Concept of a Flying Automobile

Perhaps the simplest definition of the term "technology" is just "applied science." Technology tends to relate more to practical experience rather than scientific theory. A technological forecast, therefore, involves making predictions about future machines, procedures, etc. A variety of methods exist which can be applied towards this end. These include techniques such as the use of scenarios, science fiction, extrapolation, intuition, Delphi forecasting, substitution, and historical analogy. Paul Moller employs some of these methods when he describes the potential of his innovative vehicle, the "volantor." His sales pitch is very strong. Regardless though, the concept of a "flying car" has been around for a long time. Moreover, Paul Moller and his ideas seem to relate more to the past than the future. He speaks from an era of economic expansion and relative prosperity; a time when even people on the fringes of aerospace had a reasonable hope of receiving government funding. Obviously, the world has changed. In the current economic environment of government costcutting and corporate downsizing, it is doubtful that speculative ventures such as the "flying car" will have much hope of survival.

It is nearly impossible to separate ideas with true potential from those that are flawed (5:71). The dream of the flying car has been with us for as long as the car and the airplane themselves (11:95). In fact, as far back as

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raft and an electric version connected to Earth by a long power cordfor both manned and unmanned surveillance and attack missions (2:33). Regardless though, today Moller's mission is to build a practical transportation vehicle of the air (6:35). "There are three really clearcut criteria," says the inventor (6:35). "It has to be easy to fly. It has to be extremely safefor example, its got to have enough engines that it can tolerate a failure on one during some critical mode of operation and still get back down. And finallyand probably the most important thingis that it has to be fundamentally inexpensive (6:35)." Paul Moller's latest effort towards achieving these ends is his Moller 400. Actually, few aviation experts have even seen the vehicle, which is said to look something like a cross between a Corvette and a fighter jet (3:F9). Moller's goal in designing its shape was to give the M400 the lift properties of an airplane wing while keeping it compact enough to taxi along a road or into a garage (2:32). Indeed, the tips of its high wing tail will fold so that the vehicle will fit into an enclosed space (3:F9). While at least one of the experts who have inspected the craft believes that it is technically viable,
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Approximate Word count = 3578
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page)

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