It looks like one Reg reader's heartfelt plea has been answered.

Back in January, Erik Trent demanded the flying car that 1950s boffins promised us by the year 2000 and - like the housework robot and an end to world hunger - failed to deliver. Until now.

American inventor Paul Moller yesterday unveiled the Skycar at the Big Boys' Toys exhibition in Sydney. Having spent 40 years and £140 million on the development of his VTOL flying gizmo, Moller was understandably prepared to make extravagant claims about the future of the project: "I think it's reasonable to believe that 90 per cent of the population will be using the Skycar within 25 years," he enthused.

Of course they will Paul - to fly to their holiday homes on Moon Colony 1. And at £700,000 a pop, it's competitively priced with your average four-door saloon. As long as your saloon is made of diamond-encrusted 24-carat gold. And runs on vintage champagne.

Whether or not the Skycar ever does lift humanity to new heights of commuting freedom, it does have one big-bucks customer in the bag. The US military has already tested the thing and is said to have placed an order. Infinity and beyond!