Aircraft
Wisk’s Gen 6 Autonomous Air Taxi Makes First Flight
Boeing-backed eVTOL developer launches highly anticipated flight test campaign
Wisk Gen 6 first flight
Wisk's Gen 6 eVTOL aircraft achieved its first hover flight at the company's flight test facility at Hollister Municipal Airport in California. © Wisk Aero

Wisk Aero has successfully flown the first full-scale prototype of its autonomous four-passenger eVTOL air taxi, the Boeing-backed aircraft developer announced late Tuesday afternoon. According to Wisk, the Generation 6 aircraft took off, hovered, and performed some flight stabilization maneuvers during its inaugural flight, which took place at the company’s flight test facility in Hollister, California. 

The flight marks the beginning of what the company said will be a “rigorous” flight-test program that will validate the aircraft’s design, simulation models, and performance. Initial tests will focus on “takeoffs, landings, and low-speed stability before expanding to higher speeds and altitudes, including complex maneuvers such as longitudinal transition, lateral transition, and pedal turns,” according to Wisk.