Sun, Jan 29, 2023
600-Mile Range for Same-Day, Door-to-Door Delivery
MightyFly, an autonomous cargo transport company, has obtained an FAA Certificate of Authorization for long-range flight to begin testing its upcoming Cento aircraft.
The company allowed their upcoming tester to strut its stuff in the public eye, highlighting its long range and utilitarian design to prospective investors and believers alike. MightyFly has plenty to be proud of, nearing flight tests in less than 2 years after receiving $5.1 million in seed funding - and only 9 months from being a paper concept.
The Cento builds on the company's momentum with the usual sustainable flight bonafides: Hybrid electric power, vertical takeoff and landing, 100-lb cargo capacity, and a bevy of lift fans with a pusher prop for fixed-wing flight. Where the Cento breaks from the pack lies in its 600-mile range and 150-mph top speed, factors which allow for some impressive same-day delivery service.
The fully loaded Cento weighs just 355 pounds, and fits within a 2 parking space at 13.1 ft by 16.7 ft. Inside, its cargo bay can fit up 96 small USPS packages, with a 6'x1'x1' interior loaded and unloaded by automatic conveyor belt. The Cento is equipped with a 6 ft by 1 ft by 1 ft (1.8 m by 0.30 m by 0.30 m) internal cargo bay able to carry 96 small USPS packages. Cargo is loaded and unloaded by a conveyor belt that operates autonomously. Thanks to a more conventional hybrid system, the Cento won't require considerable downtime to recharge in between missions, instead refueling to charge as it flies.
The FAA granted the Cento a Special Airworthiness Certificate and Certificate of Authorization for long-range flights. The company can now operate in 230 square miles to test the transition from hover to forward flight up to 5,000 feet.
"The traditional hub-and-spoke distribution model doesn't serve everyone," said Manal Habib, MightyFly CEO and co-founder. "We need to be able to adapt to various cargo volumes and expedited timing. Medical companies, just-in-time manufacturing, and retailers that now provide same-day delivery need a faster and more affordable way to get their goods and perishables to the final destination."
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