Harris slams Trump’s “enemy from within” comment. Early voting begins in Georgia. What a La Niña winter could mean for the US.
Lilium — Lilium is a new ultralight two-seater electric plane concept, designed by four German engineers.Its swiveling ducted fan engines would allow it to take off and land vertically, requiring only 15 square meters of flat land to do so.Co-owner Daniel Wiegand says, ‘Our goal is to develop an aircraft for use in everyday life. We are going for a plane that does not need the complex and expensive infrastructure of an airport.’It’s designed to only be flown in good weather conditions in daylight. It also needs uncongested airspace.A prototype has undergone testing in Germany and proved its ability to transform from hover mode to forward flight mode in mid air by tilting its 26 electric jet engines.There’s no price as yet, but a release by the European Space Agency said it will be ‘far less than similar-sized aircraft of today and with much lower running costs.’Lilium is part of a fresh generation of design-led light aircraft shaking up an industry with new concepts — like the Icon A5, pictured.Launched last year, the Icon A5 is a two-seat, foldable seaplane. It’s so compact it fits in most car garages and can be towed behind a vehicle for overland transport.The Icon A5 is primarily a recreational aircraft. It can be flown by anyone with a sport pilot license.The Icon A5’s base price of $197,000 base rises to $247,000 with additional features. The company says it has received over 1,800 orders.Currently available for pre-order, the Cobalt Valkyrie-X is a piston-engined light aircraft designed by French-born California-based entrepreneur David Loury.The Valkyrie-X’s main purpose is moving people over relatively long distances. It’s capable of flying five people from London to most of Western Europe without refueling.The Cobalt Valkyrie-X starts at $699,000 — more for extras. Cobalt is currently rolling out its first test aircraft.Inventor and aviation legend Burt Rutan has developed the SkiGull, an amphibious seaplane with retractable skis.
