A late-stage startup, Radia, is proposing to use its colossal aircraft to transport military cargo, including fighter jets and Chinook helicopters.
Windrunner Aircraft Promises Massive Cargo, Short-Runway Ops
The Windrunner, developed by Radia in Boulder, Colorado, is built to offer 12 times the cargo capacity of the Pentagon’s main heavy-lift aircraft, Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III, according to Business Insider. Measuring 356 feet long with a 261-foot wingspan, the plane can transport payloads up to 344 feet in length, 33 feet in width, and nearly 30 feet in height.
Radia is now pitching the Windrunner as an “ultra-large air cargo aircraft” designed to transport weapons platforms and military equipment for the U.S. armed forces. The company asserts that its size would allow it to carry up to four fighter jets, like Lockheed Martin‘s LMT F-35C Lightning II, F-16 Fighting Falcon or six CH-47 Chinooks, without needing to disassemble any of the 98-foot-long aircraft.
The Windrunner is built to cover up to 1,200 miles with its maximum payload, slightly less than the F-35C’s 1,350-mile range. Radia also plans for the aircraft to operate from unpaved runways as short as 6,000 feet, significantly shorter than the 8,000 feet usually needed for today’s larger military cargo planes.
Defense Sector Sees Rising Impact From Startups
This move by Radia comes at a time when startups are increasingly making their mark in the defense sector. Senra, a startup founded by ex-SpaceX engineers, recently raised $25 million in a Series A funding round to revamp critical U.S. defense manufacturing.
Moreover, Salesforce Inc. CRM has entered the defense sector with its new national security division, Missionforce, challenging the dominance of Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR in government-grade AI software.
The Windrunner’s potential to outperform Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III is significant, especially considering recent Boeing BA deals with Uzbekistan Airways for the purchase of up to 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Radia’s entry into the defense sector could disrupt the dynamics of military logistics and transportation.
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