Merlin has begun the flight test campaign of its certification-ready Cessna Caravan aircraft equipped with the firm’s Merlin Pilot technology.
What does Merlin mean by certification-ready? CEO and founder, Matt George explained: “What we’ve installed on this aircraft is not a prototype as this is no longer R&D. This is the actual certification configuration including design data, hundreds of drawings and substantiation reports, custom racks and structures, compliant wiring, and more.”
If and when Merlin has proven its advanced automation system is certifiable, the Merlin Pilot will be extended across additional aircraft types, including integration on the C-130J and the KC-135 in partnership with the US Air Force.
“With this aircraft we are validating takeoff 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 commercialisation goals,” added George.
Cockpit overhaul
The Cessna Caravan has had a glass cockpit replacement with advanced avionics, new sensors, autopilot and an automated communication system. Newly-integrated features include an air data computer, inertial navigation system, heading system and radar altimeter. Also, the automation systems feature dual redundancy similar to those found in the Part 25 air transport aircraft.
The aircraft initially underwent integration check flights in June 2024, and is now working through open, inner and closed looping testing flights, which will culminate in the third-quarter of 2024 with validation of Merlin’s automatic flight control system.
Sherif Ali, Chief Engineer, Merlin said: “At Merlin, 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 state of the art modern avionics, the latest display systems, and custom hardware and software for the Merlin Pilot.
“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.”
