Colorado-based startup Radia has unveiled a purpose-built military variant of its WindRunner — an outsized cargo aircraft developed to carry massive wind‑turbine blades. The platform, billed as the world’s largest airlifter, has attracted interest from the Pentagon and US Congress for DoD cargo and logistics missions.
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Briefing
Radia’s move converts a commercial oversized‑cargo design into a potential defence logistics asset, matching the WindRunner’s original role hauling massive wind‑turbine blades to a DoD requirement for outsized heavy‑lift; see Radia’s pitch for contested‑region defence logistics (https://hype.aero/?story=24135f34-cfb8-4390-b8d0-7f4090b1c5ab).
The announcement underscores growing interest in novel long‑range, heavy‑lift platforms for military sustainment and disaster response, joining other recent entrants such as Hybrid Air Vehicles’ U.S. push (https://hype.aero/?story=e29d1e99-b594-4583-bd64-bd7d6d2c357e) and Grid Aero’s long‑range cargo UAV backed by an Air Force contract (https://hype.aero/?story=775bfb8a-e639-4b35-be9d-5e8d2d92ec49).
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(FR) Radia offers the WindRunner to the US Air Force • aerobuzz.fr
Defence sector moves to develop military variant of WindRunner oversized cargo aircraft • projectcargojournal.com
Radia unveils world’s largest cargo plane capable of hauling four F‑35 fighters without disassembly • interestingengineering.com
Startup Proposes World's Largest Cargo Plane for US Military Use • news.ssbcrack.com
Radia Unveils WindRunner: Next‑Generation Heavy Airlifter Designed to Deliver Fighter and Helicopter Squadrons • militarywatchmagazine.com
(ES) WindRunner: the USAF's new bet on volumetric cargo • Aviacionline
Radia’s Windrunner — the world’s largest airlifter — eyes DoD cargo role • Breaking Defense
