Wisk Aero has announced the completion of the first flight of its Generation 6 aircraft – making the company the only one to have designed, built, and flown six generations of eVTOL aircraft.
The aircraft completed its initial vertical takeoff, hover, and stabilised flight manoeuvres at Wisk’s flight test facility in Hollister, CA, validating the aircraft’s core flight systems and acting as a key milestone in what Wisk considers an extensive testing campaign.
The subject of Wisk’s type certification application and ongoing certification project; the Gen 6 aircraft is the first-ever candidate for an FAA-certified commercial autonomous passenger aircraft in the US, with launch markets including Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami.
Wisk CEO Sebastien Vigneron, said: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 programme.
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.
Following the successful flight; Wisk will now begin the execution of a rigorous flight test programme focused on safely validating the Gen 6 design, simulation models, and system performance.
Initial testing will focus on the building of a hover regime, concentrating on takeoffs, landings, and low-speed stability before expanding to higher speeds and altitudes, including complex manoeuvres such as longitudinal transition, lateral transition, and pedal turns.
Each new test will seek to provide the company with data to verify its control laws, structural loads and aircraft dynamics, allowing for refinement as needed.
