A new and enormous airplane designed to transport wind turbines all over the world is being built. The WindRunner, which promises to revolutionize the logistics of turbine parts, is specifically designed to carry wind turbine blades up to 104 meters long.
The company behind the cargo plane, which calls itself a “catalyst for renewable energies,” hopes that this innovation will bring low-consumption electricity to remote locations, in order to “radically expand the reach and scale of the onshore wind energy industry.”
Additionally, it will facilitate the manufacturing of wind turbines in remote locations “where the most promising resources are found.”
Air transport need for wind turbines
Although extensive tests and simulations have already been carried out in wind tunnels, it is expected that the WindRunner will enter commercial operations by the end of 2027. It may seem unusual for an energy company to turn to aviation, but the American company Radia created the WindRunner to solve a problem in developing its GigaWind onshore turbines.
Most wind turbine components are transported by road on specialized trucks or by rail for long distances, but Radia found that this would not be feasible for its large turbines, so it decided to build a cargo plane to transport them by air.
Manufacturers already face difficulties in transporting 70-meter-long blades, causing traffic jams. Roads must be closed, agricultural land must be crossed to avoid narrow rural roads, and police escorts are necessary due to the wide and heavy vehicles.
The innovative WindRunner airplane will be the first to solve this logistical problem, ensuring the future of giant wind turbines with 104-meter blades. This will make wind farms more profitable. Before opting for a specifically built fixed-wing aircraft, the company analyzed several historical and existing air transport solutions.
Radia considered modifying existing cargo planes, but quickly realized it was not practical. It also explored floating aircraft like airships, which were discarded due to their difficulties in lifting super-heavy objects, slow speed, and the need for large clear areas to land and take off. Helicopters were also not viable due to their limited cargo capacity and wind gust risk.
WindRunner features
The WindRunner is enormous, with a length of 108 meters and a width of 80 meters. Its cargo compartment is 105 meters long by 7.3 meters wide and high, allowing for accommodating giant turbine blades. This makes it 239% longer than a Boeing 747-400F.
The airplane’s design is 80 times larger than the world’s largest military aircraft carrier and longer than the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid.
The aircraft has been designed not only for its cargo capacity but also to facilitate access to wind farms. It features a specialized loading and unloading system in the nose to efficiently maneuver the blades from the cargo door, reducing time at wind farms.
The WindRunner will enable the development of more wind projects in remote locations “where the most promising resources are found,” according to Radia, as it can operate from semi-prepared airstrips as short as 1,800 meters thanks to its “robust landing gear and advanced navigation systems.”
In terms of fuel efficiency, the aircraft has two advanced engines that allow it to reach cruising speeds of up to Mach 0.6 (approximately 740 km/h) while carrying loads of up to 72 tons.
Environmental impact of the WindRunner
The environmental impact and carbon emissions implications of the aircraft have not yet been revealed, and how they compare to existing transport logistics.
To turn this design into a new standard in cargo aircraft, Radia is working with aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, including the Italian manufacturer Leonardo to develop the fuselage and the Spanish company Aernnova to supply wings and engine pylons.
Radia plans to establish WindRunner operational bases worldwide to serve different regions and has already secured its first contract to supply turbines to a gigawatt-scale wind farm. The company has started working on the production of the WindRunner, which could be operational by the end of 2027.
Cover photo: Radia
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