A vertical take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is designed to be so efficient that it can be commercially competitive with runway dependent aircraft operating in a range of 100 to 1000 miles. Improvements include a high efficiency tilting rotor and wing design that enable both vertical takeoff and efficient high speed cruising, a high aspect ratio wing, and a variable speed propulsion system that is efficient in both hover and cruise flight. Preferred aircraft use thin inboard and outboard wings, thin rotor blades, and use efficient lightweight design to achieve unusually low empty weight fraction. Inventive methods include utilization of advanced design and analysis techniques, which allow for accurate prediction of an aircraft's physical behavior.