Leading in-house groundbreaking aviation technology, unlike many of its competitors
a team of competent and experienced developers from the leading aviation industry
this small electric private jet, or flying taxi required five years of development, passing through four different generations of prototypes
the company has a plan to build at least 17 dedicated vertiports: one in Cologne, one in Düsseldorf and 14 in Florida
several investors have already invested 1 billion $ in the company even before the public offer
its technical specifications are very competitive: 175 miles per hour or 282 km / h of speed for a range of 150 miles or 241 km including the reserve, at an attitude of 10,000 feet or 3,000 m.
Lilium Jet will be the subject of an IPO on the Nasdaq in this second week of April. Experts and the public are divided on its possibilities for success. The doubts mainly concern the power-to-weight ratio of the batteries. This is because, especially in the vertical take-off phase, engines consume a lot of energy, normally 10 to 20% of all battery energy. There was the precedent of Kitty Hawk, a competitor whose prototype had several technical issues that hampered development.
What sets this jet apart from the competition
The technology of its 36 ducted fan motors
The fuselage structure is built entirely from very light composite materials, with fixed wings. The ducted fans have been specifically developed by Lilium. They are combined with a liner that reduces noise, which is already much lower than that of propellers, as this type of motor channels sound and projects it rearward. A ducted fan can lift 15 times more weight compared to an open propeller motor of the same weight. Therefore an EDF (electrical ducted fan) consumes less energy. The company says the motor requires 40% less energy, compared to open-propeller electric motors, to climb to altitude. It would take less than 60 seconds of vertical take-off to reach the altitude necessary to fly horizontally. The total power of its motors is 340 kW.
Lilium Jet 36 turbofans
The company claims that it consumes 50% less electricity than a normal e-VTOL, or electric vertical take-off and landing.
A very low weight for the only flying taxi on the market with 7 seats
The five-seater prototype version had a weight of 440 kg, with a maximum load of 640 kg. We don’t yet have the specifications for the new 7-seater version, including one for the pilot in a separate cockpit and six for the passengers.
High performance aerodynamics
You only have to look at the design of this small electric private jet to realize it. Integrating the sheathed fans into the fenders reduces the overall aerodynamic drag.
An experienced and very competent team
Often times, if one is to gauge the possibilities for success of revolutionary start-ups like this, it is useful to consider the competence of those who work there. Brian Phillipson, the chief technical officer, for example, had been involved in the development of several modern fighter jets, such as the vertical take-off Harrier or the Eurofighter. Or the engineer Alistair McIntosh, who participated in the development of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB jet engine which powers the very last Airbus A350 or the engines of the Gulfstream G 650.
The test flights show elegance and exceptional qualities
Watch the video below: the flexibility, the elegance of the takeoff, the stability of the flight, the maneuverability of the aircraft are obvious, even to someone who does not know anything about aviation.
The only private electric jet or flying taxi to offer connections between cities
Thanks to this advanced technology, the Lilium jet has a longer range than that of its competitors, offering connections between cities. With 175 miles per hour or 282 km / h of speed for a range of 150 miles or 241 km / including reserve, it can fly between Lyon and Marseille, or between London and Manchester.
A compelling business model
Finally, the fact of not targeting private jet buyers, but rather of creating partnerships with cities around the world, to build a network of ecological and affordable air links with its flying taxis, seems to me commercially very effective.
I hope one day to be able to fly with his flying taxis, which moreover is comparable in price to that of the same trip by car. And you?