First full scale test flight of the Lilium VTOL air car

The first full scale test flight of Lilium's all electric VTOL ducted fan (not a jet despite what they keep saying in the media) flying car was conducted in Germany yesterday. Looks pretty legit despite the fact that it was remotely operated. I'd like to see how it performs with a full cabin of instruments, people and luggage.
I can also see this being militarized into a neat little UAS scout or resupply craft.

lilium.com...

Cool video but seeing as I have been involved in A minor RTA (other persons fault...of course) and that with only 2 dimensions to deal with, can you imagine people just cutting you up but from above or below.

I am not sure the next step in travel is flying everywhere, who ever is investing in this must have money to burn

Again thanks for vid though OP

originally posted by: Sammamishman
The first full scale test flight of Lilium's all electric VTOL ducted fan (not a jet despite what they keep saying in the media) flying car was conducted in Germany yesterday. Looks pretty legit despite the fact that it was remotely operated. I'd like to see how it performs with a full cabin of instruments, people and luggage.
I can also see this being militarized into a neat little UAS scout or resupply craft.

lilium.com...

Very cool, but until they can account for passengers moving around in one, I don't think I'll be taking my 3 kids and wife for a ride...i can only imagine weight shift in these would cause some serious issues.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Ironically, those electric fan based VTOL craft have a much easier time making major adjustments to thrust distribution/direction on the fly than a single rotor-based craft does. Just try slapping a DJI Phantom out of the sky and you'll see what I mean.

The major issue that I see is 1: Cost, and 2: Regulations.

Even with mass production, something like this, certified to carry passengers, will never cost less than a well-equipped Cirrus SR22 or something similar, meaning that some form of ridesharing service is the only way anybody with a net worth under $2 Million will ever be able to fly in one.

Furthermore, the ATC demands of these, as well as redundancy/safety concerns in the event of catastrophic mechanical/computer failures means that it'll take a while for the FAA to certify these things as the 135 carriers that they would almost certainly be. It's one thing when a large drone fails and becomes a 50lb paperweight, nerfing your $10,000+ camera setup in the process. It's a completely different one when one of these electric flying cars fails and now you have a 1000-2000lb paperweight with no fail mode like gliding or autorotation at the same time that human lives hang in the balance.

The FAA is an organization so strict that mechanical fuel injection is considered "high tech" in the GA world. It'll take a while for them to warm up to this sort of stuff.

originally posted by: Barnalby
a reply to: Vasa Croe

Furthermore, the ATC demands of these, as well as redundancy/safety concerns in the event of catastrophic mechanical/computer failures means that it'll take a while for the FAA to certify these things as the 135 carriers that they would almost certainly be. It's one thing when a large drone fails and becomes a 50lb paperweight, nerfing your $10,000+ camera setup in the process. It's a completely different one when one of these electric flying cars fails and now you have a 1000-2000lb paperweight with no fail mode like gliding or autorotation at the same time that human lives hang in the balance.

Ballistic parachute.

a reply to: UpIsNowDown

It's called sense and avoid. They're currently developing it for military UAVs so they can fly in the National Airspace without escort aircraft. It will work with these too.

Sure. The neighbors will really like the noise, and the potential for it to crash through their roofs.

This would be great in a country that has no property damage liability laws.

we wont fly them..... they will be programed to fly. We cant ride a bike without hurting ourselves

Thanks for the heads-up.

(ducks for cover)

originally posted by: Barnalby
a reply to: Vasa Croe

Ironically, those electric fan based VTOL craft have a much easier time making major adjustments to thrust distribution/direction on the fly than a single rotor-based craft does. Just try slapping a DJI Phantom out of the sky and you'll see what I mean.

The major issue that I see is 1: Cost, and 2: Regulations.

Even with mass production, something like this, certified to carry passengers, will never cost less than a well-equipped Cirrus SR22 or something similar, meaning that some form of ridesharing service is the only way anybody with a net worth under $2 Million will ever be able to fly in one.

Furthermore, the ATC demands of these, as well as redundancy/safety concerns in the event of catastrophic mechanical/computer failures means that it'll take a while for the FAA to certify these things as the 135 carriers that they would almost certainly be. It's one thing when a large drone fails and becomes a 50lb paperweight, nerfing your $10,000+ camera setup in the process. It's a completely different one when one of these electric flying cars fails and now you have a 1000-2000lb paperweight with no fail mode like gliding or autorotation at the same time that human lives hang in the balance.

The FAA is an organization so strict that mechanical fuel injection is considered "high tech" in the GA world. It'll take a while for them to warm up to this sort of stuff.

You forgot the biggest problem it takes up two lanes of a road. There is a severe lack of space to make this practical.

Instead of a parachute, could you rapidly deploy compressed helium into a bag or something to make it not weightless but say 1kg per meter square?

originally posted by: Blue Shift
Sure. The neighbors will really like the noise, and the potential for it to crash through their roofs.

This would be great in a country that has no property damage liability laws.

My inner curmudgeon was triggered too. It was the notion of national security which sprung to mind and fears of terrorism. Protection and regulation of airspace above population centres and/or high value target areas like power stations, railway hubs or even sports stadia.

Not my fears, but possibly those who would have a say in regulating 'air cars.'

Speculating further...I wonder how this could work? Let's say they were confined to airways above major roads and railways? It'd kind of defeat the point of having one if freedom was the aim. They'd need parking areas which would leave the pilot/driver requiring another vehicle to go home or wherever. In that way, they could become something like extension of public transport systems.

Otherwise, there'd need to be some serious technology to make sure they all fly in lanes or have special measures to avoid impacts with other aircars. Whichever way I look at it, they'd have to be heavily restricted. No go zones, speed limits, lanes, air traffic control, insurance, self-drive technology etc.

Grumpy pessimism aside, it looks very cool and I would love to fly one around our coastline on a summer day. Could nip over to Ireland in around an hour.

Given the current progress with driverless cars it seems to make immense sense to start a flying car "airroad" control for fully automated vehicles. You would also ensure that the airroads are NOT over built up areas wherever possible.

Basically design the infrastructure from the start with brains fully engaged!

This is inevitable especially with Amazons delivery drones just waiting to get the green light. So there will be (and has to be very soon) airroads of varying speeds in strictly controlled corridoors

a reply to: yorkshirelad

Imagine the technical infrastructure required to manage private drones, business drones, aircars, helicopters, airplanes and hobby aircraft? There would also be environmental nightmares like protecting bird species.

It's the first time I've thought of flying cars and seen so many problems. It's like a childhood dream has fizzled out like a NK missile launch

originally posted by: Forensick
Instead of a parachute, could you rapidly deploy compressed helium into a bag or something to make it not weightless but say 1kg per meter square?

Helium lifts 1.1kg/m^3. So you would have to carry quite a bit of it around. The bag also would be huge, making rapid deployment difficult. A parachute is much lighter and more compact.

Actually, if you have that much helium with you, you could as well just use it to generate (some of the) lift.

Imagine Parking lots at your local shopping centre..