Lilium Jet

{{Infobox aircraft begin

| name = Lilium Jet

| image = Lilium, EBACE 2023, Le Grand-Saconnex (EB237483).jpg

| caption = Lilium Jet cabin demonstrator

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| type = eVTOL

| industry = Advanced Air Mobility

| national origin = Germany

| manufacturer = Lilium GmbH

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| status = Insolvent

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The Lilium Jet is a prototype German electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) electrically powered airplane designed by Lilium GmbH.{{cite news | title=Successful test flight brings Lilium electric air taxis closer to reality | author=Hodgetts, Rob | date=25 April 2017 | publisher=CNN | url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/25/aviation/lilium-electric-vtol-jet/}} A seven-seat production version is planned.{{Cite web |title=Lilium announces intention to list on Nasdaq through a merger with Qell Acquisition Corp., and reveals development of its 7-Seater electric vertical take-off and landing jet {{!}} Lilium N.V. |url=https://ir.lilium.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lilium-announces-intention-list-nasdaq-through-merger-qell/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=ir.lilium.com |language=en}}{{cite news | title=Lilium achieves breakthrough in investor search | author=Lilium | date=24 December 2024 | url=https://lilium.com/newsroom-detail/lilium-achieves-breakthrough-in-investor-search?_gl=1*1x832cg*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjEwNzEyNjM3Mi4xNzQyMjAyNjE1*_ga_9YC7ETNZ98*MTc0MjIwMjYxNC4xLjEuMTc0MjIwMzcwNi4wLjAuMA..}}

History

Initial design studies included forward-folding wings, so that the aircraft could be piloted as a VTOL and recharge in only few hours from a standard 240 V electrical outlet. A first half-scale demonstrator, Falcon, flew in 2015. The unmanned first flight of the two-seat Eagle full size prototype was on 20 April 2017 at the Mindelheim-Mattsies airfield, Bavaria, Germany.{{cite news | title=Watch this all-electric 'flying car' take its first test flight in Germany | author=Andrew J. Hawkins | date=6 April 2017 | accessdate=30 April 2019 | publisher=theverge | url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/20/15369850/lilium-jet-flying-car-first-flight-vtol-aviation-munich }}

Unmanned flight testing of the five-seat Lilium Jet took place at Oberpfaffenhofen airfield near Munich. It first flew in May 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/15/lilium-5-seater/|title=Lilium unveils five-seater air taxi prototype after a successful maiden flight for its latest jet|date=May 16, 2019|website=techcrunch}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48297440|title=Five seater self-flying air taxi unveiled|date=2019-05-16|work=BBC}} By October 2019, after 100 flights, it could transition from vertical to horizontal flight, reaching over {{cvt|100|km/h|kn}}, but not yet fully horizontal. It managed 25° banked turns, high ascent/descent rates like in operations, hover turns and sideward translations. Electrical, fan and flap failures were mitigated by the electrical and flight control systems.

The first prototype was destroyed by fire during maintenance on 27 February 2020. A second partially-constructed prototype was undamaged.{{Cite web|url= https://www.flightglobal.com/business-aviation/investigation-launched-as-lilium-jet-prototype-is-destroyed-by-fire/137039.article|title= Investigation launched as Lilium Jet prototype is destroyed by fire|date=2020-03-02|website=FlightGlobal|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-02}} A further unfinished prototype was abandoned, and work begun on a seven-seat version.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2021/02/10/lilium-evtol-spac-air-taxi/|title = Lilium's New Course: On Verge of Going Public, It's Working on a Bigger Air Taxi. Can It Deliver?|website = Forbes}}

On 18 July 2024 Saudia Group and Lilium N.V. signed a binding sales agreement for 50 Lilium Jets, with options for the purchase of 50 more.{{cite news |url=https://lilium.com/newsroom-detail/saudia-group-signs-industry-leading-sales-agreement-with-lilium-to-acquire-up-to-100-evtol-jets |title=Saudia Group Signs Industry-Leading Sales Agreement With Lilium to Acquire Up to 100 eVTOL Jets |work=Media Release |location=Munich |publisher=Lilium GmbH |date=2024-07-18 |accessdate=2024-07-18 }}

