A cargo plane flew over Northern California without a pilot in the cockpit last month in a test of autonomous driving technology considered “a milestone” for aviation.
A Cessna 208B Caravan took off, flew and landed without a single person on board on Nov. 21, a first in aviation, the company that operated the pilotless flight announced Wednesday.
The craft’s autonomous test trip from Hollister Municipal Airport was overseen by a remote pilot about 50 miles away, Reliable Robotics said. The pilot can take over the controls from the ground if something goes wrong.
Total flight time was about 12 minutes, enough for the converted FedEx plane to take off from the San Benito County Airport, do a few loops over residential neighborhoods, circle the airport and land, said Reliable Robotics CEO Robert Rose, to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“This is supposed to be something boring and uneventful, like a normal airplane, and that’s what we get,” Rose said. “We spent years preparing to make sure there were no surprises.”
The technology company also put an autonomous plane into the air in 2019, but that craft, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, was much smaller, according to the local publication.
The Cessna 208B Caravan flight took place outside San José on November 21. FOX Business The Cessna 208B landed without a single person on board on Nov. 21, a first in aviation, the company announced. fox business
The Skyhawk seats four people, while the plane used in last month’s test seats up to a dozen people.
Both planes are designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc, which has been collaborating with Reliable Robotics, founded in 2017 by former Tesla and SpaceX employees, to build the autonomous plane.
“Reliable’s successful flight of an uncrewed Cessna 208 Caravan represents a milestone for the industry in bringing new technology to aviation,” said Chris Hearne, senior vice president of engineering and programs at Textron Aviation.
The flight, which will last 12 minutes, would only be enough for the converted FedEx plane to take off from the San Benito County Airport. fox business
Reliable Robotics has also been working with the US Air Force on ways to devise the technology for military use, such as cargo logistics and aerial refueling, under a series of contracts since 2021.
“This milestone accelerates opportunities for dual-use unmanned flight, increasing aviation safety and allowing us to bring a wide range of autonomous military capabilities to denied environments,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department. of the Air Force. .
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Source: vtt.edu.vn