Folding-wing aircraft can fly halfway around the world

FRANCE Aura Aerospace presents a five-seat Ranger vertical take-off and landing aircraft that can fly further than any conventional airliner.

Ranger aircraft has a range of 18,000 km. Photo: Aura

The Ranger aircraft takes off and lands vertically thanks to the use of a system of 8 coaxial cable propulsion engines. The propulsion consists of two 178 cm propellers suspended from the front and rear of the main wing. This system helps the vehicle to leave the landing area. Once in the air, the plane's wings will open to their fullest with a width of 23 meters and the pair of turbofan engines will activate to provide forward thrust, New Atlas reported on December 6.

After cruising, the propulsion slows down, then stops and lies in line with the stand. The overhanging fender covers the engine to minimize drag, making the Ranger ready to accelerate to 820 km/h (Mach 0.66), only slightly slower than most passenger aircraft due to the vehicle. flew in a thicker layer of air (altitude 3,050 m) instead of 9,150 m.

According to Auro, with a tank filled with sustainable aviation fuel, the Ranger has a range of 18,000 km, equivalent to 22 hours of continuous flight. Compared to it, the Airbus A380 can fly a maximum of about 14,800 km when fully loaded. Ranger can carry passengers from the roof of a building in New York City, USA to the middle of Adelaide, Australia. The 5-seater cabin has a small kitchen and toilet to serve passengers on long-haul flights.

The Ranger uses electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing technology, but is closer to an ultra-long-haul jet than a flying taxi. 5 seats can meet the needs for many business trips.