{"id":25094,"date":"2022-06-16T11:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T15:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=25094"},"modified":"2022-06-15T18:15:02","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T22:15:02","slug":"tech-test-flights-of-evtol-air-taxis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=25094","title":{"rendered":"Tech: Test flights of eVTOL air taxis"},"content":{"rendered":"

I noticed a flurry of videos recently showing test flights of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL<\/a>) vehicles. The three vehicles spotlighted below have sizable wings to enable longer range flights compared to eVTOL models<\/a> intended for intra-city hops. Note that “longer” refers to a 100-250 km range. So they are applicable to inter-city transport only for relatively nearby cities.<\/p>\n

I’ve followed eVTOL development here for many years. With a number of companies well into the certification process in the US and Europe, it now seems safe to say that there will be commercial flights underway by 2025. So the next great hurdle will be proving that eVTOLS, handicapped by the performance limitations of current battery technologies, can find sustainable markets for passenger services and private ownership.<\/p>\n

Advantages include very low maintenance and energy costs compared to conventional aircraft. Small foot-print “vertiports” close to passengers’ final destinations will be attractive, assuming regulatory hurdles and NIMBY resistance can be overcome. Note that the eVTOL companies claim the noise from their vehicles is far less than the racket produced by helicopters.<\/p>\n

** Phoenix 2<\/a><\/strong> (5th Generation all-electric Technology Demonstrator<\/em>) – Lilium<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch as Phoenix 2, our 5th Generation all-electric Technology Demonstrator plane, achieves main wing transition \u2013 the first time a full-size electric jet aircraft has ever made the transition from hover to wing-borne flight. Although a landmark moment for electric aviation, it\u2019s only one small step for Lilium towards achieving our mission to transform regional air mobility. Next steps are to continue the Flight Test campaign and expand the flight envelope further, including transition of the forward canards and high-speed flights. We look forward to sharing more progress soon.<\/em><\/p>\n

Capabilities:<\/strong><\/p>\n