Record

What Merlin says, and what is still open

A briefing from Merlin’s own site, one PR Newswire release, and the public Lever posting. Fetched 4 October 2026 (ET). Not Merlin. Not investment advice.

A ceiling is not cash. A path is not a fleet buy. A planned date is not a result. If a date lived only in a screenshot, it is not in the list below. Same text on /timeline.

Dated record

Newest context is above. The lines below are in date order. Each one links to a page fetched for this pass. Merlin’s market forecasts on the Condor page (2,340 freighters today, 3,900 by 2043, 1,840 passenger-to-freighter conversions) are a forecast on that page, not aircraft Merlin has on order.

2019

1. 2019 · year only, no day on the page

   Merlin says it has been flying its AI-enabled autonomy system since 2019. The page does not name the aircraft. Going-public note, 14 August 2025.

2021

2. 16 September 2021 · certification basis, not a type certificate

   PR Newswire: the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand approved the certification basis for Merlin’s takeoff-to-touchdown autonomy system, in a joint project with the FAA. Merlin says this was the first agreement on an approach for certifying aircraft autonomy. An onboard safety pilot remains legal pilot in command. PR Newswire, 16 September 2021. Merlin’s later note dates the same groundwork to September 2021. Experimental certificate note, 22 May 2025.

2023

3. May 2023 · facility and SOI 1, from later Merlin pages

   The 22 May 2025 note says the Kerikeri test facility opened in May 2023. The 28 October 2025 note says SOI 1 with CAA New Zealand was previously announced in May 2023: regulator acceptance of planning documents, on a Cessna Grand Caravan 208B supplemental type certificate path with the FAA. 22 May 2025 · 28 October 2025. The May 2025 note also lists a Part 135 air operator certificate and a Part 145 maintenance certificate as milestones since Kerikeri opened. It does not give those certificates their own dates.

2024

4. June 2024 · month only

   First platform integration and systems-on test flight of the certification-ready Cessna Caravan, Merlin Pilot aboard, human safety pilot supervising. Merlin dates that flight to June 2024 on a later test-campaign note. Flight-test note, 8 May 2025.

5. IDIQ award day · not on a page retrieved

   The live homepage labels $105 million as a “USSOCOM Contract Ceiling,” with no date. Later Merlin pages call it an IDIQ valued at up to $105 million. The Business Wire award release did not load on this pass, so no award day is stated here.

2025

6. 17 February 2025 · USAF tanker work, not a fleet buy

   Company update on KC-135 work announced “last year”: a system requirements review, a concept of operations for natural-language processing in aerial refueling, and pilot working groups, with more sessions then planned at MacDill. Progress notes, not a purchase of tankers. Tanker update.

7. 18 February 2025

   Merlin and Quikjet announced an in-flight pilot fatigue study using wearable data and a vigilance test. A study, not an aircraft program. Quikjet note.

8. 19 March 2025 · FAA TSO, not an install

   FAA Technical Standard Order authorization for a custom remote data concentrator built with Shadin Avionics. Merlin says that, once certified, it is adaptable to types including the C-130J and the KC-135. Adaptable is not installed. RDC note.

9. 1 May 2025 · Quonset

   East-coast flight operations at Quonset State Airport (OQU), North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The note says the facility houses two Cessna Caravans, including the certification-ready aircraft for the supplemental type certificate program. Quonset note.

10. 8 May 2025

    From Quonset, Merlin says it was validating flight-guidance and autothrottle on that Caravan, and points back to the June 2024 integration flight. Flight-test note.

11. 22 May 2025 · experimental certificate

    Experimental Certificate of Airworthiness from CAA New Zealand, authorizing certification flight testing of the takeoff-to-touchdown platform. It advances the supplemental type certificate program. It is not a completed type certificate. Experimental certificate note.

12. 30 July 2025 · testbed agreement

    Agreement with Northrop Grumman to integrate the Merlin Pilot on the Beacon testbed. Merlin says it will support software-in-the-loop and flight test on the Scaled Composites Model 437, with people on site in Mojave. The same note says Merlin is prime with USSOCOM for integrating autonomy on the C-130J and is “rapidly advancing” KC-135 work. A testbed slot is not a production fleet. Northrop note.

13. 13 August 2025 · agreement signed; close was still a plan

    The 17 November 2025 note dates the business-combination agreement to 13 August 2025, with more than $125 million of PIPE commitments at signing, and an expected close in early 2026. Expected was not closed. PIPE upsizing note.

