Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, provided engineering expertise and subsystem integration support for the successful first flight of Wisk’s Generation 6 autonomous aircraft.
The milestone flight included vertical takeoff, hovering, and stabilized maneuvers, marking a critical step as the first candidate for an FAA-certified commercial autonomous passenger aircraft. Aurora contributed across a range of technical disciplines, including battery development and testing, flight physics, and materials processing.
Clint Church, Aurora’s interim president and CEO, commented, “The first flight is the culmination of years of collaboration with Wisk to design and build the Generation 6 aircraft. It’s a testament to the team’s collective expertise and it lays the groundwork for certification of the world’s first all-electric, autonomous 4-seat air taxi.”
One of the primary engineering contributions involved validating the performance and safety of the battery system. Aurora engineers conducted evaluations to ensure the power units could store sufficient energy, manage heat safely, and maintain wiring integrity under stress to mitigate the risks associated with electric propulsion.
Aurora contributed to the aircraft’s aerodynamic stability and control, with its flight physics team refining the aerodynamics and control systems to support stable flight, including during hover. This work underpins reliable operation and supports further development of autonomous flight capabilities.
Aurora’s expertise in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) enabled the precision required for safe autonomous flight and landing without an onboard pilot. The company also integrated key computing subsystems to support communication between hardware and software components.
Structural integrity was supported by Aurora’s Materials, Processes, and Testing (MPT) team, which conducted engineering tests to verify bonding strength, surface preparation methods, and lightning strike protection, helping to ensure the aircraft can withstand real-world conditions.
Aurora continues to collaborate with Wisk on its ongoing flight test program, focused on validating the Gen 6 aircraft’s design, simulation models, and performance.
