Wisk Aero Generation 2, Z-P1 (proof of concept)

Wisk Aero Z-P1, Generation 2, proof of concept

(Photo credit: Wisk Aero)

Generation 2, Z-P1 (proof of concept)
Wisk Aero LLC.
Mountain View, California, USA
www.wisk.aero

Wisk Aero was founded in 2019 as a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation and is headquartered in Mountain View, California, USA. The goal of the company is to manufacture autonomous on-demand passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with zero emissions for advanced air mobility (AAM). The company recognizes that self-flying cars will not be the first to market but expects to be the first autonomous on-demand air taxi passenger eVTOL service by 2030.

History
Zee Aero was founded in 2010. In 2017, Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk merged. In 2017, the Kitty Hawk Cora program received $1 million (USD) from the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), a Pentagon organization that focuses on implementing cutting-edge technology into the U.S. Military. Kitty Hawk Corporation purchased Zee Aero aircraft and its technology and intellectual property rights in March 2018.

In December 2019, a joint venture occurred between Boeing and Kitty Hawk and the company became Wisk Aero. The reason for forming a new company, is that Boeing can take advantage of Kitty Hawks' innovated eVTOL aircraft and Kitty Hawk can take advantage of Boeing's manufacturing and aerospace abilities. Wisk Aero's goal is to operate one of the world's largest commercial autonomous on-demand air taxi fleet in the world throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. It was reported in late 2019, that some of Boeing's executives are already on Wisk Aero's board. In February 2022, Boeing invested another $450 million (USD) in Wisk Aero.

Generation 2: Z-P1 crewed full-scale eCTOL aircraft (proof of concept) to validate an eVTOL aircraft
The Z-P1 is a second generation crewed full-scale electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft to validate an eVTOL aircraft and determine if the aircraft will function in the real world. This was Zee Aero's (now Wisk Aero) second aircraft and it was also the company's first piloted aircraft. This second generation aircraft made five test flights in 2015.

The cabin is completely enclosed with a front window and each door has windows. The aircraft has a foreplane and a rear horizontal stabilizer (with vertical stabilizers one both ends of the horizontal stabilizer) for lift. There are two rear pusher propellers for forward flight. Two booms parallel to and near the top of the fuselage are intended to hold VTOL propellers. While this aircraft is a prototype for an eVTOL passenger aircraft, the Z-P1 proof of concept has no VTOL propellers and must take off and land conventionally like an small general aviation airplane. The aircraft has fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear for take offs and landings.

A proof of concept aircraft is typically for new unique aircraft to help inventors flight test the aircraft, collect flight test data, to find the right components for the aircraft, to help find other materials needed to make the aircraft and to test and make sure the aircraft will fly in the real world. Many times a proof of concept aircraft will not be a complete aircraft and will not look like the serial production model and, in fact, proof of concept aircraft are not intended to be an early version of the planned production model. While very little of this aircraft is known about, the construction of, the test flights and test data has been instrumental in helping make Wisk's Cora eVTOL passenger aircraft.

The company expects its autonomous eVTOL aircraft for air taxi service, for other types of passenger air mobility missions and for autonomous air cargo transportation.

Wisk Aero Generation 2, Z-P1 (proof of concept), rear view flying

Specifications:

Aircraft type: Crewed eCTOL aircraft (proof of concept), to validate an eVTOL aircraft
Piloting: 1 pilot
Cruise speed: Unknown
Propellers: 2 rear pusher propellers
Electric Motors: 2 electric motors
Power source: Batteries
Fuselage material: Unknown
Windows: Standard windows found in small general aviation airplanes, 1 front window and 2 side windows
Wings: 1 Foreplane wing
Tail: 1 Twin tail or H-tail, consisting of two vertical stabilizers on the ends of a horizontal stabilizer
Booms: 2 booms parallel to the fuselage that VTOL propellers could be mounted to
Landing gear: Fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear