Wisk Aero successfully conducted the first-ever public demonstration of its completely autonomous eVTOL flight.
Engineers operated the flight at the associated airport of EAA AirVenture, Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), in front of audience attending the EAA AirVenture Airshow. Wisk’s fifth-generation air taxi is a fully autonomous and fixed-wing eVTOL aircraft, capable of self-flying but is monitored by a team and a ground-based supervisor. The supervisor has the ability to intervene by sending the aircraft specific commands.
The aircraft then performed a hover maneuver before landing at the airport.
Speaking during the ceremony, Brian Yutko, chief executive, Wisk Aero said: “What you just saw was a two-seat electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft take off like a helicopter, fly in a fixed-wing mode like an airplane, do multiple transitions – all at the push of a button. As far as we know, this is the first public demonstration of such a thing ever."
“There are no flight controls located in the aircraft, and every transition and maneuver are simply coded into the aircraft itself. Additionally, the aircraft is in the long process of becoming certified. Wisk hopes to eventually certify this air taxi and then eventually be flying commercial aircraft by the end of the 2020s,” Yutko added.
Wisk claims that over the course of the development of its air taxis, the company has conducted over 1700 test flights.
"There is no easy path to certification. The FAA has very rigorous policies, as they should. We have a type certification program with the FAA, and we work incredibly well and collaboratively with the FAA. We’re advancing the means of compliance and continue to march towards our path to certification,” Yukto concluded.
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