Wisk Aero, a prominent Advanced Air Mobility company, has completed the world's first public demonstration flight of a fully autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing air taxi. The milestone flight took place at EAA AirVenture and showcased Wisk's 5th Generation autonomous eVTOL technology demonstrator, Cora.
During the flight, the eVTOL air taxi successfully transitioned from hovering to wingborne flight four times, while also performing various maneuvers to demonstrate its capabilities, including 360-degree turns in place and hover.
"We're proud to demonstrate the autonomous technology behind our self-flying first approach," said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk. "This demonstration showcases the state of readiness for autonomous technology and electric propulsion. Combined with the progress we're making on Type Certification for our 6th Generation air taxi, we're proving that autonomy is possible and it's happening today. We look forward to launching the first passenger service on an all-electric, autonomous air taxi within this decade."
Jim Tighe, Chief Technology Officer at Wisk, expressed excitement for the milestone, stating,
"We are thrilled to be able to share 13+ years of aviation milestones and now another first with the public. Oshkosh is a particularly fitting milestone venue as it embodies the spirit of passion and innovation at Wisk."
The public demonstration flight adds to Wisk's history of aviation achievements, including the world's first full transition of an eVTOL aircraft (1st Generation air taxi), the world's first piloted flight of a fly-by-wire, all-electric, human-rated aircraft (2nd Generation air taxi, 2015), and the world's first piloted full transition flight of a human-rated eVTOL aircraft (3rd Generation air taxi, 2017).
The successful demonstration highlights Wisk Aero's commitment to advancing autonomous air mobility and electric propulsion technology, potentially paving the way for the future of urban air transportation.
.png)
