Collins Aerospace's Engineering Centre of Excellence in Wolverhampton is fully operational, developing electric thrust reverser actuation systems (elecTRAS) for future aircraft nacelles. The site houses a modular, scalable test facility built to support actuation system design, testing and certification.

elecTRAS removes hydraulic interfaces and fluids from actuation systems and cuts nacelle actuation weight by 15–20% at the integrated aircraft system level. Wolverhampton's test capability spans from individual modules to full systems, simulating real-world conditions for components, actuators, subsystems and complete assemblies. Early-stage test results are fed directly into system analysis, allowing issues to be resolved before they cause delays and giving the facility scalability across multiple programmes and system variants.

Ajay Mahajan, president of Advanced Structures at Collins Aerospace, says: “This unique modular approach supports the industry's transition to more-electric systems, aligning with original equipment manufacturers' forward-looking goals while improving fuel efficiency, operational performance and ease of maintenance.”

Co-locating elecTRAS systems design with nacelle actuation expertise is intended to streamline development and improve collaboration between engineering teams. The facility's engineers are working on electric systems, smart algorithms and motor control architecture, alongside ongoing support for current fleets. Collins' elecTRAS technology is already fitted to the Airbus A350 family, where it has logged more than 15 million flight hours and 2.2 million flight cycles across over 700 aircraft as of 2025.