Bell unveils Nexus VTOL air taxi

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, revealed its full-scale vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) air taxi vehicle during the CES 2019 technology trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The air taxi, named Bell Nexus, is powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system and features six tilting ducted fans for lift.

“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,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO, Bell. “The industry has anticipated the reveal of our air taxi for some time, so Bell is very proud of this moment. We believe the design, taken with our strategic approach to build this infrastructure, will lead to the successful deployment of the Bell Nexus to the world.”

Team Nexus, consisting of Bell, Safran, EPS, Thales, Moog and Garmin, are collaborating on Bell’s VTOL aircraft and on-demand mobility solutions. Bell will lead the design, development and production of the VTOL systems. Safran will provide the hybrid propulsion and drive systems, EPS will provide the energy storage systems, Thales will provide the Flight Control Computer (FCC) hardware and software, Moog will develop the flight control actuation systems, and Garmin will integrate the avionics and the vehicle management computer (VMC).

The critical last step in bringing urban air travel to the masses is designing a flight control ecosystem that allows individuals to safely and efficiently operate urban air vehicles. Bell’s Future Flight Controls simulator was an experience for CES participants this year. Data from simulators will be used to determine what actions and interfaces are intuitive to the average potential operator and what prior experiences and abilities contribute to these opinions.

Alongside the debut of Bell Nexus, Bell featured the Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) – a family of drones of various payload capability that can serve medical, law enforcement, offshore missions, and on-demand delivery services.