Aernnova joins Radia WindRunner wing and pylon design effort

Aernnova, Leonardo and AFuzion join Radia’s innovation ecosystem for WindRunner, and the companies present the agreements jointly at the Farnborough International Airshow. Aernnova takes on development of the wing and the engine pylons, with design and manufacturing support. Leonardo provides engineering support for the fuselage design, and AFuzion supplies safety and certification consulting.

WindRunner is designed to carry wind turbine blades of up to 105 m directly to wind farm sites. The aircraft operates from semi-prepared dirt strips of 1,800 m, which lets it avoid obstacles such as bridges, tunnels and tight road curves that restrict moving long blades by road. Radia positions the aircraft as a way to deploy larger onshore turbines, which it calls GigaWind. The company puts the onshore wind market at up to $10 trillion by 2050, or as many as 1 million turbines.

Radia CEO Mark Lundstrom describes the project as a chance for the aerospace industry to diversify into energy. Aernnova CEO Ricardo Chocarro says the agreement places the company in wing and pylon design and manufacturing support, and cites his earlier experience in the wind turbine sector. AFuzion CEO Vance Hilderman says the aircraft must move systematically through certification to enter service.

Why it matters

Aernnova is a Tier 1 aerostructures company that designs and manufactures wings, fuselage sections, stabilizers and movable surfaces for commercial aircraft, business jets and helicopters. It reports participation in over 30 airplane models and a presence in 7 countries and 23 locations. Its wing offering is listed in the directory as wing components.

WindRunner adds to Aernnova’s references on new-aviation platforms. The company designs the wing and canard of the Lilium Pegasus, the complete structure of Heart Aerospace’s ES 30 except the doors, and the wing of Boom’s Overture. On WindRunner it holds design responsibility for the wing and the pylons.

For structures buyers tracking new-entrant airframes, the agreement adds another wing programme to those references. Other suppliers of composite wing and eVTOL structures in the directory include GKN Aerospace and FACC.