Wisk Aero Generation 6 (pre-production prototype)

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

(Photo credit: Wisk Aero)

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 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.

Wisk Aero's January 2020 patent application line drawing

Generation 6 autonomous all-weather four passenger eVTOL aircraft (pre-production prototype)
The Generation 6 is an autonomous (with human oversight) all-weather four passenger eVTOL aircraft that has been specifically designed for advanced air mobility (AAM) on-demand 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 cruise altitudes range between 2,500-4,000 ft (762-1,219 m). There is one main high wing on the aircraft which provides a longer range for this aircraft when compared to a multicopter eVTOL aircraft with no wings. Beneath the high main 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.

Operational information
Generation 6 has been operational since 2020 according to the company's website. Before the first test flight, the company conducted ground tests, components tests and system tests. The first test flight of the aircraft took place on December 16, 2025 at 12:26 p.m. PST (Pacific Standard Time) from Wisk Aero's flight test facility at Hollister, California, USA. The company has reported their autonomous aircraft will be remotely monitored by supervisors trained at handling multiple aircraft at one time and who can take control of any of these aircraft if the need rises. The aircraft has computers on board with predictive software, radar, sensors and ground links to fly predefined routes. The aircraft can detect and avoid obstacles when in flight.

July 14, 2026 announcement
Wisk Aero announced on July 14, 2026, that on July 8, 2026, a single ground-based supervisor had simulated the simultaneous flying of three uncrewed aircraft along with regular air traffic.

Further information
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. In December 2025, Wisk said it has conducted more than 1,750 test flights using earlier eVTOL prototypes. Wisk Aero is the only American eVTOL manufacturer that plans to offer autonomous piloting for their first revenue flights.

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)
Cruise altitude: 2,500-4,000 ft (762-1,219 m)
Maximum payload weight: 900 lb (408 kg)
Maximum payload weight: 5,400 lb (2449 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.