Textron Unit and Merlin Unveil Pilotless Cessna SkyCourier UX Cargo Plane Concept

Product / TechM&A · Partnership
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Textron Aviation, a unit of Textron, and autonomous flight software company Merlin introduced a pilotless cargo plane concept called the Cessna SkyCourier UX on September 14, pairing an FAA-certified twin-engine turboprop with Merlin's autonomy software. The concept is designed to keep dispersed military forces supplied when normal supply routes become too risky, carrying roughly 6,000 pounds, or up to three LD3 cargo containers, and landing on unimproved strips. Merlin CEO Matt George says the company's software has logged hundreds of autonomous flights across Beechcraft King Airs, Cessna Caravans and other planes, and because the base aircraft is already certified and in production, Textron would lean on an existing factory and support network. Nothing in the announcement points to a customer, an order, or a delivery date, and the companies describe the SkyCourier UX as an exploration. The concept arrives alongside mixed results for Textron Aviation, whose second-quarter revenue rose just 1% while jet deliveries fell to 40 from 49 and segment profit slipped 3% to $165 million, even as companywide revenue rose 3% to $3.8 billion and adjusted earnings of $1.62 per share topped the $1.55 posted a year earlier.

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