Lilium Powers On First Lilium Jet in Significant Milestone Towards First Flight
- Systems power-on paves the way for start of Lilium Jet ground testing campaign
- The first Lilium Jet – MSN 1 – will be used to confirm safety for first piloted flight planned for early 2025
- MSN 2, the first aircraft that Lilium will fly with a pilot on board, is now in final assembly
MUNICH, Oct. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ:LILM), a leading electric aircraft manufacturer and pioneer in Regional Air Mobility (RAM), has completed the first systems power-on milestone of its revolutionary all-electric Lilium Jet. The successful test procedure on the first in-production Lilium Jet, MSN 1, represents a significant achievement on the path to first flight and certification. This test confirms that the aircraft is being built in accordance with Lilium's platform design and the flight systems are functioning correctly.
At power-on, high-voltage (900 Volts) is applied to the aircraft and converted to supply the low-voltage electrical and avionics systems – including cockpit display, flight controls, communication, navigation, and surveillance systems. This milestone corresponds to the customary power-on acceptance test procedure used in conventional commercial aircraft manufacturing.
Stephen Vellacott, Lilium CTO, commented: "Power-on is an important quality gate in the production process of any commercial aircraft. The two Lilium Jets now on our final assembly line, and those to come, will be conforming aircraft, built to the specifications of our design organization, according to documented processes and in line with established aerospace procedures. When it comes to aircraft production, process control, repeatability, traceability, and above all safety is paramount. Achieving this first power-on milestone demonstrates that we're on track."
MSN 1 is due to become Lilium's lab test aircraft, or "ironbird". It will be a fully functional aircraft and key asset for the certification program, being used to prove safety of flight and compliance with airworthiness requirements. The second Lilium Jet, MSN 2, also currently in final assembly, is the first aircraft that Lilium intends to fly with a pilot on board in early 2025. Production of MSN 3 fuselage is underway at the supplier. Lilium intends to fly a total of six test aircraft up to type-certification and entry into service, targeted for 2026.
In August this year, Lilium successfully completed the first phase of electrical integration testing at the company's dedicated electrical power system lab (EPSL), a test rig that replicates the Lilium Jet's full powertrain, from battery pack to engine, outside the aircraft in a controlled test environment. Lilium has so far successfully tested several core electrical functionalities at the EPSL, including high voltage distribution, low voltage conversion and distribution, health reporting, and charging systems.
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About Lilium
Lilium (NASDAQ:LILM) is creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation for people and goods. Using the Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet, designed to offer leading capacity, low noise, and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of air travel. Working with aerospace, technology, and infrastructure leaders, and with announced sales and indications of interest in Europe, the United States, China, Brazil, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lilium's 1,000+ strong team includes approximately 500 aerospace engineers and a leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium's headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based across Europe and the U.S. To learn more, visit www.lilium.com.
Lilium Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward‐looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: (i) Lilium N.V.'s and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Lilium Group") proposed business and business model; (ii) the markets and industry in which the Lilium Group operates or intends to operate; and (iii) the Lilium Group's progress towards type certification (and type certificate validation) of its Lilium Jet with EASA and the FAA; and (iv) the production, certification, flight testing program, delivery schedule, and related timelines for the Lilium Jet, including the power-on of MSN 1 as described in this press release . These forward‐looking statements generally are identified by the words "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "estimate," "future," "intend," "may," "on track," "plan," "project," "should," "strategy," "will," "would" and similar expressions. Forward‐looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on management's current expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and are subject to risk and uncertainties that are subject to change at any time. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward‐looking statements. Factors that could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward‐looking statements in this press release include those risks and uncertainties discussed in Lilium's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including in the section titled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20‐F for the year ended December 31, 2023, on file with the SEC, and similarly titled sections in Lilium's other SEC filings, all of which are available at www.sec.gov. Forward‐looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward‐looking statements, and Lilium assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update, or revise these forward‐looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
