Wisk Aero has announced that it has completed the first flight of its Generation 6 autonomous passenger-carrying aircraft.
The aircraft performed the flight at Wisk’s flight test facility in Hollister, California. Wisk states that the flight is a pivotal step in developing the first certified, autonomous passenger-carrying eVTOL. The company has previously created five generations of eVTOL aircraft and has collected data from over 1,750 test flights. Its sixth-generation aircraft is the first-ever candidate for an FAA-certified commercial autonomous passenger aircraft in the U.S. and is planned to be launched in Houston, Los Angeles and Miami.
“This first flight is the moment our team has been working toward, and it is a powerful demonstration of the work, expertise, and commitment that have gone into the Gen 6 program,” said Wisk CEO Sebastien Vigneron. “Seeing Gen 6 take flight is an exciting moment for Wisk and the future of aviation. It reaffirms our belief in autonomy, and we are even more energized to continue the journey to bring safe, everyday flight to everyone.”
RELATED STORIES:
5 Minutes with Wisk Aero, discussing the autonomous eVTOL
Archer, Wisk, Boeing reach settlement in trade secret dispute
Wisk Aero performs first public air taxi flights in Los Angeles region
Wisk’s all-electric aircraft are autonomous with human oversight from a ground-based Multi-Vehicle Supervisor. The company claims this model is vital for safety, scalability and affordability. It will now be performing flight tests on the Gen 6 design, simulation models and system performance.
“We are excited to see Wisk achieve this milestone, and I’m so proud of the team that made it possible,” said Brian Yutko, VP of product development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes and chairman of the board at Wisk. “The team at Wisk has built advanced technologies across flight controls, sensing, navigation, mission management, electric power, systems integration, and many others for a product that is designed to meet a rigorous safety case for a focused concept of operations. The engineering methods and technologies are all a valuable source of insight for Boeing as we work together and thoughtfully apply them to the future of flight.”
Recent Comments