Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 30, 2013 item	Mar. 31, 2012
Operating and reportable business segments
Number of business operating segments	5
Number of reportable business segments	5
REVENUES
Manufacturing revenues	$ 2,813	$ 2,795
Finance revenues	42	61
Total revenues	2,855	2,856
SEGMENT OPERATING PROFIT
Segment profit	235	259
Corporate expenses and other, net	(55)	(47)
Interest Expense, net for Manufacturing group	(37)	(35)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	143	177
Manufacturing group
REVENUES
Manufacturing revenues	2,813	2,795
SEGMENT OPERATING PROFIT
Segment profit	216	247
Cessna \| Manufacturing group
REVENUES
Manufacturing revenues	708	669
SEGMENT OPERATING PROFIT
Segment profit	(8)	(6)
Bell \| Manufacturing group
REVENUES
Manufacturing revenues	949	994
SEGMENT OPERATING PROFIT
Segment profit	129	145
Textron Systems \| Manufacturing group
REVENUES
Manufacturing revenues	429	377
SEGMENT OPERATING PROFIT
Segment profit	38	35
Industrial \| Manufacturing group
REVENUES
Manufacturing revenues	727	755
SEGMENT OPERATING PROFIT
Segment profit	57	73
Finance group
REVENUES
Finance revenues	42	61
SEGMENT OPERATING PROFIT
Segment profit	$ 19	$ 12

Corporate expenses and other, net.

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Operating profit for all operating segments before income taxes.

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The aggregate financial services revenue and operating interest income earned during the reporting period.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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The net amount of operating interest income (expense).

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Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

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Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

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Aggregate revenue recognized during the period (derived from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an entity's earning process). For financial services companies, also includes investment and interest income, and sales and trading gains.

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Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

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