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posted by CoolHand on Tuesday May 10 2016, @04:25PM   Printer-friendly
from the where-the-f-is-my-jetpack dept.

It looks like Lilum Aviation is now hiring http://lilium-aviation.com/#jobs

This is the company that has announced via the Telegraph a vertical lift flying car in two years.

Oh and there's something in there about a personal electric jet, with vertical take off and landing, a top speed of 250MPH and a range of 300 Miles.

But really, a job designing a real flying car, how cool is that?

From the article:

Personal aeroplanes which can take off noiselessly from the back garden, will be available within two years, engineers have claimed.

Lilium Aviation is designing an electric two-seater aircraft which takes just 20 hours to learn to fly, and can travel at speeds of 250mph.

Crucially, the small aircraft, which weighs just 25kg[sic], can take off vertically which means it does not need to fly from an airport, but could be parked outside a house or in a garden.

The company says the design will 'open the door to a new class of simpler, quieter and environmentally friendly planes' and will be available from 2018.

"Our goal is to develop an aircraft for use in everyday life," said Daniel Wiegand, CEO and one of the company's four founders.

"We are going for a plane that can take off and land vertically and does not need the complex and expensive infrastructure of an airport.

"To reduce noise and pollution, we are using electric engines so it can also be used close to urban areas."


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  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday May 10 2016, @04:33PM

    by frojack (1554) on Tuesday May 10 2016, @04:33PM (#344295) Journal

    can take off vertically which means it does not need to fly from an airport, but could be parked outside a house or in a garden.

    25KG is not a flying car, its at best a strap-on. I suspect Ethanol Fueled has bigger ones.

    This is never going to be allowed anyway. Nobody wants "cars" popping up out of gardens and dashing out into the air in a cacophony of unregulated flight. Quite literally, this project is never going to fly. Not in everyday life. Not even among thrill seekers.

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  • (Score: 2) by Immerman on Tuesday May 10 2016, @08:47PM

    by Immerman (3985) on Tuesday May 10 2016, @08:47PM (#344422)

    I'm pretty sure that's an article error - the Lilum website indicates a 600kg max takeoff weight, and a 200kg payload. So the two-seated craft itself (including batteries, since it's electric) is presumably the other 400kg.

    As for people not wanting flying cars... that would depend heavily on just how loud it is. They claim much quieter than a helicopter, but that's not saying much. On the other hand we're talking about a vehicle which will probably only be affordable to the richest sliver of the population, and will only be allowed to takeoff from pre-approved locations. So, it could be great for flying from your private estate to the country club, your friend's estate, etc. And who knows, maybe the technology will eventually advance to the point that real people might care.