LAS VEGAS, Nev., - Bell Helicopter revealed the configuration and full-scale vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) air taxi vehicle during CES 2019. The air taxi, named Bell Nexus, is powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system and features Bell’s powered lift concept incorporating six tilting ducted fans that are designed to safely and efficiently redefine air travel.
"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 Bell CEO and president Mitch Snyder.
Team Nexus, consisting of Bell, Safran, EPS, Thales, Moog and Garmin, are collaborating on Bell’s VTOL aircraft. 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).
Alongside the debut of Bell Nexus, Bell will feature the Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) – a new venture for Bell. The APT family varies in payload capability that can serve many mission sets from medical, law enforcement, offshore missions and on-demand delivery services. Bell is expanding into a new industry to show the full spectrum of our capabilities and the real-world challenges APT will address.
Bell’s Future Flight Controls simulator will be a new experience for CES participants this year. Bell is actively collecting data to help shape the future flight controls of aviation. Data from these 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.
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