Note 8: Restructuring and Other Costs (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 138,000,000
Restructuring Charges Continuing Operations	111,000,000
Restructuring Charges Discontinued Operations	27,000,000
Restructuring Reserve, Two Years Prior Actions	53,000,000
Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve, Period Expense	116,000,000
Restructuring Reserve Settled	(29,000,000)
Restructuring Reserve Ending Balance	87,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	172,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	116,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	56,000,000
Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve Beginning Balance	154,000,000
Restructuring Reserve, Period Expense	20,000,000
Restructuring Reserve Settled	(77,000,000)
Restructuring Reserve Ending Balance	97,000,000	154,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	380,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	20,000,000	286,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	74,000,000
Otis [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	28,000,000
Otis [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	29,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	23,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	6,000,000
Otis [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	100,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	6,000,000	76,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	18,000,000
UTC Climate Controls and Security [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	35,000,000
UTC Climate Controls and Security [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	65,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	25,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	40,000,000
UTC Climate Controls and Security [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	126,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	9,000,000	93,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	24,000,000
Pratt and Whitney [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	37,000,000
Pratt and Whitney [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	43,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	34,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	9,000,000
Pratt and Whitney [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	47,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	2,000,000	37,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	8,000,000
Hamilton Sundstrand [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	2,000,000
Hamilton Sundstrand [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	2,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	1,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	1,000,000
Hamilton Sundstrand [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	8,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	8,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	0
Sikorsky [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	3,000,000
Sikorsky [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	75,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	3,000,000	51,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	21,000,000
Eliminations and other [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	6,000,000
Eliminations and other [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	6,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	6,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	0
Eliminations and other [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	1,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	1,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	0
Discontinued Operations [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	27,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	27,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	0
Discontinued Operations [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	23,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	20,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	3,000,000
Cost Of Sales [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	62,000,000
Cost Of Sales [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	54,000,000
Cost Of Sales [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	6,000,000
Selling General and Administrative [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	49,000,000
Selling General and Administrative [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	35,000,000
Selling General and Administrative [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	14,000,000
Other Income Net [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	0
Other Income Net [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	27,000,000
Employee Severance [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve, Period Expense	96,000,000
Restructuring Reserve Settled	(12,000,000)
Restructuring Reserve Ending Balance	84,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	126,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	96,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	30,000,000
Employee Severance [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve Beginning Balance	144,000,000
Restructuring Reserve, Period Expense	10,000,000
Restructuring Reserve Settled	(71,000,000)
Restructuring Reserve Ending Balance	83,000,000	144,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	303,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	10,000,000	259,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	34,000,000
Asset Write Downs [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve, Period Expense	12,000,000
Restructuring Reserve Settled	(12,000,000)
Restructuring Reserve Ending Balance	0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	12,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	12,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	0
Asset Write Downs [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve Beginning Balance	0
Restructuring Reserve, Period Expense	0
Restructuring Reserve Settled	0
Restructuring Reserve Ending Balance	0	0
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	4,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	0	4,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	0
Facility Exit [Member] | Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve, Period Expense	8,000,000
Restructuring Reserve Settled	(5,000,000)
Restructuring Reserve Ending Balance	3,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	34,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	8,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	26,000,000
Facility Exit [Member] | Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve Beginning Balance	10,000,000
Restructuring Reserve, Period Expense	10,000,000
Restructuring Reserve Settled	(6,000,000)
Restructuring Reserve Ending Balance	14,000,000	10,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	73,000,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	10,000,000	23,000,000
Restructuring And Related Cost Expected Remaining	$ 40,000,000
Restructuring And Other Costs, Current Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Details [Line Items]
Anticipated Net Workforce Reduction Of Hourly And Salary Employees	approximately 1,700 hourly and salaried employees
Anticipated Net Square Feet Of Facilities To Be Exited	approximately 425,000 net square feet
Completed Net Workforce Reduction Of Hourly And Salary Employees	approximately 350 employees
Restructuring And Other Costs, Prior Year Actions [Member]
Restructuring Details [Line Items]
Anticipated Net Workforce Reduction Of Hourly And Salary Employees	5,000 employees
Anticipated Net Square Feet Of Facilities To Be Exited	2 million net square feet
Completed Net Workforce Reduction Of Hourly And Salary Employees	approximately 3,500 employees
Completed Net Square Feet Of Facilities Exited	approximately 100,000 net square feet