The world’s biggest aircraft nicknamed “Skytanic” is set to take to the skies in 2030 as it revolutionises transport for one specific cargo. Officially named WindRunner, this mammoth plane will boast the capacity to transport 12 times more cargo than a Boeing 747. It will measure an astonishing 356ft in length – bigger than a football pitch – and will tower at 79ft high.
The firm behind its development, Radia, has been crafting these blueprints for nearly 10 years. Whilst it promises to be an adaptable machine, WindRunner’s dimensions and configuration have been engineered to accommodate wind turbines. Wind turbine blades are massive and notoriously challenging to move via road transport, whilst conventional aircraft lack the capacity to handle them.
Certain turbine installations have required bespoke roadways to be constructed just to deliver the blades, which are expected to grow further in coming years – potentially extending from 230ft to 330ft.
WindRunner will transport complete blades within its cargo hold and deliver them directly to building sites.
To simplify landing procedures, the aircraft has been engineered to touchdown on compact, unpaved airstrips – eliminating the need for fully-equipped airports.
Radia said: “WindRunner’s unique capabilities not only allow it to meet the requirements of today’s airlift missions but also allow it to open the aperture of what is possible to move by air.”
Its Mark CEO Lundstrom ddeda: “There’s an entire other classification of big things that have not yet been invented.
“The engineers of the world, and the product development people of the world, don’t even try to invent bigger things if they know that they can never be transported.”
The goal is to have WindRunner airborne by 2030, and when it embarks on its maiden flight, it will be the largest plane ever to do so.
The second-largest was a Ukrainian aircraft named Mriya, translating to “the dream”, which was destroyed by Russia at the onset of its invasion.