The Generation 6 aircraft represent the first-ever candidate for certification of an AAM autonomous passenger-carrying aircraft in the U.S.
Wisk Aero, an autonomous aviation company, today announced the successful completion of the first flight of its Generation 6 aircraft. The flight is a pivotal step forward in Wisk’s journey to deliver the first certified, AAM autonomous passenger-carrying eVTOL to market in the U.S. Wisk is the only company to have designed, built, and flown six generations of eVTOL aircraft.
The aircraft performed its initial vertical takeoff, hover, and stabilized flight maneuvers at Wisk’s flight test facility in Hollister, CA. This success validates the aircraft’s core flight systems and is a critical first step in an extensive testing campaign. This Generation 6 aircraft is the subject of Wisk’s type certification application and ongoing certification project.
Leveraging learnings from Wisk’s previous five generations of aircraft and more than 1,750 test flights, Gen 6 is the first-ever candidate for an FAA-certified commercial autonomous passenger aircraft in the U.S., with launch markets including Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami. This first hover flight is a pivotal moment in Wisk’s journey to bring safe, autonomous flight to market.
“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.”
“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.”
Wisk AAM aircraft are all-electric and autonomous, with dedicated human oversight from a ground-based Multi-Vehicle Supervisor—a pioneering model Wisk believes is key to achieving high levels of safety, scalability, and affordability. Wisk has an active certification program with the FAA and is designing its aircraft to meet or exceed today’s rigorous commercial aviation safety standards.
With the successful first hover flight completed, Wisk is now executing a rigorous flight test program focused on safely validating the Gen 6 design, simulation models, and system performance. The initial phase of testing will focus on building out the hover regime, concentrating on takeoffs, landings, and low-speed stability before expanding to higher speeds and altitudes, including complex maneuvers such as longitudinal transition, lateral transition, and pedal turns. Each test provides crucial data to verify our control laws, structural loads, and aircraft dynamics, allowing for refinement as needed.
In parallel, Wisk continues to mature its autonomy technologies, including detect-and-avoid and navigation systems, and is collaborating closely with the FAA, NASA, SkyGrid, and others to build a more efficient airspace. With the achievement of Gen 6 first flight, Wisk is advancing on its mission to deliver a new mode of transportation that will not only strengthen the U.S.’s leadership in aviation but also make aviation safer around the world.
... aantekeningen van SP
About Wisk
Wisk, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, is an autonomous aviation company dedicated to creating a future for air travel that elevates people, communities, and aviation. Learn more about Wisk at wisk.aero
Over de auteur
English 
Deutsch 
Italiano 
Français 
Svenska 
Nederlands 
Español 
Português do Brasil 
עִבְרִית 
العربية 
हिन्दी 
فارسی 
日本語 
한국어 
Bahasa Indonesia 
繁體中文 
简体中文 
Polski 
Русский 
Українська
Meer verhalen
REGENT begint proefvaarten met Viceroy-zweefvliegtuig
Toonaangevende Japanse eVTOL-fabrikant SkyDrive breidt strategisch netwerk uit in zuidoostelijke VS, met focus op Florida
FAA heroverweegt het lot van Indianapolis Downtown Heliport, geeft commentaar tot 26 februari
SkyDrive bereikt algemene overeenstemming met 7A Drones, een grote Taiwanese fabrikant van dronesystemen, voor de aankoop van “SKYDRIVE” (SkyDrive model SD-05) eVTOL-vliegtuigen
BETA Technologies werkt samen met Hawaii aan elektrisch luchtvaartinitiatief
Volocopter optimaliseert toeleveringsketen en versnelt ontwikkeling eVTOL
SkyDrive, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Mitsubishi Estate en Kanematsu voeren UAM eVTOL-demovlucht uit op Tokyo Big Sight