Aircraft
Nexus eVTOL Progressing at Textron eAviation
Four-passenger aircraft could enter service in the 2030s
Textron eAviation Nexus
The first prototype for the four-passenger Nexus eVTOL aircraft is coming together at Textron eAviation's Wichita, Kansas headquarters. © Textron eAviation

In a building called the Glass House next to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Textron’s eAviation division is forging ahead with construction of the first Nexus eVTOL aircraft. The 35-foot-long backbone of the wing—one of the largest composite parts the company has ever made—is being assembled on a jig and the fuselage unveiled earlier this year is taking further shape although separately from the wing.

Textron eAviation is leveraging the skills of experts at its sister companies to build not only the first Nexus but also the infrastructure needed to support the program. This includes Textron Aviation and its McCauley Propeller subsidiary, as well as parent Textron’s Bell and eAviation’s Pipistrel division, along with various internal resources and machinery. For example, the autoclave in which the airframe’s composite parts are cured was originally installed for the Beech Starship airframe and Premier 1/1A and Hawker 4000 composite fuselages.