Three aerospace leaders – Aernnova, Leonardoand AFuzion – will partner with Radia on WindRunner™, the world’s largestaircraft. Radia is developing WindRunner to deliver the largest, most efficientwind turbine blades, expand the reach of wind energy and transform itseconomics, enabling the world to meet its climate goals.
The companies will join Radia’s innovationecosystem, they jointly announced at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow.
Aernnova will partner with Radia on thedevelopment of the aircraft’s wing and engine pylons. Leonardo will provideengineering support for the design of the fuselage. AFuzion will provide safetyand certification consulting.
The partnership agreements are the lateststep forward for WindRunner, an aircraft designed for its primary mission: To flylarge turbine blades – up to 105m in length, longer than a football pitch – directlyto wind farm sites, landing on semi-prepared dirt runways as short as 1,800m(6,000 ft). It will overcome logistical barriers that today prevent the expansionof onshore wind energy. Wind turbines become more effective and efficient thelarger they are. But long turbine blades are extremely difficult and expensiveto move by ground transport because literal roadblocks – bridges, tunnels androad curves – get in the way.
WindRunner will fly over these roadblocks, enablingthe deployment of the largest, most efficient onshore wind turbines today andthe even larger ones of the future – what Radia calls GigaWind™.
The result will be widespread availability ofconsistent, lowest-cost clean energy in more locations and at industrial scale forthe grid, green fuel production including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) andcommercial power users such as data centers and hyperscalers. The market for onshorewind energy is estimated at up to $10 trillion by 2050– as many as 1 millionwind turbines.
Partners Will Help Radia Fulfill ItsMission and Can Seize a New Opportunity for Aerospace
“WindRunner is an opportunity for theaerospace industry to have a decisive impact on climate change, diversify intothe energy industry and seize an enormous market opportunity,” said MarkLundstrom, Radia’s CEO. “We are extremely pleased and excited that Aernnova, Leonardoand AFuzion – three companies at the forefront of aerospace design, development,and engineering – have chosen to partner with us on this critically importantproject.”
PartnersAttracted by Scope and Ambition of Project, Importance of its Goals, Say Aernnova,AFuzion and Leonardo CEOs
“We areexcited and proud to participate in the world’s largest aircraft, especially inview of its mission,” said Ricardo Chocarro, CEO of Aernnova. “Based on myprevious experience in this sector of the wind turbine industry, I can affirmthe importance of the solution that WindRunner provides. The agreement withRadia for the development of the WindRunner project positions us in the wingand engine pylon design and manufacturing support, recognizing our expertisefor the design and development of this ambitious project.”
Stefano Bortoli, Leonardo Aerostructures Division MD, said: “The WindRunner’sinitiative is an interesting example of how the aerospace industry continues toprovide a key contribution to sustainability, with a range of diversifiedsolutions to the benefit of multiple sectors. Also, Leonardo has a deepexperience in the energy sector with its technologies in aviation, includingwind farms. Therefore, it gives us great pleasure to support this initiativewith our established aerostructure engineering know-how and capabilities.”
“WindRunnermust operate safely in a wide range of operating environments,” said AFuzionCEO Vance Hilderman. “And the urgency of the climate crisis demands that itmove systematically through the certification process so that it can enter intoservice. AFuzion is eager to bring our capabilities to bear to supportWindRunner’s progress from design all the way through to deployment.”
