Wisk Aero Generation 1, POC (proof of concept)

Wisk Aero proof of concept aircraft, Generation 1

(Photo credit: Wisk Aero)

Generation 1, POC (proof of concept)
Wisk Aero LLC.
Mountain View, California, USA
www.wisk.aero

Wisk Aero was founded in 2019 as a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation and is headquartered in Mountain View, California, USA. The goal of the company is to manufacture autonomous on-demand passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with zero emissions for advanced air mobility (AAM). The company recognizes that self-flying cars will not be the first to market but expects to be the first autonomous on-demand air taxi passenger eVTOL service by 2030.

History
Zee Aero was founded in 2010. In 2017, Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk merged. In 2017, the Kitty Hawk Cora program received $1 million (USD) from the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), a Pentagon organization that focuses on implementing cutting-edge technology into the U.S. Military. Kitty Hawk Corporation purchased Zee Aero aircraft and its technology and intellectual property rights in March 2018.

In December 2019, a joint venture occurred between Boeing and Kitty Hawk and the company became Wisk Aero. The reason for forming a new company, is that Boeing can take advantage of Kitty Hawks' innovated eVTOL aircraft and Kitty Hawk can take advantage of Boeing's manufacturing and aerospace abilities. Wisk Aero's goal is to operate one of the world's largest commercial autonomous on-demand air taxi fleet in the world throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. It was reported in late 2019, that some of Boeing's executives are already on Wisk Aero's board. In February 2022, Boeing invested another $450 million (USD) in Wisk Aero.

Generation 1: Uncrewed full-scale eVTOL aircraft POC (proof of concept)
The POC is a first generation autonomous full-scale eVTOL aircraft. This was Zee Aero's (now Wisk Aero) first battery powered flying aircraft. The aircraft was about the size of a mid-sized car and would probably fit nicely into two parking spaces. The aircraft made 207 test flights from 2011 to 2014.

The aircraft has eight VTOL propellers mounted on two booms near the top and parallel to the fuselage. The aircraft has two rear pusher propellers for forward and rearward flight. There is a foreplane wing and has a rear rear horizontal stabilizer with two downward vertical stabilizers on each end of the horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft has no windows. For easy ground movement, the aircraft has fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear.

Proof of concept aircraft are typically made for new unique aircraft to help inventors to flight test the aircraft, collect flight test data, find the right components and material to make the aircraft, and to determine if the aircraft will function in the real world. Many times a proof of concept aircraft will not be a complete aircraft and will not look like the serial production model and in fact, the proof of concept aircraft are not intended to be an early version of the production model.

While very little of this aircraft is known about, the construction of, the test flights and test data has been instrumental in helping make Wisk's Cora eVTOL passenger aircraft. The company does have pictures of this first generation proof of concept aircraft which validates their hypothesis that their eVTOL design is valid and flight worthy in the real world. Before this aircraft was built, a hand-held subscale model was made which was the company's first attempt at flying a newly designed aircraft.

The company expects its autonomous eVTOL aircraft for air taxi service, for other types of passenger air mobility missions and for autonomous air cargo transportation.

Generation 1 proof of concept aircraft drawing, front view

Generation 1 proof of concept aircraft, top view

Generation 1 proof of concept aircraft, in a parking space

Specifications:

Aircraft type: Uncrewed full-scale eVTOL proof of concept aircraft
Piloting: Autonomous
Capacity: No passengers
Cruise speed: Unknown
Propellers: 8 VTOL propellers, 2 rear pusher propellers
Electric Motors: 10 electric motors
Power source: Batteries
Fuselage material: Unknown
Windows: No windows
Wings: 1 foreplane wing
Tail: 1 rear high horizontal stabilizer with two downward vertical stabilizers on each end of the horizontal stabilizer
Booms: The VTOL propellers are mounted on 2 booms that are parallel to the fuselage
Landing gear: Fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear
Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) means having multiple propellers (or electric ducted fans) and multiple electric motors on an aircraft so if one or more propellers (or electric ducted fans) or some electric motors fail, the other working propellers (or electric ducted fans) and electric motors can safely land the aircraft. DEP provides safety through redundancy for its passengers or cargo.