Posted on 05/22/2025 5:43:10 AM PDT by Red Badger
The US military believes that this collaboration will inform future strategy decisions and operational planning.
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Artistic representation of fighter jets entering Radia Windrunner plane for transport.
Radia
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Windrunner, the world’s largest plane that is currently being built in Colorado, is being eyed by the United States military for playing a very different role than what it is primarily meant for.
Radia, a Colorado-based startup, is working on the Windrunner, which will be the world’s largest plane with 12 times the cargo volume of the huge Boeing 747. The company believes that it will cater to the wind energy industry, where there will be a need to transport huge blades, which are over 328 feet (100 meters) in length.
While the initial plan was to cater to the wind turbine industry, Radia has recently entered into a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) signed between DoD and Radia aims to use the 356 feet (109 meters) long aircraft, with a height of 79 feet, and a wingspan of 261 feet (80 meters), to support critical DoD logistics and transportation needs.
CRADA will focus on understanding the feasibility and operational effectiveness of the WindRunner as a potential commercial carrier option.
US military plans to use Radia Windrunner
The key areas of research under CRADA will be assessing the cargo capacity and handling of Radia’s Windrunner. It will try to find out whether the plane could transport various types of DoD cargo, including space launch materials, oversized equipment, and humanitarian aid.
VIDEO AT LINK.....................
Under the agreement, the US DoD will also try to evaluate airfield suitability, ground handling procedures, and necessary infrastructure for efficient WindRunner operations.
Moreover, they will also see the plane’s performance in different types of operational scenarios. It will also try to find out which portions of critical DoD logistics can be taken care of by the Windrunner in the future.
“The WindRunner allows the world’s biggest things to be delivered to the hardest-to-reach locations. This collaboration demonstrates how commercial capabilities may help to support U.S. national defense by integrating with and addressing military needs,” said Mark Lundstrom, Radia Founder and CEO.
He further said that together with DoD, they will try to explore innovative solutions for transporting outsized and high-volume cargo, “enhancing the DoD’s ability to respond to global challenges.”
The US military believes this collaboration will inform future strategy decisions and operational planning for dual-use civilian and military airlift capabilities.
Opening the path for larger wind turbines Radia’s Windrunner has the goal to transport offshore-sized wind turbine blades to develop high-capacity onshore wind farms. These high-capacity onshore wind farms are called “GigaWind” – a segment that Radia is also working to develop alongside other firms.
It can also cater to firms that are looking to transport high volumes of cargo through the air.
To put things in perspective, the Windrunner is almost as long as an NFL football field. One of the reasons for the DoD’s interest in Windrunner plane might be because of its ability to land on unpaved landing strips, as per the company’s claims.
Back in November 2024, the company had signed an agreement with Italian aerospace company MAGROUP Magnaghi Aerospace to develop the landing system for the WindRunner aircraft.
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AVIATION PING!....................
This author too is an idiot.
False premise behind the concept and wings are too small.
The idea that this aircraft serves a military purpose is laughable.
Stupid idea for today.
The manufacturers probably realized that the wind turbine market was not a growth area and said to themselves, “What do we do with this thing now that it probably won’t be carrying very many turbine blades?”
“Everything is impossible until someone does it.” - Robert Heinlein................
How long a runway would you need for that thing??
Sounds like an awesome airplane. Just wondering though, would a jet fighter plane need to be inside a cargo plane? Could not the fighter plane just simply spread its wings, get fuel and fly on its own power?
I thought it was a plane that was powered by a wind turbine. Hey, can I get a grant for that? I want to be a “start-up” too!
More useless spending.
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Yes it could, but you would have to fly the pilots back in another aircraft and the tankers would have to fly back as well............
For some reason I thought that company was planning to use an uopen turbofan engine.
Maybe this thing was designed to destroy and move all the Wind Farms on land and sea...in order to
GET RID OF THEM SOMEHOW
PLEASE GOD LET IT BE SO, AS REDICULOUS AS IT SOUNDS
Now I’ve heard of everything…a fossil fuel gobbling gigantic jet to carry “giga-wind” wind turbines blades to save the earth from the destruction of fossil fuels.
I nominate this as the most poorly worded headline today.
How do you fit a 328 foot blade in a plane that’s 300 feet long?
... the 356 feet (109 meters) long aircraft..............
Modified for drone carrier/flying missile frigate
Unless the fighter is busted beyond deployment repair and had to be transported back somewhere.
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