Textron eAviation plans to launch test flights with its all-electric Nexus aircraft next year.
Flight-testing with a prototype will be conducted at Salina Regional airport in Kansas, following the completion of tethered flights with the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Wichita.
The programme, a partnership with the Salina Airport Authority, will be “instrumental in validating the aircraft’s full performance envelope”, the innovation arm of Textron Aviation said on 7 October. Engineers will ”evaluate the Nexus eVTOL’s performance under various conditions, simulating a wide range of operational scenarios”.
The eventual production aircraft will have a pilot on board, but Textron eAviation’s technology demonstrator will be flown remotely from a ground station.
Chief executive Kriya Shortt told reporters in Wichita last month that the company is “absolutely focused on the eVTOL space”. But it is pursuing a less-aggressive development timeline than many air taxi start-ups that do not have the backing of a major OEM such as Textron Aviation.
“We have probably a more pragmatic approach than what you might find in the industry, based upon our legacy and years of experience of designing and certifying aircraft,” Shortt says. ”From our perspective, we’re looking at entry into service in the 2030 time frame.”
The goal is certificate an aircraft that is “commercially viable”, Shortt says. ”We want to bring to market a multi-purpose vehicle that will meet many different missions.”
Textron eAviation is leaning on sister and subsidiary companies to develop Nexus, including Slovenian light aircraft maker Pipistrel, which manufacturers the Velis Electro trainer – the only all-electric aircraft to be certificated with the European Union Aviation Safety Administration (EASA).
“We work with Pipistrel daily,” says JD Terry, Textron eAviation’s director of engineering. “They make the battery-management system and they also make the charging system for the aircraft.”
While Pipistrel lends expertise on battery and electric powertrain technology, Bell is supplying aft tiltrotors and McCauley Propeller is providing propellers for Nexus.
German engineering company Amazilia Aerospace, acquired by Textron eAviation earlier this year, is developing digital flight-control and guidance systems. And the company plans to eventually lean on the production capabilities of its parent Textron Aviation.
Nexus’ wingspan is about 15m (50ft), and the aircraft weighs some 3,629kg (8,000lb) – including batteries weighing 907kg. Based on current battery technology, the aircraft will have an estimated range of 43nm (80km) to 52nm.
