Textron eAviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, today announced that it has successfully connected the two halves of the fuselage of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), Nexus, full-scale technology demonstrator. This significant milestone involves joining the central sections of the aircraft that are designed to seat passengers.

“Since the formation of Textron eAviation, the team has been focused on vehicle design, performance confirmation and the build of our first full-scale technology demonstrator to test the control and functionality of the aircraft,” said Kriya Shortt, president & CEO, Textron eAviation. “It is rewarding to see the vehicle begin to take shape, and achieving fuselage assembly on the demonstrator is a major step in the aircraft's development.”

The fuselage assembly milestone supports the demonstrator's first flight expected next year.

Designed for one pilot and four passengers, the zero-emission aircraft will be powered by a distributed electric propulsion system. Nexus's four tilting propellers and two aft stationary vertical rotors are designed to facilitate multiple applications, including passenger transport, public aircraft operations and cargo.