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.
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.
That, at least, is the idea.
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 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.
WindRunner aircraft
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.
GigaWind initiative
GigaWind represents Radia’s development of massive onshore wind turbines, significantly more powerful due to larger rotor blades.
The company said these turbines could add up to 216GW to the US grid, supply up to 40 per cent of US electricity by 2050, reduce energy prices by 16 per cent, and avoid 760 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Vision
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.
Current development
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.
Potential impact
WindRunner will enable the deployment of larger turbines, tripling the land where wind is viable by lowering the required wind speed for turbines.
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.
Motivation
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.
