Home > Mechanical > Five Passengers Flying Taxi Performs Successful Take-Off In Germany

Five Passengers Flying Taxi Performs Successful Take-Off In Germany

German air taxi startup Lilium has announced the first test flight of its full-scale, all-electric five-seater air taxi.

The company, which has built the jet-powered flying car, flew an unmanned test flight of its vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) system earlier this month.

It was the latest in a series of successful tests from various companies in the electric flight industry indicating that we could be seeing flying cars in the skies soon.

The jet has 36 engines which allow it to take off vertically, and has a maximum top speed of 80mph (300 kmph) and a range of 80 miles.

According to the tech firm, its flying taxi would allow users to travel from London to Manchester in less than an hour.

The Lilium jet, which can operate with a pilot or in drone mode, is a relatively simple design – with no tail, no rudder, no propellers and no gearbox.

This has allowed the design team to focus on more passenger-friendly features, including panoramic windows and gull-wing doors.

They hope to have a fleet of the systems flying in cities worldwide by 2025, providing a flying taxi service, similar to Uber.

Passengers would book a taxi from a local landing strip or purpose-built landing pad, to fly them on short haul trips, according to the firm.

In a video provided by the company, Lilium’s unpiloted aircraft can be seen taking off vertically like a helicopter, hovering briefly, and then landing.

German air taxi startup Lilium has announced the first test flight of its full-scale, all-electric five-seater air taxi. The company, which has built the jet-powered flying car, flew an unmanned test flight of its vertical takeoff and landing

Although it may seem liek a small step, the successful flight already pust them much farther than many of its competitors who are also building electric aircraft.

‘We have been working on this test for the last 20 months,’ said Remo Gerber, chief commercial officer at Lilium.

‘Just on the take off and landing. What will come next is a test flight programme that will put it through its paces to get certified.’

Mr Gerber would not provide any details about the jets weight capacity, but he insisted that it will eventually be able to carry five passengers and a pilot.

Lilium’s ‘payload ratio is industry-leading, and that’s what is going to make the difference,’ he told the Verge.

The Lilium jet, which can operate with a pilot or in drone mode, is a relatively simple design - with no tail, no rudder, no propellers and no gearbox. This has allowed the design team to focus on more passenger-friendly features, including panoramic windows and gull-wing doors

The firm claim to have built aircraft in under two years, having grown its team from just 30 people in 2017 to more than 300.

READ ALSO  The Role Of Microcontrollers In Our Daily Activities

This follows an injection of $90m (£70m) from investing giants such as China’s Tencent and venture capital firm Atomico.

Other companies are also looking to launch their own flying taxi service.

Uber has promised it will launch a fleet of air taxis in a pilot project in Dallas and Los Angeles by 2023 and Boeing is also building its own electric flying taxi aircraft.

WHAT TYPE OF FLYING TAXIS COULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE?

Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software has triggered an explosion in the field of electric air taxis.

Larry Page, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet , has poured millions into aviation start-ups Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, which are both striving to create all-electric flying cabs.

Kitty Hawk is believed to be developing a flying car and has already filed more than a dozen different aircraft registrations with the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.

Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin back in 1998, has personally invested $100 million (£70 million) into the two companies, which have yet to publicly acknowledge or demonstrate their technology.

Secretive start-up Joby Aviation has come a step closer to making its flying taxi a reality.

The California-based company, which is building an all-electric flying taxi capable of vertical take-off, has received $100 million (£70 million) in funding from a group of investors led by Toyota and Intel.

The money will be used to develop the firm’s ‘megadrone’ which can reach speeds of 200mph (321kph) powered by lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide batteries.

The Joby S2 prototype has 16 electric propellers, 12 of which are designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), which means no runway is needed.

AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018. Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing

The aircraft takes off vertically, like a helicopter, before folding away 12 of its propellers so it can glide like a plane once it is airborne.

READ ALSO  Under Utilisation Of Nigeria’s Satellite In Orbit

Airbus is also hard at work on a similar idea, with its latest Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completing its maiden test flight in February 2018.

The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds.

Airbus previously shared a well-produced concept video, showcasing its vision for Project Vahana.

The footage reveals a sleek self-flying aircraft that seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts in similar way to a motorcycle helmet visor.

Airbus Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completed its maiden test flight in February 2018. The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds

Like Joby Aviation, Project Vahana is designed to be all-electric and take-off and land vertically.

AirSpaceX is another company with ambitions to take commuters to the skies.

The Detroit-based start-up has promised to deploy 2,500 aircrafts in the 50 largest cities in the United States by 2026.

AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018.

Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing.

AirSpaceX has even included broadband connectivity for high speed internet access so you can check your Facebook News Feed as you fly to work.

Aside from passenger and cargo services, AirSpaceX says the craft can also be used for medical and casualty evacuation, as well as tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR).

Even Uber is working on making its ride-hailing service airborne.

Dubbed Uber Elevate, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tentatively discussed the company’s plans during a technology conference in January 2018.

‘I think it’s going to happen within the next 10 years,’ he said.

Source: Dailymail

Total Views: 108 ,
0
0

27 thoughts on “Five Passengers Flying Taxi Performs Successful Take-Off In Germany

  1. Pingback: w88
  2. Pingback: i99casino
  3. Pingback: navigate here
  4. Pingback: 바카라사이트
  5. Pingback: cbd oil
  6. Pingback: cbd oil
  7. Pingback: Replica Store
  8. Pingback: 안전놀이터
  9. Pingback: 카지노사이트
  10. Pingback: porn
  11. Pingback: 바카라사이트
  12. Pingback: Dental Training
  13. Pingback: 바카라 쿠폰
  14. Pingback: ciprofloxacina 500
  15. Pingback: pkv games

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *