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A prototype electric air taxi Lilium Jet was able to fly above ground during its maiden flight to Oberpfaffenhofen, a Bavarian village in Germany.
The five-seater VE weighs about one-and-one-half (3,300 lb.) and has no problem flying over a fixed point during this first test.
The next step will be to attempt more complex flight maneuvers and to go forward, as Spiegel reported.
Read also: The concept of Pop.Up flying taxi from Audi, AirBus and Italdesign takes off for the first time
These flying taxis will apparently be ready for commercial use in at least two German cities by 2025 and will use 36 electric jet reactors integrated into the wings. They will also be very quiet and "can fly at 300 km / h for an hour," said company co-founder Daniel Wiegand.
"The Lilium plane tends to be cheaper than a helicopter because it contains almost no mechanics and it only consumes one-tenth of the energy," he said. added. Wiegand also wants his company to operate all the flying taxis itself, using its own booking platform.
"I excluded that we are selling the plane to individuals or to wealthy businesses, and the goal is that many citizens book flights with us, at prices comparable to those of any other country. a taxi."
The five-seat Lilium Jet, based on a two-seat test model, will continue to be remotely controlled during test flights. However, once in service from 2025, it will be piloted first by a pilot, to facilitate things in terms of licenses and approvals.
"Maybe he should be able to fly independently in ten years," the company boss said.
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