Lilium Aircraft designers are making everyone’s dream of having a flying car a reality.
German based company “Lilium” have designed and completed a 2-seater jet. It is said to be powerful enough to reach Paris from London in just an hour. What’s even more mind-blowing is that they also claim that it can be kept in almost anyone’s backyard as it only requires a 15m by 15m for its landing site. It all sounds very interesting and, they’re going to have to walk the talk.
Read up on their story and see for yourself.
Lilium creators
In 2015, 4 aviation engineers from the University of Munich got together and started working on the Lilium. Their goal was to continue Otto Lilienthal’s vision for everyone to be able to fly anytime, anywhere.
To make this dream a reality, their first order of business was to create a jet that can take off and land vertically, eliminating the need for a runway. And because all forms of transport are gearing towards being green, their next challenge was to engineer the jet to have an engine that is quiet enough and more importantly, doesn’t emit CO2. Two years, countless tests, and dozens of experts around the world later, the team successfully reached their goal. In April 2017, the Lilium Jet took its maiden flight and earned its place in history.
The Lilium Jet
The jet is classed as a Light Sport Aircraft with a maximum speed of 250 mph and a maximum altitude of 3 km. 20 hours of training is required for anyone who wants to get a license to fly it—not that different for when you’re applying for a driver’s license.
Since this is still fairly new, it’s only flown for recreation during daylight and only under good weather conditions. Owners also have to have clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC) and coordinate with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to know the routes before flying.
You can take off from all existing helipads as this is permitted. However, landing sites have to be pre-approved by the CAA.
Safety
For such a small aircraft that packs a lot of promise, it’s natural for many to be concerned about the craft’s safety. The Lilium’s answer to that the “Ultra Redundancy.” The company believes that safety is first and also second.
What this means is that the aircraft has no single point of failure and in the event that something goes awry mid-flight, no matter which component is affected and no matter the flight conditions, the aircraft can make an ordinary vertical landing. Phew! What’s more is that software used to help fly the plane rejects any pilot commands that are deemed unsafe avoiding pilot errors. And of course, the Lilium is equipped with a whole-aircraft parachute. Quite foolproof, isn’t it?
Vision for the future
For now, every development is a milestone, but Lilium isn’t planning on being a one-hit wonder. They want their jets to provide long-term convenience. Like electric cars.
The company expects that the first manned flight will happen in 2019. And by 2025, they want jets that can accommodate 5 people to be as easy to book as taxis. They also see that the initial fare would’ve gone down significantly as it becomes integrated into public transport.
Availability
In a few years, Lilium’s vision of making their jets accessible will be a reality. While it’s great to see how this innovation will be a part of everyday transport, it’s more exciting to know when they’re going to release personal aircrafts.
If you’re one of the many hoping to get your hands on one, you can count on Finance Ez. For 12 years, they’ve been providing financing for the aviation industry, cars boats and many more. Finance Ezi provide the best rates. They use your profile strengths to whittle the rate down. They give updates on the progress of the loan usually within the same day.
So, just keep your eyes and ears open for news about the jet. Let’s see if they can reach their goals faster than they predicted. Who knows? You might be getting your personal aircraft sooner than you think.
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