|
|
These are Moller engines under a different name.
Moller-->Freedom Motors-->ThermoFan
Your guess as to whether they are real or all about selling licensing and/or stock.
From the Freedom Motors Website:
To Whom It May Concern:
Here is a recap of recent achievements:
• The Company recently carried out a limited production run of its 530cc rotor displacement engine, and has one, two and three rotor versions being tested for various applications including personal watercraft and portable generators. The Company has also begun a beta production run of its 650cc and 1300cc engines for testing by users who have provided the Company with letters of intent to purchase a large quantity of engines for utility power tools. In addition, Madami International has contracted with the Company to purchase 15,700 650cc engines per year for use in an All Terrain Vehicle.
• Thermo Fan has contracted with the Company to produce a small 150cc diesel-fueled rotary engine for use as an auxiliary power unit for the trucking industry. Thermo Fan has developed a solid-state heating/cooling system for trucks using the Company’s ultra-low emissions Rotapower engine for power in place of idling the vehicle’s main engine. This will eliminate a significant source of harmful emissions. Thermo Fan has two years to bring this product to market before new Federal laws ban truckers from using their parked big-rig’s main engine to provide power for air conditioning.
• The Company is working with Boeing-Rocketdyne to develop a small, high-speed, fuel-efficient, diesel-fueled Rotapower engine to power a portable (5 kilowatt) generator. Boeing is soliciting a contract from the Army on behalf of itself and the Company to provide a large number of these Rotapowered generators.
• The Company has also contracted to develop a 27cc Rotapower engine for the world’s largest producer of hand-held power tools. They expect to sell over 10 million Rotapowered tools within 3 years of initial production. The Company will receive an average royalty of $1.60 per engine. The first tested engines are being delivered in January 2005. This sub-licensee expects to be in volume production by year-end. The Company retains the exclusive right to sell licensee produced engines for all other applications.
• The Company is in the process of being contracted by a major aircraft support services firm to provide a Rotapower engine adapted to various ground power supply units that they manufacture. This firm is one of the largest suppliers of portable hydraulic ground power units in support of numerous aircraft including the B777, A340 and most military aircraft. Their present units use a turbine engine, which is twenty three times more expensive and 45% less energy efficient than the Rotapower engine.
• The Company has sublicensed a consortium to manufacture the 650cc and 1300cc Rotapower engine in high volume. The consortium will retain certain manufacturing and distribution rights for this engine for the U.S. and Canada while meeting stringent performance requirements including sales volume and ISO-9001 certification of their production facility.
Freedom Motors Signs Contract to Develop Small Rotapower Engine
Davis, California, September 10, 2004—Freedom Motors (www.Freedom-Motors.com) has signed a contract with a multi-billion dollar company to develop rotary engines using its licensed Rotapower® engine technology. The contracting company expects to sell over 10 million engines per year. Freedom Motors will receive a royalty per engine and be paid engineering services to develop the initial prototype engines. The license granted under this contract includes exclusive rights during the first 10 years and non-exclusive rights thereafter. Freedom Motors will also have an opportunity to purchase engines for use in all applications not covered under this contract.
“This is a major milestone for the rotary engine as it has the potential to become the largest implementation of rotary engine technology to date, even surpassing the millions of engines produced by Mazda” said Jim Toreson, Freedom Motor’s CEO. He went on to say, “Freedom Motors is recognized today for its leadership in the design of new rotary engines and is now working with multiple manufacturing firms with the expertise to bring the rotary into a wide variety of applications.”
Freedom Motors has licensed the Rotapower® engine technology from Moller International (Pink Sheets: MLER), the developer of the M400 Skycar™ aircraft. The engines were originally developed for use in Moller’s unique vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, but have been licensed to Freedom Motors for manufacturing and distribution for all other non-aviation related applications. Under its license agreement with Moller International, Freedom Motors is required to pass through 15% of any sub-license royalties to Moller International. Rotapower® is the trademark of Moller International (www.moller.com) in the USA and other countries.
“The rotary engine is the perfect engine for a great number of high-density power applications where life-cycle cost is a concern” said Paul Moller, President of Moller International. “Our application in the Skycar™ is weight and performance critical, just as it is in many other uses. Small size, fuel flexibility, ultra-low hazardous emissions and overall durability are other key advantages the Rotapower® engine has over most other choices” he concluded.
For further information on the Freedom Motors line of RotapowerŇ engines, contact Bruce Calkins by mail to Freedom Motors of 1222 Research Park Drive, Davis, CA 95616, by phone at (530) 756-1230 ext. 33, e-mail to sales@freedom-motors.com or point your browser at www.Freedom-Motors.com.
On Jul 21, 2005, at 7:03 AM, Russell Duffy wrote:
http://www.rotamax.net/
IF they really come online, this would be the right engine for ultralights!
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for the link. I just filed it in the "believe it when it happens" category. They certainly do look nice, but it appears to be a really premature web page. Note that there is no mention of what they even expect the engines to be used for. As far as I can tell, they don't have any sort of redrive, so I doubt they have the airplane market in mind. You also have to expect that the price will be way up there like it is with other folks who try to make these.
All that being said, I just can't help but root for success for these folks, and I'll watch their page. Again, thanks for the link.
Cheers,
Rusty (still dreaming of a twin with single rotor engines, and good single engine performance)
|
|