The air taxi – even if some scoff still. But what is astonishing is that, of all things, a Munich-based Start-up involved in the industry of the future at the very front. Finally, the market of commercial drones from China is dominated.
That the Start-up, Lilium can have more to present as a beautiful computer simulations, it had proved already with the first flight of a Demonstrator. Such a device proves only that the concept is in principle feasible. Now a series for the first time lifted the near prototype of the scheduled air taxis.
Unique Design
And has it all: The flying taxi from Lilium is far speaks more than just a large random drone with four rotors, the company of a Jet.
The aircraft has wings like a plane, that means it is not held solely by the rotors in the air. Simply put, are the electrical motors for the propulsion is necessary, the height of the device is held by the lift of the wing.
Therefore, the batteries of the model also for the fabulous range of 300 kilometers. The Taxi can connect regions and is not suitable for close range. The flight altitude is up to 3000 meters.
The Lilium-Jet differs, nevertheless, in many respects, from well-known aircraft. He is driven by 36 full-electric jet engines and can start with them even vertically, and land. He only needed a slightly bigger car Park and no Start or runway.
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The flight, a taxi should be relatively inexpensive in construction and maintenance, since the flight operation is hardly required moving parts. The minimalist Design without a tail, rudder, Propeller, gearbox, and with only one moving part in the engine.
The recording of the flight operations is planned in the year 2025, it is quite possible that the increased range due to better battery performance up to that point.In principle, an Autonomous flying Taxi is the goal, at the start, however, be a Pilot on Board.
In the case of the test of the prototype is remote controlled flights in operation it should be initially flown by pilots. “This simplifies the licenses and approvals”, said company founder Daniel Wiegand. “In ten years, maybe it can also fly autonomously.” Audi, the former head of the Autonomous driving is switched to Lilium. The company wants to operate all the machines. “We are people or companies that sell the aircraft to private, I am not,” said Wiegand. Goal is that many people book flights “for prices like using a Taxi”. The Chinese IT company Tencent and other investors have put Lilium already more than 100 million US dollars.
Silently and without emissions
Thought stations in the vicinity of large railway stations is, for example, of a base, in order to bring the travelers to their destination. Unlike aircraft, and especially helicopters, the Lilium-Taxi in the flight should be almost silent, and also during takeoff and landing not more noise than a passing truck make. The E-drive, it emits no emissions.
The operation of helicopters for private use in most countries because of the tremendous noise of the devices is strictly
limited
