Bell |

Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), home to the Cessna, Beechcraft, and Bell aviation brands, today announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase Pipistrel, an award-winning pioneer and global leader in electrically powered aircraft, based in Slovenia and Italy.

With Textron, Pipistrel will have access to greater resources, technical and regulatory expertise and a global aircraft sales and support network, enabling it to accelerate its development and certification of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft. Upon closing of the transaction, Textron plans to form a new business segment, Textron eAviation, focused on the development of sustainable aircraft, which will include Pipistrel. “Pipistrel puts Textron in a uniquely strong position to develop technologies for the sustainable aviation market and develop a variety of new aircraft to meet a wide range of customer missions,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly. “Today’s announcement supports Textron’s long-term strategy to offer a family of sustainable aircraft for urban air mobility, general aviation, cargo and special mission roles.”

“Pipistrel has been celebrated as one of the world’s most important and successful manufacturers of electric aircraft,” continued Donnelly. “Textron is committed to maintaining Pipistrel’s brand, headquarters, research and development, and manufacturing in Slovenia and Italy while making additional investments in Pipistrel for the development and production of future products.” Pipistrel founder and CEO Ivo Boscarol will remain a minority shareholder as well as Chairman Emeritus, consulting on future product plans and strategies for a two-year period.

“Under my 30-year leadership, Pipistrel’s team has achieved a uniquely prime position in personal, affordable, environmentally friendly and electric aviation. The trend and foundation for future projects have clearly been set,” said Boscarol. “To drive Pipistrel’s ambitious goals and to continue its story of success, the joining of Textron and Pipistrel provides deep expertise and resources which would otherwise be inaccessible to Pipistrel alone. With Textron, we are together geared to strive for future growth and look forward to announcing exciting new products and projects. I am delighted to continue witnessing my vision become a reality by being actively engaged with the company for the future.” The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Source: ‚Textron‚.

Bell is continuing to mature systems and technologies that could equip its future Nexus urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle, but has yet to commit to a timeline for its development or service entry. Jason Hurst, head of innovation at the US manufacturer, says that the company is still “evaluating concepts on the overall vehicle side” as it works to define the market requirements. Certain technologies, such as those to support autonomous flight, are being “taken to flight in other air vehicles”, he told reporters during a 24 March press event. While there is still some debate as to when UAM vehicles will be permitted to fly without a pilot, the development “of a highly automated and augmented sensor system” will benefit the sector’s safety from the start of operations.

Depending on the mission profile required, Bell has options for both full- and hybrid-electric versions of the Nexus, says Hurst, with its approach based on a “modular solution”. Bell is “accelerating the technological discovery”, he says, to support any future development. However, he declines to reveal the timeline for any vehicle to enter service. When the airframer unveiled the Nexus concept in 2019 it was working towards an operational debut in the mid-2020s. Its initial design featured six tilting ducted fans and a hybrid powertrain, but in early 2020 a second iteration, the Nexus 4EX, was revealed, which used just four fans and a full-electric propulsion system. Recent comments from Bell chief executive Mitch Snyder suggest that the company sees little advantage in being first to market while the regulatory landscape remains uncertain. Additionally, he indicated that different vehicle concepts were being worked on and was vague as to whether a demonstrator aircraft would be flown. Meanwhile, the manufacturer continues to eye applications for its EDAT electric tail rotor design. “We have proven the concept is viable what we have got to look at now is the market demand,” says Hurst. Source: ‚Flightglobal.com‚.