Make existing cargo planes fly themselves, from taxi to landing. Pilotless cargo flights could cut costs and guard against the most common causes of accidents.
Drop-in autopilot for the Cessna Caravan; $17.4M USAF contract, flights 2026-27; FAA approval aimed for 2028.
Updated 16 Sep 2024Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week
System integrates with existing Caravan avionics, adding redundant computers to replace the pilot for all flight phases.
A remote pilot can supervise and intervene during flights, or the aircraft can operate fully uncrewed once certified, reducing crew cost toward zero per flight.
Separate hardware and software handle critical functions like ground-proximity warnings and flight control, so a single failure cannot cause a crash.
| Spec | Reliable Autonomy System |
|---|---|
| Base aircraft | Cessna 208B CaravanR (reported) |
| Payload capacity | 1,543 kgR (reported) |
| Operating range | 1,000+ kmE (estimated) |
R reported by the company · E our estimate
Reliable Robotics
Autonomous cargo, retrofitted aircraft, Cessna Caravan
Reliable Robotics develops autonomous flight systems that retrofit existing cargo aircraft to fly uncrewed or with remote pilots. The company has demonstrated fully autonomous flight of a Cessna 208 Caravan and is working toward FAA certification in 2028.
reliablerobotics.com (opens reliablerobotics.com)Company profile →
