US startup plans giant aircraft to transport fighter jets

A late-stage startup, Radia, is developing the Windrunner, a massive aircraft initially designed to transport giant wind turbine blades, now pitched as a potential heavy-lift plane for the US military.

The Windrunner is designed to offer 12 times the cargo volume of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, the Pentagon’s primary heavy-lift aircraft. With a wingspan of 261 feet, length of 356 feet, and payload dimensions up to 344 feet long, 33 feet wide, and nearly 30 feet tall, the plane could carry up to four fighter jets like the F-16 or F-35C, or six CH-47 Chinooks without disassembling their rotors — a capability current military aircraft cannot match, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Radia emphasises that the aircraft addresses volume limitations rather than payload weight, listing a maximum payload of 160,000 pounds, slightly less than the C-17’s 170,900 pounds. The plane is intended to fly up to 1,200 miles fully loaded, take off and land on unpaved runways as short as 6,000 feet, and simplify transport of oversized military equipment.

The startup has only released renderings, and it remains unclear if any prototypes exist. However, Radia has partnered with US Transportation Command for research, signalling Pentagon interest in exploring the plane’s feasibility. The company aims for initial operations by 2030 and plans to build the aircraft with existing, ready-to-install aircraft parts to speed certification.

Leadership includes CEO Mark Lundstrom and Kenneth Bibb, a retired US Air Force major general who formerly led Air Mobility Command. Radia has raised $130 million in funding, according to PitchBook.

The Windrunner’s development follows the destruction of the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the previous world-record holder for aircraft size, highlighting a potential capability gap for ultra-large airlift. Radia positions the aircraft as a solution to modern military logistics challenges, particularly moving oversized vehicles and equipment efficiently.

By Vugar Khalilov