What are the tech specs of this thing? What altitude does it fly at? Does it use the ground effect for efficiency? If not, the claimed range seems a little too futuristic with current battery technology. 150 KW for flight ("<i>it will require less than ten per cent of its maximum 2000 horsepower during cruise flight</i>") x 1 hour range = 150 KWh and that's going to weigh more than the maximum takeoff weight of 640 Kg according to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_Jet" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_Jet</a> ...
300km/h and 300km range means 1hr endurance. That means it probably cannot be used at all for paid flights in the USA. Reserves required are greater than that (enough fuel to fly to destination, to alternate, and then 45 mins).
I love how in the video it shows 100+ people cheering and hugging each other in blissful victory for essentially making a drone fly.<p>It looks extremely unstable and dangerous.
I have mixed feelings about their "electric jet engines". I'm curious if those are more efficient than a quadcopter/plane hybrid. Though seems like the benefits is that they are using them for flight controls. If that is the case, they can change the airplane wing characteristics when they want which can be a game changer.
This is described as an 'electric jet' which doesn't make sense to me. Enclosed propellors perhaps?<p>Edit: Apparently the rotors that compress the air are electrically powered, so sort of.
This is so cool. This is the one company I was really trying to get into as an electronics engineer. Must be fucking fantastic for everybody who worked on it.
Video of the two seater flight from 2 years ago
<a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uGrAwc-cbrY" rel="nofollow">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uGrAwc-cbrY</a>