It's not the first time a Lilium Jet — the company's all-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) device — has taken to the sky but it is the first time the new five seater has taken off and landed, following extensive ground testing. Lilium published a video of a two-seater version's inaugural flight just over two years ago.
The new five-seater is a full-scale, full-weight prototype that is powered by 36 all-electric jet engines to allow it to take-off and land vertically, while achieving "remarkably efficient horizontal or cruise flight," says Lilium
Will the back seat of the air taxi be cleaner than the normal kind?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PiMuNu on Friday May 17 2019, @11:42AM (1 child)
... if they can achieve VTOL and all-electric, they only need a few mile range to make a big market for urban taxis. The cost drivers in short hop urban taxi is staff cost, vehicle maintenance and fuel probably in that order. The main value added from this tech is the short time to destination (no rush-hour traffic). This means higher volume per staff costs and better value for the customer as well. The downside is even VTOL cannot take off from many places. So customer still has to walk to a heliport. Maintenance costs may be a problem too.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 17 2019, @11:58AM
Commercial certificated aircraft have some range requirements like enough fuel (or stored energy if electric) to get to an alternate landing place plus some reserve like a half hour (don't quote me on the details, they may vary depending on the plane). That alone might be enough to keep this plane in the "homebuilt" or "experimental" category indefinitely, at least in USA under FAA rules.
Here's some background reading on the FAA process, https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2006-12-18/aircraft-certification-process [ainonline.com]
And that's just the introduction to the article.