Name: Paul Moller Invention: Skycar Hometown: Davis, Calif. Current occupation: Inventor Inspiration: Hates driving in traffic Website: Moller.com

Paul Moller has spent the last 40 years developing the Skycar, a VTOL, or aircraft that takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter and flies like an airplane when in the air. It can also drive short distances on the ground like an automobile. And it's easy to fly, thanks to Moller's patented computerized control system.

Skycar is powered by eight small but powerful rotary engines mounted in pivoting nacelles. For take-off and landing, the engine pods pivot to a vertical position to direct airflow up and down. Moveable vanes at the back of the engine ducts can also be adjusted to direct airflow. Once airborne, the Skycar transitions to forward flight by pivoting the engine pods to a horizontal position.

Moller has invested $100 million in the Skycar's research and development over the last 40 years. Much of that money has come from the profits of another of Moller's inventions: the SuperTrapp high-performance muffler. It seems like a lot of money until you compare it to the $1.2 billion spent on just the gearbox design of the Bell-Boeing V22 Osprey VTOL aircraft.

The current model of Skycar (the M400, a four-passenger model) is currently in unmanned, tethered flight tests at Moller International's facilities in Davis, Calif. Moller hopes to conduct the first manned flights (he'll be the test pilot) in the spring of 2004.

The inventor hopes to bring the Skycar to market within three to four years. In limited production (500 units per year), the M400 Skycar will sell for approximately $500,000, comparable to that of a four-passenger high-performance helicopter or airplane. As the volume of production increases substantially, Moller estimates that the price will drop to approach that of a high-end automobile, in the $60,000 to $80,000 range.

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