Electric Aircraft Manufacturer to Remain Separate Brand Under Textron Umbrella

Pipistrel is now completely under the Textron umbrella, now a part of the brand's collection of aviation marques. 

The brand gives Textron a great way to break into the burgeoning electric aircraft market, with a solid range of offerings for business, training, or personal use. specifically in flight training and general aviation. The Pipistrel portfolio supports a number of missions from affordable electric flight training, premium cross-country cruising, and even remotely piloted ISR options. Pipistrel was the go-to for Textron's effort to future-proof their lineup, gaining access to not only their aircraft, but their well-developed E-811 electric propulsion system.

In the meantime, ANN has reviewed a copy of a lawsuit filed by Michael Coates' Pipistrel USA operation--formerly the North American distributor for the brand, alleging a number of transgressions reportedly committed by Pipistrel HQ. The suit against the Pipistrel parent company is in its early stages but the charges appear ponderous. We have reached out to Textron to see what they intend to do about that situation. To date, Textron has not returned our calls. 

Pipistrel will remain a distinct brand under the Textron banner, just like sister brands Bell, Beechcraft, and Cessna. Its manufacturing will remain in Slovenia and Italy, but Textron has said additional manufacturing and expansion is likely in the near future.

“Pipistrel has already achieved what many other companies only aspire to – certifying and delivering highly regarded electric aircraft to customers around the world,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly. “We are excited to accelerate Pipistrel’s development and to welcome its talented people into our organization, where we will pool expertise to make Textron a world leader in sustainable aircraft for a wide range of missions.”

“With Pipistrel, we have the opportunity to take an already great aircraft manufacturer and make it greater still,” said Textron eAviation CEO Rob Scholl. “We look forward to working with its remarkable team and helping the business achieve its full potential.”

FMI: www.pipistrel-aircraft.com, www.txtav.com