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Reliable Robotics wins contract and new funding as rival Merlin steps up flight testing

U.S. Air Force Steps Up Backing for Autonomous Flight Technology

Hanneke Weitering

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Merlin Starts KC-135 Flight Test Campaign With the USAF

Human factors guide enhancements to the Merlin Pilot autonomous flight control system

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The company's Certification System Bench means Merlin Pilot can be continuously tested

Merlin Accelerates Autonomous Flight Development with Simulator

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of New Zealand has issued a Part 135 air operator&nbsp;certificate to autonomous flight technology developer Merlin. The company plans to start operating freight services so that it can collect flight data to support its efforts to certify its Merlin Pilot automation system.
In May 2023, Merlin opened an operations center at Kerikeri near the top of New Zealand’s North Island. The Boston-based company has been working to achieve certification for its product and operational plan since New Zealand authorities approved its Project Specific Certification Plan in August 2021.
The data collected from the as-yet-unspecified freight operations will&nbsp;support development decisions for Merlin Pilot, as well as its engagement with the New Zealand CAA and the FAA. “Achieving an organizational Part 135 certification gives us the opportunity to work with a forward-thinking regulator as well as leverage New Zealand as a sandbox for our current and future products,” said Merlin CEO and founder Matt George. “This enables us to continue progressing our technical maturity, ultimately validating the safety and operational effectiveness of the Merlin Pilot for Part 23 certification and beyond.”
Earlier this month, Merlin signed an agreement with the U.S. Air Force to explore the potential for deploying the autonomous flight technology with the KC-135 Stratotanker refueling platform. The company will collaborate with the Air Mobility Command and the Air Force Material Command to design, integrate, and test the system with the aircraft.

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Merlin Gets Approval To Start Freight Operations in New Zealand

Colleen Mondor

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Merlin completed a round of trials of its autonomous tech in Alaska

Merlin Autonomy Vision Raises Questions of Alaska's Preparedness

Autonomous flight technology developer Merlin has opened a test facility at Kerikeri in New Zealand. The Boston-based company is using a pair of Cessna Caravan aircraft for flight testing as part of the process to achieve certification for the Merlin Pilot system with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA).
According to Merlin, it has conducted more than 500 autonomous flights so far, with development work also being done at its Mojave, California&nbsp;test center. It is also seeking <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-04-12/merlin-wins-1-million-faa-contract-autonomous-flight-trials-alaska">FAA approval </a>for the supplemental type certificate (STC) under which it will convert existing aircraft that could also include Textron King Air twin turboprops.
As part of its development work, Merlin said, it has started a partnership with Freightways New Zealand to make cargo deliveries to rural communities in northern&nbsp;New Zealand. This will help it to have a complete understanding of freight cargo operations, which are expected to be an early use case for the Merlin Pilot system.
Earlier this month, the CAA concluded its review of Merlin’s “first stage of involvement” process&nbsp;and approved the company’s Plan for Software Aspects of Certification, which marks the start of New Zealand’s STC process. Merlin is pursuing concurrent CAA/FAA certification under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the two countries.&nbsp;
However, a spokeswoman for the CAA told&nbsp;FutureFlight&nbsp;that the agency does not intend to approve Merlin's technology for fully autonomous flight. She said that the STC will specify that, at least initially, a pilot in command will have to be on board all flights.
The Merlin facility in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands region includes an aircraft hangar, maintenance workshops, and offices. Recently, the company deployed its first Caravan test aircraft to support relief operations to communities impacted by serious flooding.
Merlin is among several companies, also including Xwing and Reliable Robotics, that are looking to enable autonomous commercial flights, in part to ease the shortage of qualified pilots. Last year, the company announced that it had raised $105 million through a Series B funding round, taking the total reported funding to $130 million.&nbsp;
This story was updated on May 31 to clarify the terms under which the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority intends to approve the supplemental type certificate for Merlin's autonomous flight technology.
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Merlin Extends Autonomous Flight Trials to New Zealand

