Moller International Neuera 200 (prototype)

Neuera 200 (prototype)
Moller International / Freedom Motors
Dixon, California, USA
www.moller.com
www.freedom-motors.com

Moller International was founded in 1983 as a spin-off of Moller Corporation to continue to design, develop and manufacture conventional and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) passenger and cargo aircraft. Moller's aircraft being manufactured for use in the nascent advanced air mobility (AAM) industry. The company is designing aircraft that are safe, efficient, affordable, easy-to-use as automobiles, low noise, low emissions, low fuel usage, low purchase price, low operating cost and can use existing transportation networks. The company is headquartered in Dixon, California, USA.

The company has developed and integrated novel technologies required for small, powered-lift VTOL aircraft. These include electronic stabilization and control systems, efficient ducted fan designs, thrust vectoring mechanisms and aerodynamically stable composite airframe structures. The single most significant spin-off technology is the Rotapower engine, a Wankel rotary engine. This engine is now produced and marketed by Freedom Motors.

Historically, the company has primarily focused on using petroleum fueled engines for their power source of their aircraft designs and prototypes. Moller International confirmed in June 2023, they are now designing all their aircraft as hybrid-electric VTOL passenger and cargo aircraft. At the same time, it was also confirmed with Moller that any of their past and current aircraft can be designed and manufactured as hybrid-electric VTOL or all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Neuera 200 hybrid-electric or all-electric VTOL passenger full-scale prototype aircraft.
The Neuera 200 is a saucer shaped hybrid-electric or all-electric VTOL two passenger full-scale prototype ducted fan aircraft. The aircraft has one pilot and one passenger and is easy to fly. The aircraft has a maximum payload of 350 (158 kg). According to Moller International, the prototype has made more then 200 test flights. The name Neuera is pronounced "new era". The two in the name 200 possibly stands for two passengers.

The aircraft has a cruise speed of 75 (120 km/h), has a maximum speed of 100 (160 km/h) and a range of 140 m (225 km). The maximum payload is 450 (204 kg). The aircraft has a minimum altitude of 10 feet (3 meters) and can fly over any surface such as land, water, snow, a swap or grasslands. The Neuera 200 has the same capabilities of an off-road vehicle, hovercaft and helicopter.

The Neuera 200 over the years has formerly been known as:

• 200 X
• 200-XR
• M200 Neuera
• M200X
• M200 X
• M200G Neuera
• M200G Neuera Volantor
• M200G Volantor
• Moller 200 X
• (And there might be other names used for the this aircraft model.)

The cockpit has a bubble canopy over the cockpit or can be flown without the canopy. The aircraft has eight ducted fans and can be manufactured using a hybrid-electric power source or can use battery packs, depending upon needs of the customer. The aircraft is a saucer shape that is 10 feet (3 meters) by 10 feet (3 meters) and has a height of 3 feet (.91 meter). The aircraft has fixed strut landing gear.

Before the Neuera 200, Moller had designed and created a mock-up of what he called the Discojet. While a prototype of the Discojet was never made, the M200X looked very similiar. He also designed the XM-2, XM-3 and XM-4 disc shaped aircraft. The XM-4 was renamed the M200X. The M200X name was eventually changed to Neuera 200.

XM-2
According to one website, Moller built a 1/6th sub-scale model of the XM-2 VTOL aircraft in 1962. In 1964, he started construction of a full scale prototype in his garage in Davis, California, USA. The prototype was flown in ground effect in 1965. New engines were then added to the XM-2 and it was flown in 1966 at the University Airport in Davis, California. From the XM-2 picture, the aircraft looks like it holds one person.

XM-3
In 1966, Moller began the construction of the full scale XM-3 two passenger VTOL aircraft. The propulsion used was a single ring fan by eight go-kart engines. In 1968, Moller flew the XM-3 in ground effect. This model was patented in 1969.

XM-4
The building of the two passenger XM-4 VTOL aircraft began in 1970. The aircraft has eight propellers, front air intake and a rear vertical stabilizer for the saucer shaped fuselage.

M200X
In 1987, the two passenger VTOL prototype aircraft was redesigned for a new type of engine and some modifications to the fuselage were made and the name was changed to the M200X. The two front air intake grills have been eliminated as well as the rear vertical stabilizer. In 1989 the first successful test flight took place with the M200X. Since then, the aircraft has been said to have made over 200 test flights.

Moller was originally offering five versions of the M200X (now the Neuera 200). The basic M200G (former name) aircraft with the capability of having a maximum 10 feet in altitude. The M200D for agricultural and recreational use over private property. The Firefly 3 for urban fire rescue and other rescue missions. A military version called the M200M/R. The second M stands for manned piloting and the R stood for remotely piloted. Then a kit version was going to be manufactured and was called the M200E that a person can fly under a Federal Aviation Administration's (USA) experimental category of aircraft.

Neuera 200 estimated sales price
While many different prices have been quoted as the possible sales price of the aircraft, in news articles of the early 2000s, the company estimated the cost of the Neuera 200 would be under $100,000.00 USD for each aircraft.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Hybrid-electric or all electric VTOL passenger prototype aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot
• Capacity: 1 passenger
• Cruise speed: 75 (120 km/h)
• Maximum speed: 140 (160 km/h)
• Range: 140 m (225 km)
• Maximum altitude: Hundreds of feet (Many meters)
• Maximum payload: 450 (204 kg)
• Propellers: 8 ducted fans
• Electric engines/motors: 8 Rotapower engines or 8 electric motors (depending upon customer specifications)
• Power source: Ethanol, gasoline or battery packs (depending upon customer specifications)
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Length: 10 feet (3 meters)
• Width: 10 feet (3 meters)
• Height: 3 feet (.91 meter)
• Window: Bubble canopy over cockpit
• Landing gear: Quadricycle fixed wheeled landing gear (or fixed strut landing gear, possibly)
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies of critical components in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Related Aircraft:

• Moller International Aerobot® (concept design)
• Moller International Autovolantor (concept design)
• Moller International Firefly (concept design)
• Moller International Skycar® 100 (prototype)
• Moller International Skycar® 200  (concept design)
• Moller International Skycar® 400  (prototype)
• Moller International Skycar® 600 LAMV (concept design)
• Moller International Skycar® M200 (prototype)
• Moller International Skycar® M900 (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Pitchbook
• Crunchbase
• Tracxn

Resources:

• Moller International website
• Freedom Motors website
• Moller International Facebook
• Moller International Twitter
• Moller International YouTube Channel
• Moller International LinkedIn
• Moller M200G Volantor Wikipedia
• Web page: Moller's Skycars, LaesieWorks, 2002
• Article: The Next Step: Cars that Fly, New Atlas, June 3, 2004
• Article: Moller to produce ‘flying saucer’ to fund Skycar, Flight Global, June 18, 2007
• Article: Wanna Buy A Moller Skycar? Really? Well... Now You Can... Flying Dud Billed As 'Piece Of Aviation History', Aero News Network, Oct. 1, 2008
• Video: Moller International M200 Test Flight 2, seijibajo, Nov. 16, 2011
• Video: M200X Demonstration flight, MollerRotapower, Oct. 4, 2012
• Article: Meet George Jetson, Sactown Magazine, June-July 2013