#aircraft

All articles tagged with "aircraft"

NASA’s Growing Research Fleet Puts Ground Crews in the Spotlight

As NASA adds aircraft including two F-15s and a Pilatus PC-12 at Armstrong, the agency is emphasizing the maintenance teams that keep an unusually varied research fleet ready for science and flight test missions.

Key Takeaways

NASA Armstrong says maintenance crews are essential to keeping research aircraft mission ready.
The center added two F-15s and a Pilatus PC-12 this year.

DT Editorial Team·May 23, 2026·via nasa.gov

Merlin Targets Pilot-Free Cargo Flights With Autonomous System for Large Aircraft

Merlin says its new autonomous flight system is designed for large cargo aircraft, aiming to retrofit existing airframes and reduce pressure from a worsening pilot shortage.

Key Takeaways

Merlin introduced an autonomous flight system aimed at large cargo aircraft.
The company says the product is aircraft-agnostic and designed for retrofit.

DT Editorial Team·May 21, 2026·via newatlas.com

NASA Repositions PC-12 Aircraft to Expand Flight Research Across the Agency

NASA has moved its Pilatus PC-12 to Armstrong Flight Research Center, turning a proven Glenn research asset into a more flexible platform for agency-wide flight demonstrations and test missions.

Key Takeaways

NASA has based its Pilatus PC-12 at Armstrong Flight Research Center to support research across the agency.
The aircraft previously supported Glenn research including an ISS-linked communications relay experiment and future air taxi surveillance studies.

DT Editorial Team·Mar 25, 2026·via nasa.gov