World’s largest plane

  Radia WindRunner

World’s largest plane

The world’s largest plane is currently the Airbus A380. However, US-based energy company, Radia, is building a contender for that title. Named WindRunner,  the aircraft is designed to transport gigantic wind turbine blades. But the question remains, will the world’s largest plane, 35m longer than Airbus A380, fly? Behemoth of the skies designed to transport wind turbine blades, do humanitarian runs. That, at least, is the idea for now. WindRunner, dubbed as the "world’s largest plane", up to 35 metres longer than the Airbus A380, is being developed as the behemoth of the skies. The WindRunner, up to 35m longer than the A380, is designed to deliver the largest wind turbines directly to the wind farm. What’s the use of this beluga? For one, to fly enormous wind turbine blades to remote onshore locations – just a paved landing strip, instead of a proper airport – thereby facilitating the creation of more wind farms.

US-based energy company, Radia, is working on what they hope will be the world’s largest plane and fly high above the size of the Airbus A380. It’s a massive 35 m (115 ft) longer than its competitor and predecessor. And it has a very specific purpose. The aircraft is being developed in the US. The length of the Radia WindRunner will be 108.51 metres, about 30 metres longer than the Boeing 747-8 and 35 metres longer than an Airbus A380.  The air monster is designed to transport wind turbine blades. The upcoming titan of the air is designed to land on rough landing strips. However, Mark Lundstrom, founder and CEO of Radia, is at the helm of this project. WindRunner will support the GigaWind initiative, which aims to deploy a new generation of massive onshore wind turbines. These turbines are expected to significantly increase grid capacity, lower energy prices and reduce carbon emissions. In a recent episode of the World Economic Forum’s Meet the Leader podcast, Lundstrom discussed the development of WindRunner and the GigaWind turbines, along with his motivations in the clean energy space.

Labeled Windrunner, the world’s largest plane will dwarf the Airbus A380 – an aircraft that makes other jets look tiny, by 35 m (115 ft). It will be 108.5 m (356 ft) long in total. Currently in development, WindRunner will optimize on volume instead of weight. Plans were revealed earlier this year. Able to carry 70 tons, it has a volume that’s 12 times bigger than a 747 aircraft, Lundstrom explained. Crucially, the cargo hold can carry a 100-meter-plus wind turbine blade with a 2,000 km range, which is what it was designed to do. The wind turbine blades need to be transported to remote onshore locations consisting of a mere paved landing strip to build remote wind farms. It would triple the acreage where wind is economically viable globally. The company said these turbines could add up to 216GW to the US grid, supplying up to 40 % of US electricity by 2050. As a result, Energy prices would be cut by 16 %, and 760 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions nixed annually, which is not bad. In fact, the energy company is tripling the current $ 1.2 trillion-per-year spend in the hopes of building more wind farms and reaching net zero by 2050.

WindRunner has one stated mission: transport gigantic wind turbine blades to remote onshore locations. This will facilitate the creation of more wind farms by enabling the transport of large blades to hard-to-reach areas. Here's another: Humanitarian applications include transporting large amounts of material to disaster-stricken areas. In a recent episode of WFE’s Meet the Leader podcast aerospace engineer and founder and CEO of Radia, Mark Lundstrom, about his motivations. “Imagine offshore-sized wind turbines deployed onshore. What this enables you to do is have a path to the cheapest energy in the world and the cheapest green energy in the world – and it’s done by using basically existing technology,” Lundstrom said. “Today, the turbines are simply too big to get under bridges, through tunnels, around curves, and that’s why blades are typically limited in the 70-meter range or so onshore, whereas offshore they’re well over 100 meters in length, Eiffel Tower-sized machines.” On a separate note, the aircraft could also help humanitarian organizations supply large amounts of supplies to those in need after a natural disaster.

Although WindRunner is ‘very unique’ due to its size and landing capabilities, ‘there’s no new aerospace technology that’s being used.’ Lundstrom said, all the parts are already flying and certified. This would mean the project can move ahead quickly. “We intend to have a fairly sizable fleet operating before 2029,” Lundstrom shared. GigaWind represents Radia’s development of massive onshore wind turbines, significantly more powerful due to larger rotor blades. Mark Lundstrom, founder and CEO of Radia, aims to rewrite the narrative of flying and climate impact by leveraging existing technology for offshore wind turbines onshore. He envisions cheaper, more viable onshore wind energy, crucial for meeting Paris Accord goals. WindRunner, still in development, is designed to optimise volume over weight, capable of carrying 100-meter-plus blades. The plane can land on short, unpaved airstrips, making it suitable for remote wind farm locations. Initial fleet operations are planned before 2029, with operating bases worldwide.

The aerospace solution to climate change allows the industry to contribute positively rather than exacerbating the problem. Humanitarian applications include transporting large amounts of material to disaster-stricken areas. Lundstrom, an aerospace engineer turned tech entrepreneur, is driven by the need to combat climate change. WindRunner offers the aerospace industry a unique opportunity to impact energy and climate positively. Keep your eyes on the skies, something big is expected to pass in the near future.