Textron eAviation Prioritizes Nexus eVTOL


The eVTOL Nexus Program has been transferred from Bell to Textron eAviation, following the creation of this business unit in the fall of 2021. This unit is putting its efforts into the Nexus eVTOL. About 50 full-time engineers are working in Wichita, Kansas, to build the first flying Nexus prototype. A first flight of this prototype is targeted in the next couple of years.


According to information provided to Rotor Pro by Textron eAviation, the Nexus is intended to be a multipurpose eVTOL aircraft. It will be optimized for passenger transport (four passengers and pilot) and can be adapted for cargo, EMS, and other missions.


“The current Nexus design is an open-rotor, fully electric distributed propulsion system with four tilting rotors and two stationary vertical lifters,” the Textron eAviation submission stated. To ensure it complies with current published FAA vertiport regulations, it will be 42 feet long and will include a 50-foot wingspan. It is projected to be about the size of a Cessna Caravan.


The Nexus eVTOL aircraft design is targeting a range of up to 100 nautical miles with a cruise speed of 120 knots. It will have a


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useful payload of 800 pounds and a gross weight of 8,000 pounds. “This proposed weight and configuration is representative of a pragmatic approach to design, which includes a complex battery system and the rigor associated with certification,” states the submission. “The Nexus will produce zero carbon emissions by use of all-electric distributed propulsion.”


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