Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, is a global helicopter leader and no stranger to the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) world. It had announced the Bell Nexus, a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
So far, we’ve seen air taxis come in different sizes, shapes, and looks. But rarely do they come with more than 4 seats. Bell has showed the full-size demonstration of its Nexus eVTOL at this years Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and it is big.
With its massive 90-degree 6 tilting rotors, it houses 4 passengers and a pilot cockpit. It is powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system using a Safran turbine. One battery pack sits on top of the aircraft in front of the turbine, and another pack below the aircraft frame.
The Nexus will use Bell’s lift concept, with the 6 tilting ducted fans designed to be safe, redundant, and fairly quiet for air travel. Besides Safran, the Nexus crew teamed up with EPS, Thales, Moog, and Garmin.
As space at the ground level becomes limited, we must solve transportation challenges in the vertical dimension – and that’s where Bell’s on-demand mobility vision takes hold. The unveiling of the Bell Nexus concept highlights that the ‘Electric VTOL Revolution’ is gaining momentum.
The company also showed two unmanned delivery aircraft systems (UAS), otherwise also known as drones, along with flight control simulator booths.
But nothing could overshadow how imposing the Bell Nexus was and is ;o)
Reference- Cleantechnica, Bell website, CES website