>
Trump defends AG Pam Bondi amid Epstein file backlash: 'Let her do her job'
Metal fuses in space - with no heat or pressure
In case you missed it...AIRLINE GIANT EMIRATES TO ACCEPT BITCOIN AND CRYPTO FOR FLIGHTS
Pentagon to become largest shareholder in rare earth miner MP Materials; shares surge 50%
Magic mushrooms may hold the secret to longevity: Psilocybin extends lifespan by 57%...
Unitree G1 vs Boston Dynamics Atlas vs Optimus Gen 2 Robot– Who Wins?
LFP Battery Fire Safety: What You NEED to Know
Final Summer Solar Panel Test: Bifacial Optimization. Save Money w/ These Results!
MEDICAL MIRACLE IN JAPAN: Paralyzed Man Stands Again After Revolutionary Stem Cell Treatment!
Insulator Becomes Conducting Semiconductor And Could Make Superelastic Silicone Solar Panels
Slate Truck's Under $20,000 Price Tag Just Became A Political Casualty
Wisdom Teeth Contain Unique Stem Cell That Can Form Cartilage, Neurons, and Heart Tissue
Hay fever breakthrough: 'Molecular shield' blocks allergy trigger at the site
Bay Area company MightyFly is working with the FAA to expand its long-range flight authorization.
The Cento uses a large carbon-fiber airframe, weighing 355 lb (161 kg) when fully loaded up with a 100-lb (45-kg) payload. It's a simple lift and cruise design, using eight lift props mounted on propulsion pods that look a bit like landing skids, as well as a pusher prop on the back for efficient cruise flight, supported on high-mounted wings. As well as completely negating traffic, it covers distance at a max speed of 150 mph (240 km/h), making it much faster than road transport.
The key to its monster 600-mile (1,000-km) range is of course a long-endurance hybrid powertrain; all the propulsion is electric, but a combustion engine burns hydrocarbon fuel to keep the battery topped up during flight.
Its 13.1 ft by 16.7 ft (4 m by 5 m) footprint, says MightyFly, is smaller than two compact cars, so once it's in commercial operation, anyone that can rope off a couple of parking spaces, or another flat area that size, can accept deliveries or book pickups. Indeed, you don't even need to open the thing up; it'll deploy an autonomous conveyor belt from its cargo bay, so you can pick things up and drop them off very easily.
It's been in flight testing since December, says MightyFly. The FAA has granted the company a Special Airworthiness Certificate allowing flight testing, but not the ability to carry cargo in commercial operations at this stage. It's also granted a Certificate of Authorization that gives MightyFly a 230-sq-mi (596-sq-km) airspace and a 5,000-foot (1,500-m) altitude ceiling for testing the transition from hover to cruise. The company hopes it'll soon be able to demonstrate a 600-mile mission carrying a full 100 lb of cargo, which it says is an unprecedented feat.