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posted by Fnord666 on Friday May 17 2019, @01:42AM   Printer-friendly
from the where's-my-jet-pack? dept.

TechCrunch:

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?


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by PiMuNu on Friday May 17 2019, @11:42AM (1 child)

    by PiMuNu (3823) on Friday May 17 2019, @11:42AM (#844665)

    ... 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.

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  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 17 2019, @11:58AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 17 2019, @11:58AM (#844670)

    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]

    You are sitting in a diner, sipping your fourth cup of coffee, solving aviation’s problems with an old friend, when the idea comes to you in a caffeinated burst of inspiration: a new jet, one that will fill a niche no manufacturer has yet tackled, with safety features, performance, efficiency and comfort that will open new markets and sell like hot cakes around the globe.

    You grab a fistful of napkins and begin sketching frantically, trying to get the idea on paper before it loses its luster. Your friend adds some helpful details, the rough outline takes shape, including the number of engines and the basic configuration, and after a few minutes, you start throwing names around. In that diner-inspired creative session, a new airplane manufacturer is born.

    Welcome!

    You are about to embark on one of the most frustrating, time-consuming, bureaucratically convoluted, mind-bogglingly expensive yet ultimately rewarding business ventures of all.

    While nothing can prepare you for how much hair will fall out or turn gray, here is a basic outline about what to expect after the napkin-conceptual phase and advice from those who have been through this process. Aircraft design, certification and production is not for the faint of heart. If you’re not willing to give up a normal life; spend every dime you have and anyone else’s money that you can pry loose; and maintain a positive outlook while the media and other critics rip into your dreams and plans, then tear up that napkin and leave the dangerous journey of aircraft certification and manufacturing to the experts, brave dreamers, call them what you will.

    And that's just the introduction to the article.