Wisk Aero has completed the first flight of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft Generation 6 on Tuesday (December 16).
The wholly owned Boeing subsidiary said the aircraft performed its initial vertical takeoff, hover, and stabilised flight manoeuvres at Wisk's flight test facility in Hollister, CA.
The flight marks a critical step in its testing campaign and its ongoing certification project.
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. The aircraft incorporated learnings from its previous five generations of aircraft and over 1,750 flight tests.
“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.
“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,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes and chairman of the board at Wisk Brian Yutko.
Wisk is now executing a flight test programme focussed on validating the Gen 6 design, simulation models, and system performance.