The startup Lilium from Weßling near Munich has presented a new prototype of its air taxi in a successful test flight. The fully electronic Lilium Jet is designed for five people and has a range of 300 km. Its maximum flight speed is 300 km/h.
The prototype is based on a previous version from 2017, which was designed for two people. Successful flight tests have already been conducted with it, ultimately proving the feasibility of the Lilium Jet's signature flight maneuvers. The air taxi first ascends vertically and then transitions to horizontal flight. This maneuver is made possible by a total of 36 all-electric jet engines that produce zero CO2 emissions.
The vision: A revolutionary on-demand air taxi service
"We dream of a world where everyone can fly to any destination, anytime. We've invested incredible thought and care into the aircraft design and services to achieve just that. This will enable us to meet society's demands for quiet, safe, and environmentally friendly urban air mobility."
says Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium.
By 2025, the air taxi service, including a dense network of landing sites, is expected to be available in several cities worldwide. Ordering an air taxi and planning the trip will be done via an app. According to Lilium, prices will be comparable to traditional taxi fares.
Wiegand comments on the successful maiden flight of the new prototype as follows:
"Today, we're taking another giant step toward realizing individual urban air mobility. In less than two years, we've managed to design, build, and successfully fly an aircraft that will now serve as the basis for our planned mass production. It has always been our ambition to expand the Lilium Jet from two to five seats. This is the only way to open up the airspace to even more travelers. Whether it's friends or families traveling together, or business travelers sharing a flight into the city, five seats offer a scalability that can't be achieved with two seats. Seeing the aircraft soar into the sky in all its beauty was deeply moving. The work of the entire team over the past two years has paid off. We believe we've found the balance between speed, range, and efficiency that can revolutionize the way people live and travel around the world."
Start of an extensive test series
The new Lilium Jet prototype launched its first ground-controlled test flight at 8:03 a.m. local time on May 4, 2019, in Weßling near Munich. This was just the start of an extensive series of tests to assess its performance. The next step: conducting a transition flight, i.e., switching from a vertical to a horizontal flight maneuver.
