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Wisk Aero Generation 6 (pre-production prototype)

Wisk Aero Generation 6 autonomous four passenger eVTOL pre-production prototype air taxi

 

Generation 6 (pre-production prototype)
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 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with zero emissions, for advanced air mobility (AAM) and air cargo. The company recognizes that self-flying cars will not be the first to market but expects to be the first autonomous eVTOL passenger aircraft to market. Zee Aero was founded in 2010. Kitty Hawk Corporation purchased Zee Aero aircraft its technology and intellectual property rights in March 2018. In December 2019, Kitty Hawk Corporation became Wisk Aero. Wisk Aero is a subsidiary of Boeing Corporation. As of 2024, Wisk has over 500 employees. (All photos, graphics and drawings are copyrighted by Wisk Aero LLC.)

In 2019, a joint venture occurred between Boeing and Kitty Hawk with the goal to operate one of the world's largest urban air taxi fleets in the world, for use in United States, Europe and Asia. In February 2022, Boeing invested another $450 million USD in Wisk Aero. It was reported in late 2019, that some of Boeing's executives are already on Wisk Aero's board.

Wisk Aero's January 2020 patent application line drawing

Wisk Aero's January 2020 patent application line drawing

Generation 6 autonomous four passenger eVTOL pre-production prototype all-weather aircraft
The Generation 6 autonomous (with human oversight) four passenger eVTOL pre-production prototype all weather aircraft that has been specifically designed for advanced air mobility (AAM) air taxi service. The aircraft is accessible. The Cora name is not being used for this aircraft and was only used on the 4th and 5th generation aircraft. eVTOL aircraft typically provide the vehicle with no emissions, very high safety, low manufacturing costs, low passenger costs, low maintenance costs and an extremely quiet vehicle, both inside and out.

The aircraft has a cruise speed of 138 mph (222 km/h), a range of 90 mi (144 km) and is expected to have a range cruise altitudes 2,500-4,000 ft (762-1,219 m). There is one main high wing on the aircraft which will provide a longer range for its passengers than a multicopter eVTOL aircraft. Beneath the high wing are six short booms and each boom has propellers attached to both ends of each boom. All the propellers are located on the top side of the booms. The front six propellers are tilt-propellers and the rear six propellers are fixed VTOL-only propellers. The aircraft has 12 propellers, 12 electric motors and uses battery packs to power the entire aircraft. It takes approximately 15 minutes to recharge the aircraft's battery packs.

The aircraft has panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left, right visibility, for spectacular views with a solid roof above the passenger compartment. The maximum payload weight of the aircraft is 900 lb (408 kg), in general, enough lifting power to accommodate all passengers and their luggage. The aircraft has fixed skid landing gear which decreases the complexity of the aircraft and thus makes the aircraft even more reliable. In the rear of the aircraft is a convention tail with a vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizers. There are no rear pusher propellers as the previous proof of concepts, technology demonstrators and prototypes had.

The company reported in 2021 that it had made over 1,500 test flights with their aircraft. Wisk Aero plans for their aircraft to be sold and used as on-demand autonomous air taxi service, personal use, business use, possibly military use and for air cargo transportation.

Generation 6 unveiling
On Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, Wisk Aero unveiled its Generation 6 eVTOL mock-up aircraft. This design will be used for the planned production model and the company will be applying for its type certificate with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an autonomous air taxi. The company has stated the Generation 6 aircraft is the first autonomous eVTOL passenger aircraft that has been applied for type certification to the FAA. Additionally, through its strategic partnership with Boeing, Wisk has a competitive advantage leveraging 100+ years of Boeing expertise in aircraft development, scale manufacturing and certification.

Safety is a top priority for Wisk Aero
As safety is a top priority with Wisk Aero, the aircraft has a less than a billion chance that the aircraft's systems will fail. The company has achieved this through a multifaceted approach including autonomous flight with human oversight, a simplified design with fewer moving parts, fully redundant systems, improved detect and avoid capabilities (and other sensors), and no single point of failure The company has stated there are no controls in the cockpit.

Consumer surveys
The company has also surveyed more than 630 people concerning accessibility, customer comfort and more. Generation 6 incorporates a number of accessibility features, from an entry and exit designed for individuals across the mobility spectrum, to user interfaces that seamlessly accommodate people living with hearing, vision, and other impairments. Wisk is one of the few industry players that have prioritized catering to such a wide demographic of passengers. In addition, the interior is spacious, has comfortable seats, will have Wifi and charging onboard, has plenty of room for luggage, excellent visibility and is easy to enter and exit the aircraft.

Further information
The company has stated they've made a Generation 6 eVTOL subscale prototype aircraft and have already conducted  ground tests, components tests, system tests and it has been flight tested. Wisk Aero's Generation 6 eVTOL production aircraft is designed to service everyone, with a price target of $3.00 USD per passenger, per mile. 

Generation 6 eVTOL side view

Generation 6 eVTOL side view

Generation 6 propeller

Generation 6 propeller

Generation 6 seats

Generation 6 seats

 

Wisk Aero's Gen 6 fuselage (Oct 2024)

Wisk Aero's Gen 6 fuselage under construction (Oct. 4, 2024)

Specifications:

  • Aircraft type: Autonomous passenger eVTOL pre-production all weather aircraft
  • Piloting: Autonomous with human oversight (there are no pilot controls in the cockpit)
  • Capacity: 4 passengers
  • Accessibility: The aircraft is accessible
  • Cruise speed: 138 mph (222 km/h)
  • Range: 90 mi (144 km)
  • Flight Time: Unknown
  • Cruise altitude: 2,500-4,000 ft (762-1,219 m)
  • Maximum payload weight: 900 lb (408 kg)
  • Propellers: 12 propellers (6 tilt-propellers, 6 fixed VTOL-only propellers)
  • Electric Motors: 12 electric motors
  • Power source: Batteries
  • Battery recharging time: It takes approximately 15 minutes to recharge the batteries
  • Fuselage material: Unknown
  • Windows: Panoramic wrap around windows allowing forward, left, right visibility, for spectacular views with a solid roof above the passenger compartment
  • Wing: 1 main high wing
  • Tail: 1 convention tail (a vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizers)
  • Landing gear: Fixed skid landing gear
  • Safety features: Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies in the sub-systems of the aircraft.
  • Note: These specifications will most likely change once the serial production aircraft has been finalized for manufacturing.

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