While some may be excited about the prospect of driverless cars, personally I’m a lot more excited about the prospect of driving my own personal jet / flying car! (although nervous passengers may be less so).
Set to go on sale in 2018 the Lilium plane is set to be the first all-electric vertical takeoff and landing plane to hit the market.
Lilium co-owner Daniel Wiegand states: ‘Our goal is to develop an aircraft for use in everyday life. We are going for a plane that can takeoff and land vertically and does not need the complex and expensive infrastructure of an airport.’
Just picture it. No stressful commute to work. Just step out the house, pop on your aviators and flying jacket and step into your own personal jet.
With its vertical takeoff and landing there’s no need for a runway, just strap in and takeoff. Soon you’ll be flying high in an uncongested airspace. Plus with it being electric you don’t need to worry about any noise waking the neighbours!
With a top speed of just under 250 mph and powered by a 320kW bettery it can cover a range of up to 300 miles.
Its in-flight features include GPS-assisted navigation, an onboard computer to manage take off and landing, fly-by-wire joystick controls, all-round windows and plenty of storage.
You only need 20 hours of training and a valid pilot’s license before you can start flying on your own – if you cast your mind back to how long it took you to learn to drive a car that may be a terrifying prospect, but what the hey, it’s 2018 and we’re travelling like the Jetsons!
