MightyFly to begin testing autonomous cargo aircraft

Autonomous cargo aircraft company MightyFly will begin last and middle mile test flights with its hybrid, electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft following Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. The FAA has granted the California company’s MightyFly Cento eVTOL aircraft a Special Airworthiness Certificate and a Certificate of Authorisation (COA) for long-range flights. This means that MightyFly can start demonstrating the long-range flight capabilities of Cento. Demonstrating autonomous eVTOL flights up to 600 miles of range with 100 pounds of cargo is unprecedented in the industry, said MightyFly. With this COA in place, the company will be able to accelerate development of its autonomous aircraft, with a larger airspace (230 square miles) in which to test the transition from hover to forward flight at medium and high altitudes (up to 5000 ft). The MightyFly Cento has a cargo capacity of 45 kg, a range of 600 miles and a max speed of 150 mph. Measuring 4m by 5m, the aircraft features eight electric vertical lift fans, one forward propulsion propeller, and a high wing carbon fibre airframe. Fully loaded, the Cento weighs 161 kg, said MightyFly.