In a building called the Glass House next to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Textron’s eAviation division is forging ahead with construction of the first Nexus eVTOL aircraft. The 35-foot-long backbone of the wing—one of the largest composite parts the company has ever made—is being assembled on a jig and the fuselage unveiled earlier this year is taking further shape although separately from the wing.

Textron eAviation is leveraging the skills of experts at its sister companies to build not only the first Nexus but also the infrastructure needed to support the program. This includes Textron Aviation and its McCauley Propeller subsidiary, as well as parent Textron’s Bell and eAviation’s Pipistrel division, along with various internal resources and machinery. For example, the autoclave in which the airframe’s composite parts are cured was originally installed for the Beech Starship airframe and Premier 1/1A and Hawker 4000 composite fuselages.

In the first installment of Business Jet Traveler's new video series, we explore the business aircraft manufacturing process from conception to delivery.

Aircraft such as the Bombardier Global 7500 go through a long process from concept to production to delivery. Mark Masluch, the company's senior director of communications, explains the steps.

I remember well that night on July 17, 1996, when TWA Flight 800 exploded and crashed off the coast of Long Island, killing all aboard. I was settling down with some friends at my brother’s Manhattan apartment to watch a game between the Red Sox and their arch-rival Yankees when the game broadcast was interrupted by news that an airliner had crashed soon after takeoff from JFK International. Given the proximity of the disaster, the New York-based channel went to live coverage, pre-empting the remainder of the game.

A week later, I found myself visiting my girlfriend (now wife) out on Long Island. At the time, she lived near the beach from which you could see the U.S. Navy recovery vessels in the distance, working to raise the wreckage of the Boeing 747. Out of curiosity, we went there, and as we walked along the beach, we could see small chunks of some honeycombed insulation material that had washed up along the tide line. I then noticed a piece of green plastic sticking up out of the sand. I picked up what turned out to be a charred toothbrush, its bristles melted together, reeking of jet fuel. With a shudder, I realized it must have belonged to one of the people on board the doomed flight.

SkyDrive is ramping up efforts to introduce eVTOL air taxi services in South Carolina. The Japanese aircraft developer has teamed up with private charter operator SAI Flight and Greenville Downtown Airport to explore business opportunities and potential flight routes for the three-seat SkyDrive SD-05 eVTOL.

As part of the arrangement, announced on November 20, SAI Flight agreed to pre-order 10 SkyDrive eVTOLs. The Part 135 operator plans to use the aircraft for on-demand air taxi services and is looking into additional applications, such as cargo transport and emergency response. Its existing fleet includes Beechcraft King Air, Bombardier Challenger, and Learjet models.

Shopping for an airplane or helicopter? Start by reading the key facts about the airframers whose products you might want to consider.

Business Jet Traveler's up-to-date business aircraft directory covers all of the manufacturers, from A (Airbus Corporate Jets) to T (Textron Aviation).

Nine Embraer C-390 Millennium military aircraft ordered by the Netherlands and Austria will be modified by Fokker Services Group (FSG) under an agreement announced by the Brazilian aerospace and defense group on Thursday. The modifications package will prepare the multi-role twinjets for use in tactical transport missions as part of the European countries’ contribution to NATO Special Missions.

These C-390s will be operated by the Dutch and Austrian air forces. Earlier this month, Sweden’s ministry of defense announced the selection of the C-390 as its new military transport aircraft after the country became the latest member of NATO in March. Embraer has not yet announced the modification contractor for this customer or confirmed how many aircraft will be acquired.

Some FBOs have earned a reputation for certain things over the years, and for Signature Aviation’s location at St. Paul Downtown Airport/Holman Field (KSTP), that something is outstanding customer service. For years, the facility has scored at or near the top of the CSR category in AIN’s annual FBO survey.

Sandy Tachovsky—the facility’s duty manager and a 33-year veteran at the location—said the secret lies in “Minnesota nice,” a term that describes the friendly and courteous behavior for which the state’s residents are generally known. That is combined with the FBO’s consistency of service to its large based-tenant population and familiar transient customers. “It’s really getting to know all of them and going that extra mile for them,” Tachovsky told AIN.

Aerodata Backup GPS Approved for Anti-spoofing and Anti-jamming Capability

NASA and GE Plan Flight Tests To Study Contrails

Clay Lacy Aviation Starts Construction on Its New FBO at KSNA

Embraer’s Plans for a Larger Bizjet Remain Up in the Air

NBAA Challenges Study Highlighting Business Aviation Emissions

AINsight: Future of Aviation’s Mx Workforce