Lilium begins eVTOL demonstrator flight testing in Spain

On April 4, Lilium (Munich, Germany), the developer of all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, began the next phase of flight testing in Spain with its fifth-generation technology demonstrator for the composite Lilium Jet, dubbed Phoenix 2. 

Over the coming months at the ATLAS Flight Test Center located in Jaén, Spain, Lilium plans to extend the flight envelope through full transition and high-speed flight. These developments come after successful flight testing with the same aircraft in southern Germany in 2021.

Lilium also plans to introduce an additional demonstrator aircraft, Phoenix 3, which is scheduled to arrive in Spain for first flight this summer 2022. This aircraft is expected to significantly accelerate the flight test campaign, enabling Lilium to increase learnings and reduce program risks.

According to the company, together with excellent weather conditions, the ATLAS Flight Test Center provides optimal infrastructure and enables aircraft to fly over a large, unpopulated area while transitioning fully to high-speed, wing-borne flight. The modern facilities and support from the Andalusian Foundation for Aerospace Development (FADA) and Center for Advanced Aerospace Technologies (CATEC) have reportedly been instrumental in setting Lilium up for a successful flight test campaign.

“We are excited to have kicked off our next phase of flight testing in Spain,” Daniel Wiegard, co-founder and CEO of Lilium, comments. “This step takes us even closer to reaching our goal of creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, low-noise regional air mobility.”