Sounds travel यात्रा joy yogyakarta
Today, wind turbines are massive. And when wind turbines are massive, how do you transport them? According to Radia, today’s roads can barely accommodate blades that are only 70 m long, but we need to be able to deliver blades that are 100m long with consistency and flow. So, how do we transport blades this long? What if, instead of transporting them by road, we transport them by air. This is the Radia Windrunner.
What’s a Windrunner?
The Radia Windrunner is a colossal behemoth that is designed to be able to carry individual wind turbine blades that are longer than the Statue of Liberty. It is set to start work in 2027, and it’s first glimpse was on June 16th, 2025, at the Paris Air Show. Radia has already made so many ai generated images based on the plans and details. Leonardo, Afuzion and Aernnova will partner with Radia to build the Windrunner, with Aernnova helping with the wings development and structure of the engine pylons, Leonardo helping with the fuselage and hull, and Afuzion will help with safety and certification consulting. How does a wind turbine keep cool? It uses it’s fan, of course.
What’s the Purpose of the Windrunner?
The founder and CEO of Radia, Mark Lundstrom imagines a world where wind powers our lives, without any carbon emissions. Radia is an energy company, and their goal is to be able to transport onshore wind turbines that are as large offshore wind turbines as easy as possible. Like I said before, today’s roads can barely accommodate blades that are only 70 m long, but we need to be able to deliver blades that are 100m long with consistency and flow. Some offshore blades are 100 m long, and there are individual blades longer than the Statue of Liberty. The turbine companies are indeed able to make these big turbines, but they can’t transport them. There are multiple videos showing how hard it is to transport them around. What did the wind turbine say to its friend? ‘I’m a big fan of yours!
Is it any Good?
The Radia Windrunner is a very big plane. Not joking. There is no new technology in the plane, but its interior cargo space is huge. It can hold up to 272,000 cubic feet inside its cargo hold, and its volume is 12 times more than a Boeing 747. It’s just larger than the former record holder, the mighty Antonov AN-225, and much larger than a Ruslan. And yet, it’s wingspan is only 261 feet, and more importantly, can land on 6,000 feet /1,800 metres of just packed dirt. Not even a runway, just packed dirt. It’s longer than a football pitch, and has 4, huge engines, information about has been told about yet. Wind turbines really know how to spin things around.
When will it start to fly?
The Radia Windrunner will indeed be unveiled in 2025, at the 2025 Paris Air Show, and it will start flying for wind turbine purposes in 2027, and it will start for the US military in 2030. It will eventually reach a stage in its lifetime where it can run completely on SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel). Sustainable Aviation Fuel will be a big change to the industry, and although it’s considerably most expensive, it’s worth the change.
Dimensions
The Windrunner is a very large plane, no joke. It’s 109 metres in length, just 25 metres longer than the previous title-holder, the mighty Antonov An-225, and it’s 80 metres in wingspan. Its internal cargo space can hold 7702 cubic metres of cargo (aka a few f-16 Fighting Falcons, or a wind turbine). Its cargo space is 12 times larger than a Boeing 747’s.It can take off and land on just 2 kilometres of packed dirt, which is remarkable for an aircraft it’s size.
Engineering a Greener Tomorrow
What’s also impressive is how the Windrunner aligns with environmental responsibility. Its future operation on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) reflects a commitment to decarbonizing even the logistics of green energy. While SAF is currently more expensive than traditional jet fuel, its adoption represents a necessary step toward a greener aviation industry. Radia’s strategy shows that innovation in transportation doesn’t have to come at the planet’s expense—it can be part of the solution.
The Windrunner is an astounding plane and will impact how we perceive aviation and how we deliver wind turbines. It will help the planet recover from humans and help create structures taller than the Eiffel Tower.
By: Bhavik Doranala
Write and Win: Participate in Creative writing Contest & International Essay Contest and win fabulous prizes.
About the Author
