Radia Windrunner
Based in Colorado (USA), Radia has introduced the concept of a giant Windrunner transport aircraft for transporting equally large loads — for example, wind turbine blades. The fact is that for some offshore turbines they reach a length of more than 140 m, which completely eliminates the possibility of delivering them to the installation site by land.
The dimensions of a promising transport aircraft make it possible to solve this problem: length — 108 m, wingspan — 80 m, height — 24 m. Loading into the cargo compartment with a volume of 8,200 cubic meters is carried out from the front thanks to a folding cabin. The compartment can accommodate loads up to 105 meters long and up to 7.5 meters in diameter. It will be the longest aircraft in the world, more than 20 meters longer than the legendary " Mriya " — An-225 (its length is 84 m). Windrunner will be able to deliver loads weighing 72.5 tons over a distance of up to 2000 km.
Radia Windrunner
Radia Windrunner
It is assumed that one runway will be located in the immediate vicinity of the enterprise where the blades are manufactured, and the other — next to the installation site of the wind turbine. At the same time, the runway length should not exceed 1800 m, which, however, is much longer than the runway of ordinary civilian aircraft. If investors can be found — Radia has already attracted investments of $104 million — then Windrunner will be ready to fly within four years.
Alexander Ageev