German eVTOL startup Lilium said it has achieved full transition from hover to wing-borne flight on both the wings and canards using its fifth-generation Phoenix 2 eVTOL technology demonstrator.
“Our technology demonstrator recently achieved another important milestone,” Klaus Roewe, Lilium’s new CEO, told shareholders during the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Sept. 28. Roewe took up his post as the head of the company on Aug. 1, replacing Daniel Wiegand, who is now Lilium’s chief engineer for innovation and future programs, as well as board director.
The aircraft achieved the full transition while flying at 100 knots (185 kilometers per hour or 115 miles per hour). The company claims the full transition flight “aligns precisely with computer model predictions, supporting certification.”
The Phoenix 2 eVTOL demonstrator has been performing flight tests at the ATLAS Flight Test Center in Spain since spring 2022, achieving its first main wing transition flight in June.
Lilium told shareholders that it expects to see the Phoenix 3 technology demonstrator join its flight test program shortly, allowing the company to increase the pace of its campaign.
