USA-based company Merlin has begun flight testing its certification-ready Cessna Caravan aircraft, which is equipped with the company’s autonomous flight technology.
According to Merlin, the campaign is the first time a certification-ready aircraft has been flight-tested with advanced automation technology. Once proven on the Caravan, Merlin will extend the autonomous system’s use to other aircraft types and classes, including the C-130J and the KC-135 in partnership with the US Air Force.
Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin said, “What we’ve installed on this aircraft is not a prototype and this is no longer R&D. This is the certification configuration including design data, hundreds of drawings and substantiation reports, custom racks and structures, compliant wiring, and more,”
“With this aircraft we are validating take-off to touchdown advanced automation, which for pilots, represents a system that is truly ‘set it and forget it.’
“At the end of the campaign with this certification configuration, we will ultimately return this aircraft to service in the Supplemental Type Certificate configuration. This is part of our steady push towards our certification and commercialization goals.”
The Caravan has been converted to feature a glass cockpit with advanced avionics, new sensors, autopilot and an automated communication system. Notably, the advanced automation systems feature dual redundancy akin to those found in the Part 25 air transport category aircraft, ensuring enhanced reliability and safety standards.
The modified test aircraft underwent integration check flights in June 2024, functional check flights, and is now working through open, inner, and closed looping testing flights, which will culminate this month with validation of Merlin’s automatic flight control system.
The testing and validation process during the campaign will ensure that all aircraft equipment functions as intended with the system integrated, laying a crucial foundation for further testing and refinement of the Merlin Pilot.
Sherif Ali, chief engineer at Merlin said. “We take progressive, pragmatic steps as has been evidenced before with our recent approach to our Certification System Bench. The same can be said for this flight test campaign.
“We stripped everything out of this Cessna Caravan and replaced the instrument panel and legacy systems with modern avionics, the latest display systems, and custom hardware and software for the Merlin Pilot. This includes an air data computer, inertial navigation system, heading system, radar altimeter, all of which were integrated at an incredibly high level of quality to meet certification standards.
“With these systems onboard, the Merlin Pilot is able to understand where the aircraft is, where it’s going, and more. This information goes into our flight control computers and is processed such that the Merlin Pilot can ultimately fly the aircraft where it needs to go, when it needs to go there.
“It’s inspiring to be part of a company that truly believes in doing things right to materially advance our certification process one flight hour at a time.”
