“Anyone can fly the Skycar,” the headline on the January 1991 cover of Popular Mechanics blared, teasing the possibility of a future where everyone could own their own “flying car.” That dream never came to fruition, but the original Skycar can now be yours to own. Moller International, the company that built the iconic vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, announced today that it is putting the M400 Skycar up for sale on eBay. Just don’t expect to use it for your daily commute.
That’s because the Skycar, while having successfully completed several low-stakes tests, is not approved for flight by the Federal Aviation Administration. Moller says that one condition of its sale is that “it cannot be flown.”
According to Moller, “The Skycar combines the high-speed capabilities of a fixed wing aircraft with the vertical take-off and landing capabilities of a helicopter. Its ducted fans provide lift and propulsion without the dangers of exposed rotor blades and high maintenance costs of rotary-winged aircraft. The vehicle employs state-of-the-art fly-by-wire computer technology to monitor, control, and maintain stability of the aircraft, while simultaneously making it simple and easy to operate.”
So why the hell would anyone buy this thing if they can’t use it to freak out their neighbors? Moller suggests someone looking for a “centerpiece of any car or aircraft collection in a public or private museum” should look no further than the Skycar. Truth be told, this thing is a piece of history — and not an entirely positive history to boot.