Originally Posted by
SansAnhedral
Indeed, the slow speed flight dynamics certainly do indicate that this scaled prototype in the video was 25 kg
So who is digging a deep hole for themselves, Ppruners or Lilium?
Lilium Facebook post from co-founder Patrick Nathen,
"As a founder, I can guarantee on behalf of our amazing investors and all you people out there, we did NOT use CGI or a size scaled model. This is the original size of our previous two-seated concept."
Email from Marketing manager in response to edited video.
"I can confirm that it is the full scale 2-seater.
We are running a test flight program, which means, we are testing it more than once.
We can start and land anywhere, doesn´t have to be exact the same spot, right?
Best, Mareike
Mareike Mutzberg
communications manager"
A remote test flight, apparently not above 100 feet, on "private" property of a fly-by-wire craft, backed by ESA and funded by the founder of Skype is not far fetched. Especially since they were test flying several scale models throughout 2016, videos of which are on u tube.
The thing is just a drone on steroids so remote control is embedded in its DNA.
They plan for it to be autonomous, so there is less to be converted.
Sure, they have shot themselves in the foot by labelling the video a "maiden flight" when it is a glossy compilation of several flights. They seem reluctant to release a continuous unedited shot of a flight which would adress the scepticism that scale models were used.
But it would be very silly of lillium to further mislead the public by making the statements quoted above if they were not true.
Has anyone found a report from a journalist who eye-witnessed the test flights?
Ppruner scepticism up to a point (!) is encouraged, given the radical design and the "forward looking" specification and performance of the craft and the unsatisfactory presentation of the test flights.
Mickjoebill