Remember the Jetsons?
Lilium has successfully tested its all-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) jet for the first time, and you can watch the inaugural test flight above. The basic concept of a VTOL is that it has the benefits of a helicopter in terms of taking off without requiring a huge runway, but once airborne, it can still achieve the higher top speeds of a fixed wing aircraft like a jet.
The Lilium Jet actually completed a series of tests (the condensed version is above), using this two-seat prototype of the larger craft it eventually hopes to create. Lilium also marked the occasion by announcing a new 5-seater design, which it envisions will be used for on-demand flying taxi and ride-sharing services in the future. They’re promising us flying cars, in effect.Here is a direct video link.
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