Photo: Lilium
Every eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) out there claims to have remarkable capabilities that set it apart from all the others. In the case of Lilium, a Germany-based manufacturer, it's an even bolder claim. The company has introduced its aircraft as the first high-speed eVTOL jet in the world. This month brings another milestone in the development process, with a prototype of this innovative aircraft kicking off testing at a prestigious wind tunnel.
If airports and helipads will soon make way for the new type of aircraft known as eVTOLs, it makes sense that testing facilities for conventional aircraft should also open their gates for them. Airbus tested all its models at the DNW (German-Dutch Wind Tunnels) facility in Marknesse, Netherlands. This month, an eVTOL maker will start testing its trailblazing electric air taxi at the same facility.
The DNW has been around since the 1970s. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) set it up. Today it claims to be the largest of its kind in Europe, with more than 30 feet in width (31 feet/9.5 meters).
The adequate size was one of the main reasons why Lilium selected DNW for the next developmental phase of its eVTOL jet. A high-end manufacturing solutions provider named TGR-E created a Lilium jet prototype together with IBK-Innovation, an aerospace design company. The result is a 1- to-2.5-scale model, measuring 40% of the future aircraft's size.
Lilium describes this model as one of the most advanced ones to be tested in a wind tunnel. Thanks to its size, it is capable of delivering a complex dataset that will cover all flight phases from hover to cruise.
Earlier this year, another top air taxi manufacturer launched similar wind tunnel testing for its aircraft. The California-based Joby became the first to test this type of aircraft at the famous NFAC (National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex) at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.
If DNW claims to be the largest in Europe, NFAC is known as the biggest wind tunnel of its kind in the world. The propeller testing performed at NFAC is considered to be much more advanced than conventional flight testing, even for general aircraft aerodynamics. For a new type of electric aircraft, it's an even greater accomplishment.
Lilium is on track to start piloted flight tests in the second half of 2024. The final version of its eVTOL jet will be configured as a six-passenger air taxi, boasting 36 propellers and proprietary Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (DEVT) technology.
Ionblox will supply the batteries, claiming to have greater power density and a higher life cycle than the market. Collins Aerospace will equip the future jet with a custom pilot interface. GKN Aerospace will add a dedicated electrical system.
The DNW has been around since the 1970s. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) set it up. Today it claims to be the largest of its kind in Europe, with more than 30 feet in width (31 feet/9.5 meters).
The adequate size was one of the main reasons why Lilium selected DNW for the next developmental phase of its eVTOL jet. A high-end manufacturing solutions provider named TGR-E created a Lilium jet prototype together with IBK-Innovation, an aerospace design company. The result is a 1- to-2.5-scale model, measuring 40% of the future aircraft's size.
Lilium describes this model as one of the most advanced ones to be tested in a wind tunnel. Thanks to its size, it is capable of delivering a complex dataset that will cover all flight phases from hover to cruise.
Earlier this year, another top air taxi manufacturer launched similar wind tunnel testing for its aircraft. The California-based Joby became the first to test this type of aircraft at the famous NFAC (National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex) at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.
If DNW claims to be the largest in Europe, NFAC is known as the biggest wind tunnel of its kind in the world. The propeller testing performed at NFAC is considered to be much more advanced than conventional flight testing, even for general aircraft aerodynamics. For a new type of electric aircraft, it's an even greater accomplishment.
Lilium is on track to start piloted flight tests in the second half of 2024. The final version of its eVTOL jet will be configured as a six-passenger air taxi, boasting 36 propellers and proprietary Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (DEVT) technology.
Ionblox will supply the batteries, claiming to have greater power density and a higher life cycle than the market. Collins Aerospace will equip the future jet with a custom pilot interface. GKN Aerospace will add a dedicated electrical system.
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