A Colorado-based startup is taking aim at one of the wind energy industry’s toughest challenges transporting massive turbine blades to remote onshore locations. And it plans to do so with what could become the largest cargo aircraft ever built.
Radia, founded in 2016 by aerospace engineer Mark Lundstrom announced development plans for the WindRunner, a colossal fixed-wing aircraft designed to carry oversized wind turbine components. The aircraft aims to fill a logistics gap that currently limits the size and in turn, the efficiency of onshore wind turbines.
“We’re building the world’s largest aircraft because no one else is addressing the need for moving these large components,” Lundstrom said. “This capability gap is what’s holding back the expansion of high-efficiency onshore wind farms.”
Radia has secured over $150 million in funding and is backed by aerospace veterans and international suppliers. Italy’s Leonardo is contracted to build the fuselage, Spain’s Aernnova will handle the wing structure and pylons, and US-based AFuzion is overseeing safety systems.
The WindRunner’s primary mission is to carry wind turbine blades up to 105 meters (345 feet) long too large for highway or rail transport. The aircraft will be 108 meters (356 feet) in length with an 80-meter (261-foot) wingspan. Its cargo bay is expected to be six times larger than the legendary Antonov An-225, the previous record-holder before it was destroyed in Ukraine in 2022.
Unlike its predecessors, the WindRunner is being designed to land on semi-prepared 6,000-foot runways near wind farm construction sites, reducing the need for major infrastructure upgrades.
Lundstrom said the project’s design approach is to “reuse existing aerospace components and avoid reinventing the wheel.” That includes selecting a certified engine, which Radia has not yet disclosed, but says will be announced soon.
Radia’s long-term goal, branded as “GigaWind,” is to enable the installation of longer blades on land-based turbines. These blades could potentially double or triple the viable land available for wind energy in the United States and beyond.
Critics, however, remain cautious. Aviation analyst Chris Pocock questioned the aircraft’s limited range of 1,200 miles and the absence of a named engine supplier. “Unless they can secure significant capital investment, it’s hard to see how this works,” Pocock said.
Others warn that Radia may have underestimated the complexity of certification. “Even smaller, lower-risk aircraft face major hurdles getting certified,” one industry observer noted.
So far, the company has only tested a scaled-down model of the WindRunner in a wind tunnel. Instead of building a traditional prototype, Radia plans to move directly into producing full-scale test aircraft by the end of the decade, using digital design tools to accelerate the process.
The US Department of Defense has also taken interest. In May 2025, it signed an agreement with Radia to explore using the WindRunner for military logistics. But Radia insists its main focus remains wind energy. “WindRunner’s unique design opens doors to other uses, but our mission stays rooted in supporting onshore wind,” a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Boeing is reportedly considering reviving production of the C-17 Globemaster, which once dominated the heavy-lift cargo market. Radia remains optimistic, stating, “There’s enough demand in this space for more than one aircraft.”
If Radia succeeds, it could rewrite how the world builds its clean energy future one giant wing at a time.
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