14. 14 August 2025

    Merlin’s going-public note: integrations “already well underway” with USSOCOM on the C-130J and the U.S. Air Force on the KC-135, and the stack flown on five aircraft platforms. The five aircraft are not named. Going-public note.

15. 18 September 2025 · Hanscom, planned

    Hanscom Field (Bedford, Massachusetts) “will be” the new test-flight center, operations beginning in early 2027. Merlin says it will occupy hangar, office, and lab space in the former Navy hangar, in support of C-130J work with SOCOM and KC-135 work with the Air Force. Early 2027 is a plan. The company page, fetched 4 October 2026, still labels Hanscom “Under Construction.” Hanscom note · Company page.

16. 23 September 2025 · development effort

    Merlin and GE Aerospace announced an autonomy-core effort aimed at crew reduction, single-pilot operations, and uncrewed flight. Merlin cites GE’s flight-management footprint of more than 14,000 aircraft. That figure is GE’s installed base on the page, not a Merlin install count. GE note.

17. 22 October 2025 · CRADA, not a production contract

    Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Air Force on autonomous contingency management: fault detection, recovery, and mission adaptation. A research agreement. It does not state a dollar ceiling. CRADA note.

18. 28 October 2025 · SOI 2

    Stage of Involvement 2 with CAA New Zealand. Merlin says about 50 percent of the flight-control-computer software data had been reviewed. Caravan 208B supplemental type certificate, concurrent FAA path. Not a finished certificate. SOI 2 note.

19. 17 November 2025 · commitments, not all cash in the door

    PIPE commitments increased to more than $200 million, of which over $85 million had already been funded. Commitments are not the same as cash received. PIPE upsizing note.

2026

20. 19 February 2026 · contract value, not cash

    Shareholder letter: “over $100 million in total contract value,” primarily from being selected to bring autonomy to the C-130J. Contract value is not money received. Shareholder letter.

21. 5 March 2026 · preliminary design review

    Merlin announced completion of the Preliminary Design Review for the C-130J autonomy program with USSOCOM. The note says the IDIQ is “valued at up to $105 million” and that the review cleared the move into critical design. Up to $105 million is a ceiling, not cash. PDR note.

22. 12, 16, and 17 March 2026 · listing

    Stockholders of Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. IV approved the combination on 12 March. It closed 16 March. Trading as Merlin, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRLN) began 17 March. The note says approximately $200 million in gross proceeds and an $800 million pre-money value. Gross proceeds are not a cash balance. Closing note.

23. 23 April 2026 · scoping, not a program

    One Brain, dated 24 September 2026, lists an exclusive teaming agreement with Remah International Group “to scope autonomy opportunities in the UAE.” Scoping is not a fleet award. No separate Remah release was fetched. One Brain.

24. 29 April 2026 · $80 million PIPE

    One Brain lists an $80 million PIPE investment from an existing institutional shareholder. The newsroom index lists the GlobeNewswire release the same day. The wire body was not fetched; the figure used here is the one on Merlin’s page. One Brain · Newsroom index.

25. 14 May 2026 · product introduction, not deliveries

    One Brain: Merlin introduced Condor, a product family for large multi-crew aircraft, and “unveiled plans” for commercial-cargo autonomy with World Star Aviation. Plans are not aircraft delivered. The Condor page says Merlin is “planning to bring Condor” to commercial cargo with World Star, and that the same system is being tested under contract with USSOCOM on the C-130J. One Brain · Condor page.

26. 4 June 2026 · critical design review

    One Brain dates completion of the C-130J critical design review with USSOCOM to 4 June, and says it lays groundwork to move from design into aircraft integration. The 5 June note says the same review advances the program into integration activities. The August earnings recap quotes management: next steps are integration, ground testing, and flight testing. Those steps were still ahead. One Brain · 5 June note · Q2 recap.

27. 10 June 2026 · a 2027 goal

    Merlin’s goal is commercial autonomous revenue service from Kerikeri in 2027, on a traditionally crewed fixed-wing aircraft. The page says no such aircraft has done that yet, and that Merlin has logged hundreds of autonomous test flights. A goal, and “hundreds,” not a fleet count. New Zealand 2027 note.

28. 17 July 2026 · the landing; 20 July · the announcement

    Affirm, posted 24 July: a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan with the Merlin Pilot landed autonomously on Runway 27 at 10:02 a.m. CDT on 17 July at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. A Merlin test pilot was in the cockpit. One Brain and the newsroom date the announcement 20 July. Affirm · One Brain.

29. 23 July 2026 · non-binding

    Memorandum of understanding with Israel Aerospace Industries to work toward autonomy for commercial cargo and for Condor. Merlin calls it non-binding: joint exploration, engineering, regulatory preparation, and platform selection, toward a later definitive agreement. Not an order. IAI note. One Brain describes the same MOU as covering Part 25 freighter operations. One Brain.