Merlin, a Boston-based company developing “drop-in” autonomy kits for legacy fixed-wing aircraft, has received a $1 million contract from the FAA to demonstrate its autonomous flight control technology in the National Airspace System. Flight trials will take place over Alaska starting in the second quarter of 2023.
“The tests will be flown autonomously from takeoff to touchdown by the Merlin Pilot, with a human safety pilot on board to monitor the system,” Merlin co-founder and CEO Matthew George told FutureFlight. “Our safety pilots are all professional test pilots who are helping guide the transfer of the technology to [air]line pilots as our certification program matures.”
In partnership with Alaskan cargo carrier Everts Air Cargo, and in close collaboration with the FAA, Merlin will conduct flight trials along three cargo routes in Alaska using the Merlin Pilot autonomous flight control system. The routes will originate from an FAA-designated uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) test site at the University of Fairbanks and will travel to five destinations across Alaska: Fort Yukon, Galena, Prudhoe Bay, Huslia, and Tanana.&nbsp;
According to Merlin, these rural destinations are underserved by existing air cargo operations and could benefit from having better access to supplies. The area's challenging geography also poses inherent safety risks for conventionally piloted aircraft, which Merlin says it can alleviate with its highly automated Merlin Pilot.&nbsp;
“Alaska’s terrain and inclement weather can challenge the most experienced pilots,”&nbsp;said Cathy Cahill, director of the Alaska Center for UAS Integration. “And yet remote communities rely on air cargo deliveries for vital supplies such as milk, mail, and medicine. Working with Merlin on these flight trials benefits our residents and provides data with each flight that will create not only a safer airspace in Alaska but technology that is applicable worldwide.”
“This program will help thousands of our state’s remote residents to acquire supplies necessary to sustain life," Cahill added, "and it’s exciting that the advent of new technologies can drive greater equity and access across our communities.”&nbsp;
The goal of Merlin’s drop-in autonomy kits is to ease the ongoing pilot shortage while also making aviation safer and more efficient. Other autonomous flight start-ups like Xwing, Reliable Robotics, and Daedalean are working on similar self-piloting aircraft technologies. Merlin aims to convert multiple types of legacy fixed-wing aircraft to fully autonomous operations under FAA supplemental type certificates.&nbsp;
Last summer, Merlin (which formerly operated under the name Merlin Labs)&nbsp;announced that it had raised $105 million in its latest Series B funding round, bringing its total funding to $130 million. At the same time, the company announced that it had secured a<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-14/merlin-labs-raises-105-million-partners-us-air-force-autonomous-flights"> partnership with the U.S. Air Force</a> to integrate the Merlin Pilot into the C-130J Super Hercules, the most-used cargo carrier in the Air Force’s fleet. Other customers include cargo carrier<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-14/merlin-labs-raises-105-million-partners-us-air-force-autonomous-flights"> Ameriflight</a>, which aims to convert its fleet of Cessna 208B Caravan aircraft, and Virginia-based special-missions operator<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-05-26/merlin-labs-partners-special-missions-operator-convert-king-airs-autonomous"> Dynamic Aviation</a>, which will convert up to 55 Textron King Air twin turboprops.&nbsp;
Merlin has already conducted hundreds of flight tests at its test facility in Mojave, California, using five aircraft equipped with the Merlin Pilot: two canards (a Rutan Long-EZ and a Cozy Mark IV), a King Air A90, a DHC-6 Twin Otter, and a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan.&nbsp;So far, all of those flight tests have been performed with a safety pilot on board. Eventually, the company hopes its autonomous flight technology will eliminate the need for any pilots on board small aircraft while allowing larger commercial airplanes to fly with reduced crew size.
“These initial flight trials are vital to maturing our in-flight capabilities, and it’s rewarding that this work will also serve a material need in the communities of Alaska,” George said in a written statement. “Alongside the FAA and our operating partner Everts Air Cargo, we’re thrilled that the Merlin Pilot will soon be learning in a real-world, complex environment.”

Science & Technology Editor

Merlin Wins $1 Million FAA Contract for Autonomous Flight Trials in Alaska

Autonomous flight pioneer Merlin Labs has selected Canadian avionics specialist CMC Electronics to power its autonomous flight systems, the company announced Thursday.
CMC Electronics will provide Merlin&nbsp;with its PU-3000 avionics computer, the world’s first civil-certified multicore mission computer, to host its autonomous flight-control software. Boston-based Merlin Labs is working to develop a “drop-in” autonomy conversion kit that can make various types of piloted, legacy aircraft completely self-piloted.&nbsp;
“The PU-3000 avionics computer has the multicore processing power, diverse interfaces, and civil certification pedigree we needed for our mission,” said Shaun Johnson, CEO of Merlin New Zealand Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Merlin Labs). “Merlin is delighted to partner with CMC Electronics to propel the future of fully autonomous flight and to build a safe and autonomous unmanned aerospace industry.”
Merlin Labs and other autonomous flight pioneers, such as <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-06/human-loop-my-ride-xwings-self-flying-aircraft">Xwing</a> and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-08-23/faa-accepts-reliable-robotics-certification-basis-pilotless-technology">Reliable Robotics</a>, are hoping to help alleviate the ongoing pilot shortage by providing autonomous flight solutions to reduce and replace pilots in the cockpit. These companies all plan to begin operations in cargo transportation, but the same technology could also be used for commercial flights. Merlin Labs says its aim for now is to reduce crew in large cargo aircraft and eliminate the need for any crew at all on board smaller aircraft.
“At a time when crew shortages are a critical industry issue, we are pleased to be part of the solution alongside Merlin, which&nbsp;is enhancing aviation safety while pushing the boundaries of innovation,” said Brad Nolen, CMC’s v-p of sales and marketing.
This past summer, Merlin Labs announced that it had raised $105 million in its latest funding round—bringing its total funding raised to $130 million—and secured a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-14/merlin-labs-raises-105-million-partners-us-air-force-autonomous-flights">partnership with the U.S. Air Force</a> to produce an autonomous flight system for the C-130J Super Hercules, the most-used cargo carrier in the Air Force’s fleet.&nbsp;

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U.S. Air Force Steps Up Backing for Autonomous Flight Technology

Merlin Starts KC-135 Flight Test Campaign With the USAF

Merlin Engineers Fly on Stratotanker for Autonomy Research

MIT and Merlin To Integrate Collision Avoidance Technology

Merlin Accelerates Autonomous Flight Development with Simulator

Merlin Autonomy Vision Raises Questions of Alaska's Preparedness

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