Skycar:
Up, Up and Out of That Traffic Jam
BOB SHALLIT / Sacramento Bee
22oct2005
|
Mindfully.org
note:
As if life isn't bad enough with cars jamming the highways and sending
millions of tons of toxic gasses and dusts into the atmosphere.
Get out your Skycar and utterly destroy what little semblance of air is
left. It'll be like having the Blue Angels flown over your house by
complete Bozos on a 24/7 basis.
Imagine the accidents that this will cause. This is one more example of a
bad idea that'll make a few people wealthy; many people dead; and the rest
of us just plain miserable.
In short, it's a bone head idea Mr. Moller. Baby your a rich man. But we
hope that you find some common sense in your next life. |
Looking for the Christmas gift for the guy or gal who has everything? How
about a flying car?
This year's Neiman Marcus holiday catalog is featuring the prototype "Skycar"
developed by Davis-based Moller International.
The price: a mere $3.5 million.
Company founder Paul Moller has been working on personal flight vehicles for
five decades. It may be decades more before folks hop into one of his M400s
instead of an auto for the commute to work.
But progress is being made. Joint development talks are under way with
companies in China and Europe. Moller and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne are
jointly seeking funding for development of the Skycar engine.
The vehicle - which lifts off vertically like a helicopter - has been flown
via remote control on numerous occasions. A big test is coming up early next
year, Moller says, when a manned flight is planned in front of more than 700
media people.
As for the listing in the famous, upscale catalog, Moller says Neiman Marcus
contacted the company, inquired about its work and then opted to include the
prototype in its "Christmas book." A buyer could take possession of
the craft after next year's test flight.
Will somebody actually pay $3.5 million to own a vehicle that won't be as
flight-worthy as future versions?
It's certainly possible, Moller says. If the firm achieves its dream of
mass-producing commuter vehicles that cruise at 275 miles per hour and create a
new highway in the sky, the prototype will be "quite valuable to a
collector some day," he says.
Fast city: Sacramento's made the leap from cowtown to ... hub of the
"creative class." So says Fast Company mag, which places the capital
among the top 10 U.S. cities for scientists, artists, engineers and other
creative types. The listing is based on a survey that assessed which cities drew
the most "creatives," on a percentage basis, between 1999 and 2003,
and looked at intangibles, such as quality of life and tolerance of differences.
The story - which hits newsstands Sunday - has a blurb on each of the cities
on the list. Among the others: San Diego; Phoenix; Raleigh, N.C.; and Portland,
Ore. Sacramento's attributes ("creative-class cred") include UC Davis
and yes, its proximity to Tahoe and the wine country. Also mentioned is that
Daniel Libeskind-designed condo tower planned for downtown. The one negative in
the blurb: It cites the "years of false starts" in sparking downtown
entertainment options.
Not a flop: Vlade and Ana Divac may take along a piece of Sacramento
when they move their family to Europe next year. They've been offered a chance
to franchise their L'Image boutique in Madrid, Ana reports.
She's not providing details and hasn't made any decision yet on the offer.
But she says the potential franchisee loves the shop she has now in the
Pavilions shopping center and would want her to play a role in managing the
European version.
"It would be nice to have a L'Image in Sacramento, California, and a
L'Image in Madrid, Spain," she says.
Meanwhile, she insists that she and Vlade intend to keep their ownership of
the Tunel 21 nightclub and eatery open as well as the local L'Image boutique and
bistro. The businesses are being run by Ana's sister, Jelica Orbovic.
"We kind of grew up in Sacramento as a family," Ana says, "and
we plan to be a part of the community definitely forever."
Fright on wheels: Deborah Chausse runs the outrageous Old Sac costume
store called Evangeline's. Her husband, former filmmaker Leon Corcos, loves
fixing up old cars. So when they started talking about ways to promote the store
for Halloween, the answer was obvious: Buy and fix up an old hearse.
The two searched all over for just the right car. They considered a 1925
model. "It ran, but oh! It was like a Disneyland ride," Deborah says.
"Very high maintenance."
They finally settled on a 1962 white Cadillac hearse in need of lots of work.
Leon rebuilt the engine, replaced the transmission, fixed up the interior
(including adding new curtains), did some body work and had it painted black. He
even ordered the engraved metal plaques - with the Evangeline's Costume Mansion
name, of course - that funeral homes put in the windows of their hearses.
The 22-foot vehicle goes on display today in front of the shop. After
Halloween, it'll be put away until next year. "Fortunately," Deborah
says, "we have a really large garage."
FACTS
- Cost: $3.5 million
- Passsengers: 4
- Weight: 2,400 pounds
- Length: 21.5 feet
- Width: 8.5 feet
- Height: 7.5 feet
- Span: 18.5 feet, unfolded
- Miles per gallon: 21
- Maximum speed: 375 mph
- Maximum range: 750 miles
Page D1
source: http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/13752393p-14594108c.html#more_images
22oct2005
source: Neiman
Marcus website 22oct2005 (slightly modified)
http://www.harrisonline.com/audio/paulmoller.ram