Airplanes

The US has big plans for the world's largest plane that's being built in Colorado

  • US military is exploring possible uses for the world’s largest plane
  • The WindRunner has 12x the cargo volume of a 787
  • It has a 261ft wingspan

 

Published on May 23, 2025 at 4:11 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid

Last updated on May 23, 2025 at 9:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

The US military is exploring possible uses for the WindRunner aircraft – the world’s largest plane that is currently being developed by a Colorado startup.

The Radia WindRunner is the world’s largest plane, offering 12 times the cargo volume of a Boeing 787. 

The whopper of a plane will have a 261ft (80 meters) wingspan and will be 354ft (108 meters) long, making it roughly the same size as a standard soccer pitch.

Once completed, Radia says its WindRunner plane will be able to carry the world’s biggest cargo.

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Radia says its WindRunner plane will be a valuable asset in the wind energy industry as its massive amount of cargo space means it is ideally suited for carrying huge wind turbine blades that can measure upwards of 328 feet (100 meters) in length.

However, now the US Department of Defence (DoD) is eyeing up any possible uses it could have for the world’s largest plane.

The US have big plans for the world's largest plane that's being built in Colorado
Radia

The Department of Defense is currently working alongside Radia to see if the WindRunner could be a potential carrier option for the US military, to transport things like space launch equipment and humanitarian aid.

And let’s face it, if any plane is big enough it’s this. Once finished, the WindRunner will be able to carry loads of up to 160,000lbs (72,575kg) – that’s unlike anything else currently taking to the skies.

The WindRunner has a range of around 1,200 miles (2,000km) and cruises at Mach 0.6, or around 445 miles per hour.

Not only that, but the WindRunner can land on unpaved strips as short as 6,000ft (1,800 meters) and is currently the only large commercial aircraft that can do this.

This means that it’s an ideal solution for transporting and delivering cargo to hard-to-reach places – something that will surely appeal to the DoD.

“The WindRunner allows the world’s biggest things to be delivered to the hardest-to-reach locations,” Radia CEO and founder Mark Lundstrom said. 

“This collaboration demonstrates how commercial capabilities may help to support US national defense by integrating with and addressing military needs.

“By leveraging the unique design and capabilities of the WindRunner, we can together explore innovative solutions for transporting outsized and high-volume cargo, enhancing the DoD’s ability to respond to global challenges.”

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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.