30. 6 August 2026 · SOI 3

    Merlin says it reached Stage of Involvement 3 with CAA New Zealand on the flight-control computer and the automated communication system, with the FAA under the bilateral agreement. The 19 August explainer dates the announcement to 6 August. Not a type certificate. SOI 3 explainer · One Brain.

31. 18 August 2026 · quarter, from Merlin’s recap

    Second-quarter recap of the earnings materials: revenue $2.2 million, up $1.2 million from the first quarter, “substantial majority” under the defense IDIQ as task orders were funded and work was performed. GAAP net loss $58.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA loss $27.8 million, versus $23.3 million in the first quarter. Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments $183.9 million, and no debt. The CFO’s quoted line says that cash figure is up $60.8 million from the first quarter. Near-term revenue is “tied to” progress on the C-130J IDIQ, then in the integration phase. The CFO says the company believes current resources fund growth into fiscal 2028, on current operating-plan assumptions. That is a belief, not a guarantee. Revenue is not the $105 million ceiling. Q2 recap.

32. 24 August and 26 August 2026 · Part 146, dates disagree

    The newsroom index lists the Part 146 designation release on 24 August 2026. One Brain, posted 24 September, dates the designation 26 August. The GlobeNewswire body did not load, so this page does not pick a day. Both dates stay. The title on the index is designation as a New Zealand Part 146 aircraft design organization. Newsroom index · One Brain.

33. 9 September 2026 · a strategy, not a Part 25 certificate

    Merlin says it is moving its civil certification strategy to large aircraft. The note says the New Zealand small-aircraft program reached SOI 3 and a Stage 4 issue paper on AI/ML natural-language processing with CAA New Zealand. It does not say a large-aircraft certificate has been issued. Large-aircraft strategy.

34. 10 September 2026 · a demo at a kickoff

    Merlin took part in the Project NEXUS kickoff at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance, the Texas program under the FAA eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The 21 September note says TxDOT asked Merlin to demonstrate. That is a demo at the kickoff, not a line that Merlin is the program. eIPP note, 21 September.

35. 14 September 2026 · a concept

    Textron Aviation and Merlin introduced a Cessna SkyCourier UX concept at Air, Space and Cyber, shown as a floor model. Merlin’s page calls it a concept. It does not, on the pages fetched, say “program of record” or “flying demonstrator.” Do not upgrade it. SkyCourier note. The 18 September quick take repeats the concept and states the C-130J IDIQ ceiling of $105 million. SkyCourier quick take.

36. 18 September 2026 · a job, not a hangar lease

    Lever posting, datePosted 2026-09-18: Aircraft Modification Manager, Smithfield, Rhode Island, Flight Test – Flight Operations, full time, on-site. The posting says the person must be willing to work on the hangar floor, on the aircraft, and in the office. It does not say temporary, and it does not state a lease, a headcount, or aircraft based there. Smithfield is not Quonset, and it is not Hanscom. Lever posting.

37. 24 and 30 September 2026 · how Merlin describes the business

    One Brain, 24 September: one software core for civil and military aircraft; C-130J under military airworthiness; the IAI cargo work would sit under Part 25. One Seat at a Time, 30 September: crew reduction and full autonomy are one engineering program; the company expects a recurring license fee after integration. An expectation, not a reported license-revenue line. One Brain · One Seat at a Time.

Left out on purpose

• Screenshot captions: a 2019 Twin Otter interview, a 2022 student thesis schedule, a confidential slide deck, an S-1 GE KC-135 console agreement, and posts that only showed a page. Not used. If the date was not on a page fetched here, it is not a dated line.
• Air Force and SOCOM budget lines, block upgrades, and bill text that do not name Merlin. Not re-fetched from the budget books, so not repeated. They are not Merlin contracts.
• Crossroads fleet-conversion math, and any count of how many C-130s the ceiling “covers.” Not on this page.
• Smithfield as a temporary hangar, or any square footage, headcount, or lease. The Lever posting is a job location and a hangar-floor duty, nothing more.

Pages fetched for this record

4 October 2026 (ET). Newsroom index (74 items, dates and external links) plus the article bodies linked above, and the home, company, pilot, Condor, and careers pages via Merlin’s page data. Also PR Newswire, 16 September 2021, and the Lever posting. Business Wire and GlobeNewswire bodies timed out; where a figure is used, it is the figure on the Merlin page, not a wire paragraph we did not get.