Cora, which has done 1,400 flights, has resumed testing after a Covid-19-induced hiatus. It was designed and is being developed by Wisk, an urban-air-mobility company backed by Boeing and Kitty Hawk. Cora, the world’s first all-electric, self-flying air taxi, resumed testing in both the US and New Zealand after a three-month delay because of Covid-19 concerns. Cora is considered one of the most advanced electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, having gained its flight certificates in 2017.
The 21-foot bumble-bee-colored electric taxi has undergone more than 1,300 flight tests. With a 36-foot wingspan, Cora takes off vertically like a helicopter with its 12 independent lift fans, and flies like an airplane about 1,500 feet above the ground. Top speed is 100 mph, and with current battery technology, Cora has a 25-mile range. The cockpit is designed for two passengers. Cora is also designed to be self-piloting, which most analysts in the eVTOL world see as the future of urban-taxi flight.
Cora was designed to have no single point of failure. The 12 rotors that give it vertical lift are independent from each other, but if one fails others take over. The aircraft also has three independent flight-computers to calculate its position. The aircraft also has a parachute for emergency landings.Cora has 12 rotors for vertical takeoff, and a single rear propeller for flight in airplane mode.
