Thu, Nov 14, 2024
Significant Progress Toward Certification Of Merlin Pilot For KC-135
Merlin announced that its airworthiness plan for the Merlin Pilot KC-135 testing has been accepted by the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The joint USAF-Merlin project will evaluate the viability of scaling Merlin Pilot to large transport aircraft.
This milestone shows that Merlin’s processes are consistent with USAF airworthiness standards and allows the company to progress toward aircraft integration, design completion, and testing operations.
The acceptance follows Merlin’s recently announced collaboration with the Air Mobility Command (AMC) and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to design, integrate, test, and demonstrate its Merlin Pilot on the KC-135. The collaboration agreement was signed in February 2024 and this is its first milestone to be executed. It lays the foundation for Merlin Pilot’s certification and eventual Military Flight Release.
Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin commented, “We’re building the Merlin Pilot to not just meet safety standards, but redefine them. Integrating the Merlin Pilot onto one of most important aircraft in the USAF’s fleet is crucial to advancing military aviation into a new era of pilot efficiency and national security, as well as progressing autonomy at scale. This is an important milestone for both Merlin and the USAF as we continue to build the Merlin Pilot to exceed the military’s operational needs.”
Integration of Merlin Pilot on the KC-135 kickstarts its Part 25 airworthiness programs and is central to continued advancements on this class of aircraft. Merlin is targeting end of 2024 for design completion, with ground and flight testing, and demonstrations to be carried out in 2025.
More News
“Setting eight speed records this quickly following its August entry into service is a powerful testament to the tremendous capabilities of this aircraft. We are already seei>[...]
On-Course Indication An indication on an instrument, which provides the pilot a visual means of determining that the aircraft is located on the centerline of a given navigational t>[...]
Aero Linx: WW1 Aeroplanes, Inc. WORLD WAR 1 AEROPLANES was founded by Leo Opdycke in 1961 and incorporated as a federally recognized 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation in 1979,>[...]
Pilot Reported That He Purchased The Airplane Earlier That Day Analysis: The pilot reported that he purchased the airplane earlier that day and completed a condition inspection tha>[...]
Also: Abu Dhabi’s 1st Vertiport Network, Anduril-EDGE Partner, Vertical Permit/eVTOL Regs Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane has cleared another round of pre-flight>[...]
Aero-News: Quote of the Day (11.18.25)
See All