The search for better modes of transportation never ends, and it looks like soon it might be possible for travelers to simply hop in their own two-seat, vertical take-off and landing jet.
Well, that’s at least the vision for the Lilium Jet, which is currently in development through the European Space Agency in Germany. The incredible all-electric engine jet aircraft sports retractable landing gear, gull-wing doors, fly-by-wire joystick controls, and a reported top speed of 250 mph.
Lilium’s builders even believe that the personal e-jet might be ready for the public as early as 2018. What makes the jet so unique is that it features the combined vertical take-off capabilities of a helicopter and the cruising options of a fixed-wing aircraft. It’s even being crafted to operate much quieter than other VTOLs like helicopters due to its 320 kW rechargeable-battery-powered ducted fan engines.
Believed to be classified as a Light Sport Aircraft in Europe with pilots needing a license that requires just 20 hours of training, Lilium would serve mostly as a recreational flying vehicle for daylight hours.
“Our goal is to develop an aircraft for use in everyday life,” said Daniel Wiegand, CEO and one of the company’s four founders. “We are going for a plane that can take off and land vertically and does not need the complex and expensive infrastructure of an airport.”
Although the Lilium company was only founded in 2015, the first manned experimental flight of a full-sized prototype is already slated for 2017.