Some things exist to be what you expect. I'm here to try to change your expectations.
When I ask people to share their vision of a flying car, their response is often derived from films or cartoons, and a desire to escape traffic when they see a glowing red row of tail lights.
Introducing the Molnar GT. You can call it many things. A flying motorcycle. A flying car. A gyrocopter. It doesn’t matter. What I hope is that it’s a step in the evolution of personal vehicles.
The GT takes a new approach to flying cars. We are narrowing the mission. What really matters is the ability to fly into a congested area and then drive out of it.
With the objective of flying into congested areas, the GT is a gyroplane for speed, maneuverability, and short landing-distances. The gyrocopter design makes it possible to glide and land safely in the event of an engine failure. Its rotary wing design was inspired by nature, and has been refined by generations of innovators.
To drive out of congested areas, the GT is a motorcycle for speed and agility on the road. Motorcycle production has produced hundreds of innovations that balance the demands of high-performance with lightweight durable materials.
The Molnar GT is the first proof-of- concept Gyrocycle. It is licensed, registered, smog certified, and insured to be legal on the road and in the air. It was designed and hand built by myself and a bike designer, with help from a machinist, in a bicycle factory in just 7 months. It has been quietly flying and driving since 2005.
An expired patent provides a detailed description of the machine. Just as the mission of a Gyrocycle is well defined, the objective of the Molnar GT is limited to the ability to operate safe and legal in the air and on the road. A key design element that achieves this is the mid-mounted propeller. The entire fuselage of the aircraft runs thru the center of the propeller to provide engine cooling, pitch stability, separation of the propeller and rotor blades.
As with virtually all gyroplanes, the GT is propelled forward by a propeller, and the rotary wing is spun in-flight only by the relative wind created from forward motion. On the road, the rotor blades are easily stored along the side of the bike, allowing all components to be carried on long travels, thus, the “GT” or Gran Tourismo.
Gyroplanes are less complex and more efficient than helicopters. Helicopters regularly cost between $500 and $3000 per hour to operate. Gyroplanes usually require <$40/hr to operate, placing then in league with low-cost homebuilt experimental airplanes.
The Molnar GT incorporates light-weight design and materials out of necessity. Creating a desire for light-weight vehicles is a key element to reducing the impact of travel on the world.
Years in Development
Max Ground Speed
Max Air Speed
I invented and built the Gyrocycle. Previously I was crew chief for Craig Breedlove's "Spirit of America" Land Speed Racing Team, I was on the crew building and testing rocket planes for Rocket Racing League, and I was a judge for the original X-Prize.
I invented and sold the Mixman DM2 remixer to Atari and Mattel, recorded music with "Casino Mansion" and others, designed the audio program at "Blastoff" -- an IdeaLabs project that is the foundation of the Google Lunar X-Prize, where I developed pulse jet engines. At Truax Engineering, I helped build the X3, the first private rocketship intended for manned flight.
I studied Aeronautics at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and I'm a licensed airplane and gyroplane pilot, a flight engineer, a mechanic. After university, I flew transport jets in the US Air Force.
Since an appearance on Discovery's “Big Brain Theory”, I have been a staff inventor at WET Design in Los Angeles.
Currently I am launching Flying Car Racing, completing the construction of the Molnar G2, and building the “Streetwing”, an open-source electric flying car that I will use for an expedition from Alaska to Argentina.
About me
Dezso is an aeronautics engineer and pilot, and the mastermind behind the G2 gyrocopter. He has previously been crew chief for “The Spirit of America” land speed racing team, a judge for the Ansari X Prize and an engineer at Truax Engineering, one of the first companies that attempted to commercialize private manned space travel.
About the design process
The Molnar G2 is a high-performance gyrocopter that represents Dezso Molnar’s vision for a flying car future. The 2014 G2 features a carbon-fiber frame paired with a Suzuki SV650 motorcycle engine and carbon-steel propeller. Molnar’s designs are light-weight and inspired by nature. The vehicle achieves flight without a direct-drive spinning rotor while reaching ground speeds of up to 200 mph.
Besides being uniquely well-adjusted vehicle for both terrestrial and airborne travel, the G2 has a variety of features common to most gyrocopters. The gyrocopter has a superior safety profile due to an auto-rotating vertical-axis rotor, with a design inspired by the aerodynamic sycamore seed. The rear-mounted horizontal-axis propeller pushes air past the propeller to generate lift and enable flight. For terrestrial travel, the rear propeller disengages with the rotor and engages with the transmission, allowing the vehicle to achieve a rapid and seamless transition between flight and air travel modes.
The G2 incorporates a versatile gyro design with light-weight materials and a vision to create a cost-effective flying car design for the near future. To accelerate development, Molnar has proposed creating a flying car racing circuit that is sure to delight fans with a combination of speed and aero-acrobatics.
Built for Speed
Previous attempts to build a flying car have been "commuter vehicles for everybody". This approach has not yielded a winning technology.
We're proposing a new approach; the G2 is a call-to-arms, an invocation to join a new kind of motorsport to drive the development of flying cars.
The G2 uses a stock Suzuki GSX-R 600 motorcycle engine to meld motorcycle with flying machine. By building around a motorcycle concept, the G2 stays lightweight and avoids heavy requirements imposed on the building of automobiles.
Road Trials
Safety is paramount for the viability of a flying car racing league. That's why the G2 has been subjected to extensive land and road tests.
Most testing is conducted in the dry, flat conditions of the deserts around the Los Angeles area, including the Mojave Desert and El Mirage salt flats.
1st Generation Gyro
Building awareness
Stirring public passion support for the development of flying cars is central to any realistic plan for commercializing this form of transport. Like any ambitious new technology, practical flying cars are years away from practical application.
But that doesn't mean there isn't work that can be done now.
The eye-catching G2 and GT have both been widely displayed at fairs, conventions and private demonstrations to help bring awareness to what's possible. For more information on Press or Media opportunities with the Molnar G2 or GT, contact me below.
Safety First
The first generation Molnar GT was completed in 2006 and was flown numerous occasions. The G2 requires some additional investment to develop the vertical-axis rotor. The current plan is to begin flight tests with the G2 in early 2015
Demos and Special Events
Contact us below to learn about demonstrations or having the G2 displayed at your event. Eye-catching and exciting, the G2 draws crowds and inspires.
Every great project has a network of support and sponsorship.
To join or become a sponsor for the Molnar Team, contact me below.
Designer
Craig is the award-winning designer of carbon-fiber and bamboo-frame bicycles at Calfee Design.
Pilot
Grandson of the pioneering aviator, Erik is an accomplished pilot, electric aircraft evangelist, and will help test fly the Streetwing.
Designer
Chief Designer of the Marussia F1 Team; previously Maclaren, Jordan, Midland and Spyker, and lead structure engineer of the Molnar G2.
Engineering
President of Taylor Racing. Paul is a key fabricator of the Molnar G2.
Winner of "Best Gyro" award
Ken Brock Fly-in, El Mirage
2015 Winner of "Innovation" award
The Quail Gathering of Motorcycles, California
“The best ride I have ever had„
Ashlee Vance, author and host of Bloomberg's "Hello World"
“That conversation about the GT more than anything inspired this book„
Steven Kotler, author of "Tomorrowland" and "Rise of Superman"
“The Streetwing is the Holy Grail„
Richard Hatfield, CEO, Lighting Motorcycles
“Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eyes fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.„
Dag Hammarskjold
