AFA 2026: Textron Aviation, Merlin unveil unmanned SkyCourier concept
A computer-generated image of Textron Aviation's SkyCourier UX with the nose open and ramp deployed. (Textron Aviation)
Textron Aviation and Merlin, Inc, an aircraft autonomy company, unveiled the Cessna SkyCourier UX concept on 14 September during the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space, and Cyber Conference at National Harbor, Maryland.
The aircraft “combines Textron Aviation's proven Cessna SkyCourier platform with Merlin's aircraft-agnostic software solution for autonomous aviation”, according to a Textron Aviation statement.
The “concept is designed to provide an additional option for transporting cargo and critical supplies across the final leg of distribution networks”, the company said.
The SkyCourier was selected because of its internal cargo volume, Bob Gibbs, vice-president for defence and special mission sales for Textron Aviation, told media on 14 September at the Air, Space, and Cyber Conference.
The concept's autonomous take-off and landing, 6,000-lb payload capacity, and short-field performance enables it to support intra-theatre distribution and expeditionary operations, the statement added.
A commercial passenger SkyCourier costs USD11 million, Gibbs told Janes during the briefing. The cost of an unmanned version would likely depend on the configuration selected by a customer.
“Design concepts under evaluation include a forward-loading cargo architecture that replaces traditional cockpit volume with additional cargo space and provides direct access through a large nose opening. Combined with aircraft kneeling capability and integrated loading systems, these concepts are intended to improve cargo accessibility, maximise usable volume, and support efficient operations from austere locations,” the statement said.
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