaries would be. Moller did a lot of work on noise abatement because of this, and one of the results was SuperTrapp. Forget if he founded the company or merely designed the mufflers. Ironically, almost everyone agrees that SuperTrapps suck for rotaries.... go figure.
Moller is a wonderful means of separating money from venture capitalists.
Interesting side note: Imagine how loud eight rotaries would be. Moller did a lot of work on noise abatement because of this, and one of the results was SuperTrapp. Forget if he founded the company or merely designed the mufflers. Ironically, almost everyone agrees that SuperTrapps suck for rotaries.... go figure.
03-27-03, 09:31 PM
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Hmpf, that's interesting. On the Freedom site they mentioned using the SuperTrap as the muffler after a presilencer as an option with no mention that it actually came from Moller.
The first muffler was also to be placed 20" away from exhaust manifold using 1-1/2" pipe.
As far as noise, seemed like the M400 demo on Tech Live from TechTV was loud, but not rotary loud, turbine loud! Lots of air output on one of those!
Neat thing is the Freedom rotary is supposedly stackable with little trouble. 4 Rotors, not a problem (~200HP)! 6 Rotors, sure thing boss
The first muffler was also to be placed 20" away from exhaust manifold using 1-1/2" pipe.
As far as noise, seemed like the M400 demo on Tech Live from TechTV was loud, but not rotary loud, turbine loud! Lots of air output on one of those!
Neat thing is the Freedom rotary is supposedly stackable with little trouble. 4 Rotors, not a problem (~200HP)! 6 Rotors, sure thing boss
03-28-03, 03:52 AM
#4
One good use of SuperTrapps on rotaries is they make great apex seal catchers!
My grandfather visited Moller's facility some 12 or more years ago when he was researching a new engine design. He didn't have any capital to venture, so Moller didn't have any interest in his design. Money talks, I guess (no prob though, it means I get to take over the engine research hahahaha! I can't wait).
Moller needs to realize that us rotor heads are ready for multi-rotor engines. There's a market out there. This and other rotary forums are the proof. Thanks to the internet, now everybody who has access can look up specs on a 20B or any other multi-rotor (or single rotor) engine that pretty much any engine builder has ever produced, from experimental, to actual production engines. I'd sell my own grandmother for a six rotor 530cc Rotapower engine (wouldn't we all?). Why Moller can't act like a tennis shoe and just do it, is beyond me.
My grandfather visited Moller's facility some 12 or more years ago when he was researching a new engine design. He didn't have any capital to venture, so Moller didn't have any interest in his design. Money talks, I guess (no prob though, it means I get to take over the engine research hahahaha! I can't wait).
Moller needs to realize that us rotor heads are ready for multi-rotor engines. There's a market out there. This and other rotary forums are the proof. Thanks to the internet, now everybody who has access can look up specs on a 20B or any other multi-rotor (or single rotor) engine that pretty much any engine builder has ever produced, from experimental, to actual production engines. I'd sell my own grandmother for a six rotor 530cc Rotapower engine (wouldn't we all?). Why Moller can't act like a tennis shoe and just do it, is beyond me.
03-28-03, 04:46 PM
#5
Old [Sch|F]ool
"act like a tennis shoe and just do it" LOL!!
Yeah, aftermarket non-Mazda rotaries... make 'em with say a Chevy bellhousing pattern for easy trans swappability. Practically all RWD performance trannies have a Chevy pattern standard or otherwise available (standard T10/Muncie/Chevy T5 bellhousing-to-trans pattern so you just use a Chevy bellhousing/scattershield)
Yeah, aftermarket non-Mazda rotaries... make 'em with say a Chevy bellhousing pattern for easy trans swappability. Practically all RWD performance trannies have a Chevy pattern standard or otherwise available (standard T10/Muncie/Chevy T5 bellhousing-to-trans pattern so you just use a Chevy bellhousing/scattershield)
04-08-03, 02:27 AM
#7
It looks like Moller took my advice (sort of). Just a couple days ago, Freedom Motors anounced their new 650cc single and two rotor engines which will be used in the production version of the Skycar. Appearantly, the old 530 wasn't powerful enough.
Notice how close 650 is to Mazda's 654? I wonder if the rotors are taller or wider than Mazda's? I couldn't find any good pics of the new rotors.
Notice how close 650 is to Mazda's 654? I wonder if the rotors are taller or wider than Mazda's? I couldn't find any good pics of the new rotors.
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04-08-03, 02:21 PM
#8
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Interesting. Probably made larger for not only more power but also redundancy?? Think about it, on a jetliner, when one out of three/four engines fail, the thing can still fly to its destination or at least make a powered emergency landing.