At the end of October 2024, Lilium GmbH has conceded insolvency. Lilium's situation was triggered by the denial of a guarantee for a 50 million-euro loan from the Kreditanstalt guaranteed by the State of Bavaria.https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2024/october/30/lilium-insolvent

Design

File:P1012541a.jpg

The Lilium Jet uses multiple relatively small ducted propellers driven by electric motors to provide lift during take-off and landing, as well as thrust during the cruise phase. Lilium says that it refers to the propulsion system as a "jet" because the propellers are enclosed in nacelles.{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160023754A1/en?assignee=%22lilium+gmbh%22&oq=%22lilium+gmbh%22 |title=Vertical take-off aircraft |last=Wiegand |first=Daniel |date=2014 |website=patents.google.com |publisher= |access-date=16 January 2022 |quote=}} The production Lilium Jet is intended to accommodate six passengers and one pilot. It is powered by 36 electric motors, six on each of the two front canards and twelve on each rear wing. The motors are installed above twelve tiltable rear flaps. The drive-carrying flaps pivot downwards for vertical launch.{{cite news | title=Simplicity was our Most Complicated Goal | author=Lilium | date=6 August 2018 | accessdate=30 April 2019 | publisher=lilium | url=https://lilium.com/technology/ }} At the transition to the horizontal position, forward thrust is generated. This is claimed to be significantly more economical than a conventional rotorcraft, however the propulsion configuration generates very high disc loading and power-delivery requirements significantly exceeding the leading competitive eVTOL designs.[https://ir.lilium.com/news-releases/news-release-details/technology-behind-lilium-jet Technology behind Lilium Jet] lilium.com {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308223028/https://ir.lilium.com/news-releases/news-release-details/technology-behind-lilium-jet |archive-date=8 March 2023}}

Lilium invested in Ionblox for its silicon-dominant anode battery technology, which it believes offers uniquely high energy and power density (12C with 3.8 kW/kG at 50% charge and 3.0 kW/kG at 30%) needed for hover and take-off phases, even at low charge levels.{{Cite web |last=Blain |first=Loz |date=2023-02-13 |title=The extraordinary batteries Lilium will use for its odd eVTOL approach |url=https://newatlas.com/aircraft/lilium-ionblox-evtol-batteries/ |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=New Atlas |language=en-US}}

The target range is {{cvt|280|km|nmi}}. Its 36 electric ducted fans are powered by a {{cvt|1|MW|abbr=}} lithium-ion battery; less than {{cvt|200|hp}} is required to cruise.{{cite news |url= https://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/week-technology-oct-28-nov-1-2019 |title= The Week In Technology, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, 2019 |date= Oct 28, 2019 |editor= Graham Warwick |work= Aviation Week & Space Technology |url-access= subscription}}

Specifications

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Lilium GmbH / Electric VTOL News by the Vertical Flight Society{{Cite news | title=Lilium Jet | url=https://evtol.news/lilium-jet-prototype-eagle/ | date=15 April 2017 |work=eVtol news }}

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|capacity=2-seater: 2 passengers, {{cvt|200|kg}}, 5-seater: 5 passengers (flown unmanned), 7-seater: 1 pilot, 6 passengers

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Usage

The Lilium GmbH plans to found an air taxi service for urban air mobility and Advanced Air Mobility with the Lilium Jet.{{Cite news | title=Lilium's flying taxi service: clear for takeoff? | author=Maija Palmer | url=https://sifted.eu/articles/lilium-flying-car-taxi-service/ | date=19 February 2019 | work=sifted.eu | access-date=18 October 2018 | archive-date=11 April 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411020414/https://sifted.eu/articles/lilium-flying-car-taxi-service/ | url-status=dead }} The company expects that pilots will be needed for around 10 years until autonomous flights can take over.

Award

In October 2019 the Lilium five-seater Jet received a Red Dot Award: Design Concept for “Best of the Best”.{{Cite web|url=https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2019/07/30/lilium-jet-awarded-prestigious-best-of-the-best-red-dot-design-award/24861/|title=Lilium jet awarded prestigious 'Best of the Best' Red Dot design award|date=2019-07-30|website=Robotics & Automation News|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-08}}