World's Largest Cargo Aircraft WindRunner Adds Flight Control Integration Partners, Advances Toward Certification and Production Milestones

Radia has expanded the engineering team behind its WindRunner cargo aircraft, signing partnership agreements with aerospace firms Latecoere and Stirling Dynamics to develop two of the most critical systems on the ultra-large transport. The two companies will support electrical architecture design and flight control system integration respectively, helping engineers advance the aircraft toward certification and production.

The agreements were announced ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow and focus on core technologies underpinning modern aircraft performance. WindRunner's unprecedented size presents engineering challenges that go beyond those of conventional cargo aircraft, making systems integration a key focus during development.

Electrical Architecture Overhauled for Record Scale

Latecoere will be responsible for developing WindRunner's Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) — the backbone network that distributes power and connects electrical equipment throughout the aircraft. The scope extends beyond cable routing to encompass the design of a complete electrical architecture capable of supporting the aircraft's enormous size, operational requirements, and future manufacturing demands.

WindRunner's exceptional dimensions introduce unique engineering challenges: longer wire runs, higher electrical loads, and more complex integration requirements, all of which demand high reliability across the aircraft's entire service life.

Latecoere brings extensive experience in electrical systems, aerostructures, and aircraft industrialization across commercial and defense aerospace programs. Sam Marnick, President of Latecoere Americas, described WindRunner as "one of the most ambitious aerospace development programs today," adding that the company looks forward to contributing its aircraft electrical systems expertise and that WindRunner's scale presents new opportunities for technological innovation across the aerospace industry.

Flight Control System Enters Integration Phase

Stirling Dynamics will provide support for WindRunner's flight control system integration, helping advance the aircraft through its development phase. The company specializes in flight control engineering, simulation, and aircraft systems, enabling engineers to validate handling characteristics before flight testing begins. Its work will focus on ensuring the control architecture delivers safe and predictable flight performance at a scale fundamentally different from existing cargo aircraft.

Bandula Pathinayake, Vice President at Stirling Dynamics, said the company is honored to participate in the program and will draw on its capabilities in flight controls, systems engineering, and simulation as WindRunner progresses through the integration phase.

Supplier Network Continues to Grow

Radia founder and CEO Mark Lundstrom said WindRunner's development requires an industry network combining deep technical expertise with aircraft manufacturing capability. He noted that the addition of Latecoere and Stirling Dynamics strengthens two critical engineering foundations underpinning the aircraft's long-term development.

With the two new partners, the WindRunner program's supplier base now exceeds 20 companies, including AFuzion, Aciturri, Aernnova, Akaer, Astronautics Corporation of America, Atitech, Element Materials Technology, Ingenium Technologies, Leonardo, and MAGROUP Magnaghi Aerospace.

The growing supplier network is helping Radia complete the engineering work required to certify, manufacture, and ultimately bring WindRunner into commercial service. WindRunner is designed to transport oversized cargo for defense, energy, aerospace, commercial freight, and humanitarian missions — enabling point-to-point delivery of large equipment that exceeds the payload limits of existing cargo aircraft, directly between production sites and remote destinations.

As WindRunner advances toward its next development milestones, the expanding supplier network provides Radia with additional specialized engineering resources, with each new partner helping to reduce technical risk ahead of series production.

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