SMITHFIELD – Merlin Inc., an aerospace and defense technology company building the operating system of record for autonomous flight, has announced that it has moved its U.S. flight operations to North Central State Airport in Smithfield.
The move provides the additional hangar capacity and operational flexibility needed to support Merlin’s expanding aircraft fleet and growing flight testing requirements. As part of the transition to North Central, the company has concluded its flight operations at Quonset State Airport.
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Merlin’s expanding fleet includes a Beechcraft King Air, which was first flown by the Merlin Pilot this month, as an L-39 Albatros, the company’s first owned jet aircraft. The L-39 represents an important opportunity to extend the Merlin Pilot autonomy platform toward tactical mission profiles and other high-performance military missions, states a release. Together with Merlin’s work on the Cessna 208 Caravan and Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, these platform integrations give the company a representative range of airframes spanning single- and twin-engine platforms, a military transport aircraft, and a jet.
“This breadth enables Merlin to mature a versatile autonomy platform across aircraft types and missions its customers operate every day,” it states.
“Flight testing is central to everything we do, and our infrastructure needs to grow alongside our technology and aircraft fleet,” said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin. “North Central State Airport gives us the space and operational flexibility we need for our evolving flight test programs, while bringing these critical operations closer to our Boston headquarters and growing team. This move reflects the momentum Merlin has built and our continued investment in the region.”
Merlin’s broader vision is to help establish the greater Boston area as a hub for aviation autonomy.
“Expanding the region’s hangar, flight testing, and operational capacity is critical to building that ecosystem and advancing the next generation of autonomous aircraft,” says Merlin. “The company’s growing regional presence is also expected to support continued job creation and provide access to the Northeast’s deep pool of aerospace, engineering, and technology talent. That talent base will be essential as Merlin expands its team and develops increasingly sophisticated autonomous flight capabilities.”
