Generations of Design, Development, and Testing
A History of Safety and Innovation
Since 2010, we’ve designed and developed six generations of aircraft. Each successive generation has been an evolution of the previous, incorporating key learnings and insights. Throughout our program, our primary goal has always been to increase overall safety and deliver one of the highest safety standards in the industry.
Generations 4 and 5
With our 4th and 5th Generation aircraft, we began testing new software, autonomy architectures, sensors, hardware and other components. The aircraft also allowed us to begin development of the broader ecosystem, such as airspace integration, infrastructure, and providers of service for AAM.
Generation 5 (also known as Cora) visually resembles Generation 4, with a few exceptions, such as the booms. Generation 5 also differs from Generation 4 with internal systems, such as improved sensors and software.
- Years operational: 2017 – Present
- Pilot Type: Autonomous
- Number of Test flights: 1300+
- Aircraft Type:
- Power: Electric
- TO/L: VTOL
- Lift: Fixed wing; lift + cruise
- Key Milestones and Firsts: First-ever autonomous off-runway flight, Wisk milestone
Watch Us Fly
Watch Us Fly
Generation 3
Our 3rd Generation aircraft incorporated many components from Gen 2 and was used for testing a new wing configuration. Many components of this generation of aircraft made it into future generations, such as the aircraft structure, and wing shape. Gen 3 was a Collier Trophy finalist for the demonstration of the full envelope of a piloted eVTOL aircraft.
- Years operational: 2015 – 2017
- Pilot Type: Piloted
- Number of Test Flights: 70
- Aircraft Type:
- Power: Electric
- TO/L: Initially CTOL, and then VTOL
- Lift: Fixed wing; lift + cruise
- Key Milestones and Firsts: Wisk’s first piloted eVTOL hover, Wisk’s first piloted eVTOL transition, Wisk milestone
Generation 2
Our Generation 2 aircraft was our first piloted aircraft. This aircraft was used to test wing-borne characteristics, as well as systems validation and flight-test team maturation in preparation for future development. Gen 2 was piloted to prepare the safety-critical systems and processes required for flight with passengers.
- Years operational: 2015
- Pilot Type: Piloted
- Number of Test Flights: 5
- Aircraft Type:
- Power: Electric
- TO/L: Conventional
- Lift: Fixed wing
- Key Milestones and Firsts:
- First-ever piloted flight for Wisk
- First all electric fly-by-wire piloted general aviation sized aircraft (Industry Milestone)
Generation 1
Our Generation 1 aircraft was our full-sized Proof of Concept showing that our design was viable. The aircraft was initially designed to fit into a single parking space but came up against the limitations of existing aviation and battery technology.
- Years Operational: 2011 – 2014
- Pilot Type: Autonomous
- Number of Test Flights: 207
- Aircraft Type:
- Power: Electric
- TO/L: VTOL
- Lift: Fixed wing; lift + cruise
- Key Milestones and Firsts: The first full-transition flight (vertical takeoff, transition to wingborne flight, transition back to hover and vertical landing)