Scaled Composites has restarted flight testing of its Model 437 demonstrator, marking what the Mojave, California-based company said is the beginning of a new envelope-expansion campaign that will set the stage for joining Northrop Grumman’s upcoming Beacon autonomous flight program. Scaled Composites confirmed that the Model 437 returned to the air in September 2025 after more than a year of modifications and ground evaluations since its first flight in 2024. The Model 437, now modified for optionally piloted operations, serves as a primary testbed for these trials. The Model 437 itself traces lineage to Scaled’s earlier Model 401 Sierra design. The revival of the Model 437 comes as the Pentagon advances multiple programs aimed at expanding flight autonomy.