Air taxi from Boeing subsidiary Wisk Aero completes maiden flight
Boeing subsidiary Wisk Aero has launched its electric aircraft for the first time. It is intended to be used as an autonomous air taxi in the future.
Maiden flight of Wisk Aero's air taxi
(Image: Wisk Aero)
First flight for an unmanned air taxi: Boeing subsidiary Wisk has let its sixth-generation aircraft take off for the first time. According to the manufacturer, the test was successful.
The air taxi took off and hovered. It also performed stable flight maneuvers, Wisk Aero announced. This marks the start of an extensive test program. At its end, a type certification for the air taxi is planned.
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The aircraft is electrically powered and takes off and lands vertically (Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing, eVTOL). It looks like a conventional aircraft, with wings that have a span of about 15 meters. It has space for four passengers. No pilot is planned; the air taxi is autonomous and is to be monitored from a control center, with one operator controlling up to three of the aircraft simultaneously.
Six swiveling propellers
It is powered by twelve electric propellers mounted on the wings. Six of them have a vertical axis and provide lift. They are only needed for takeoff and landing. The six propellers at the front of the wings are swiveling: during takeoff and landing, they provide lift. For horizontal flight, they are positioned horizontally and provide forward thrust.
The cruising speed is 120 knots, or about 220 km/h. Wisk Aero states the range as approximately 145 kilometers plus a reserve. The flight altitude is intended to be 2,500 feet (762 meters).
The current aircraft represents the sixth iteration of Wisk's eVTOL. This design is to be certified by the US aviation authority, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). With the previous prototypes, Wisk has conducted nearly 1800 test flights.
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Wisk Aero plans to offer air taxi services in Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami in the future, according to its own statements.
(wpl)
