Every Bulletin story and press release covering Lilium GmbH, newest first.
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The half-scale demonstrator has logged more than 500 tests and over 18 hours of flight time, validating propulsion, battery and control systems.
The transaction marks a major consolidation in advanced air mobility and is expected to accelerate U.S. progress in ducted fan and electric flight technology.
The company has agreed to manufacture and engineer the full VX4 airframe as part of Vertical’s wider Flightpath 2030 production and certification strategy.
MSN 1 will be Lilium’s lab test aircraft, or “ironbird”. It will be a fully functional aircraft and key asset for the certification program, being used to prove safety of flight and compliance with airworthiness requirements.
From minimising drag and weight to optimising antenna placement, Thales' expertise will be instrumental in the success of Lilium's ambitious eVTOL program while advancing sustainability goals.
Testing of the propulsion unit, comprising two engines within a propulsion mounting system, was carried out at Lilium’s dedicated propulsion unit test bed, located at Lilium’s headquarters near Munich.
The facility will be a cornerstone of the Lilium Jet certification programme. The rig will be used to simulate flights, for system integration testing and to verify aircraft performance through multiple flight profiles.
Lilium is keen to leverage France’s unique aerospace heritage and vast supplier base in aerospace and electrification to expand its high-volume production capacity of the Lilium Jet.
Lilium began assembly of the first Lilium Jet at its manufacturing and testing facilities near Munich at the end of 2023. The first piloted flight test of the Lilium Jet is targeted to occur in late 2024.
Honeywell's MicroVCS high-speed, oil-free centrifugal compressor technology allows the system to be 22% lighter than conventional screw or scroll compressor-based vapour cycle cooling systems.
The harnesses will act as the aircraft's main electrical arteries, distributing power from the ten batteries, located on the sides of the fuselage, to the jet propulsion units, embedded into the main wings and canards.
The fuselage is planned for delivery to Lilium facilities in Wessling, Germany in the fourth quarter 2023, prior to planned start of assembly of the first Lilium Jet by year end.
The 40% scale of the model was also made possible by the dimensions of the German-Dutch Wind Tunnels (DNW) facility, which is the largest wind tunnel in Europe, measuring 9.5m (31ft) in width.
Collins has extensive experience in developing and certifying inceptors for commercial jets, and will certify the Lilium Jet's pair of inceptors to commercial aviation standards.
Magnaghi Aeronautica will tailor the landing gear system for the Lilium Jet's unique design and will contribute to achieving the take-off and landing comfort performances of the emission-free aircraft
Lilium Jets will each be equipped with two SPDUs and one CPDU. SPDUs are responsible for high voltage (1,000 VDC) to low voltage (28 VDC) conversion and for low voltage distribution and protection.
The company has expertise in advanced materials such as carbon fibre and titanium, which makes seats approximately 35% lighter than aviation seats made of aluminium.
Phoenix 2 has now achieved this milestone across the entire main wing while, most importantly, remaining stable and behaving as predicted by Lilium's proprietary Flight Dynamics Model.
These are engineering inventions for the core technology around the Lilium Jet, spanning several domains: Structures and interior, avionics and custom electric, and more than 70% related to energy and propulsion.
The ATLAS Flight Test Centre provides optimal infrastructure and enables aircraft to fly over a large, unpopulated area while transitioning fully to high-speed wing-borne flight.
Anthem supports growing levels of aircraft autonomy, leading to complete autonomous capabilities in the future as regulations allow. Honeywell says that flight plans can be uploaded without being near the aircraft.
Avionics and flight control computers from Honeywell will be a key element for the Lilium Jet's electronic architecture, choreographing 36 surfaces while providing simple controls for a single pilot.