Paul Moller

Paul Sandner Moller (born December 11, 1936) is a Canadian engineer who has spent the past fifty years+ developing the Moller Skycar personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle. The engine technology developed for the Skycar has also been adapted as a UAV platform called the "aerobot".[1] The rotapower engine itself has been spun off to a separate Moller company, Freedom Motors.

Paul Sandner Moller
Born (1936-12-11) December 11, 1936
Fruitvale, British Columbia, Canada

Moller was born in Fruitvale, British Columbia, Canada.

Education

Moller holds several degrees and certifications:

  • D.A.M. (Diploma Aircraft Maintenance) PITA, 1957
  • D.A.E. (Diploma Aeronautical Engineering) PITA 1958
  • Master of Engineering, McGill University, 1961
  • Ph.D. in Aerodynamics, McGill University, 1963

Career

In 1972, Moller founded Supertrapp Industries to market his invention of an engine silencing system. Moller sold Supertrapp in 1988 in order to fund development of his Skycar and its rotapower engine.

In 2003, the Securities and Exchange Commission sued Moller for civil fraud (Securities And Exchange Commission v. Moller International, Inc., and Paul S. Moller, Defendants) in connection with value of shares after the initial public offering of stock, and for making unsubstantiated claims about the performance of the Skycar.[2] Moller settled this lawsuit without admitting guilt by agreeing to a permanent injunction against claiming projected worth of Moller International stock and paying US$50,000.[3] The shareholders of Moller International - collectively known as SOMI ("Shareholders Of Moller International") banded together on a website (no longer active) to tell the Moller-side of the SEC issue.[4]

Moller is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis and lives in Davis. He was featured in Popular Science's January 2005 issue[5] and appeared on the radio show Coast To Coast AM.

In 2007, Moller announced that the M200G Volantor, a successor to the Moller Skycar, would hopefully be on the market in the United States by early 2008.[6] His proposed Autovolantor model includes an all-electric version powered by Altairnano batteries.[7]

Moller's credibility has been questioned in recent years because of the vaporware nature of his creations. In April 2009, the National Post characterized the Moller M400 Skycar as a 'failure', and described the Moller company as "no longer believable enough to gain investors".[8]

On May 18, 2009, Moller filed for personal protection under the Chapter 11 reorganization provisions of the federal bankruptcy law, however Moller International (corporation) did not file for bankruptcy and continues to do business as of October 24, 2013.

Media appearances

See also

References
  1. aerobot from Moller.com
  2. "Complaint: Moller International, Inc., and Paul S. Moller". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 2003-02-19. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  3. Securities And Exchange Commission v. Moller International, Inc., and Paul S. Moller, Defendants from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website
  4. SOMI 2013 - Stock Holders of Moller International Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine website with Moller's side of the SEC settlement story
  5. Jeff Wise Paul Moller: Artful Dodger, with Eyes on the Prize Archived 2006-03-13 at the Wayback Machine. Popular Science, January 1, 2005. Retrieved 09.24.2009.
  6. "'Flying saucer' nears US take-off". BBC News. 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
  7. Paul S. Moller Autovolantor –An Automobile That Can Occasionally Operate Above Traffic Archived 2009-03-27 at the Wayback Machine, (presented at the 2008 SAE Wichita Aviation Technology Congress & Exhibition, August 21, 2008), www.moller.com website. Retrieved 09.24.2009.
  8. "Flying cars". National Post, April 9, 2009
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