German air taxi startup Lilium has completed its first phase of testing, with its five-seater 36-rotor electric prototype hitting speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph). The company has also completed its first manufacturing facility and has brought on a veteran aerospace executive to oversee its flight program. Lilium says it remains “on track” to launch passenger operations in several locations around the world by 2025.
The last we heard from Lilium was in May of this year, when its unpiloted prototype finished its first test flight — basically taking off, hovering for a few seconds, and then landing. The new footage released today shows the aircraft transitioning from vertical flight to level flight, which is a key maneuver for so-called…