Tag: AviationTech

NEWPORT NEWS, VA, Feb 27, 2025 – Collier Aerospace Corp., developer of the HyperX CAE solution, announced that Radia, Inc. selected its design and analysis software for the structural sizing of WindRunner – the world’s largest aircraft. Structural sizing is the critical process of determining the size and weight of primary aircraft structures.

Radia is developing the WindRunner aircraft, an outsized aerial logistics platform designed to efficiently and effectively deliver the world’s considerable cargo, such as wind energy turbine blades, spacecraft, satellites, defense cargo, airplanes, and large commercial payloads. WindRunner solves transportation bottlenecks with its ability to fly cargo up to the length of a football field and land on semi-prepared dirt runways as short as 1,800m (6,000 ft) when required.

Collier Aerospace’s software and services help Radia’s engineering and design teams optimize and accelerate sizing for the massive aircraft’s airframe and efficiently evaluate and analyze many different design configurations under rigorous time and cost pressures.

“Using Collier’s technology, we can create and analyze design concepts in hours and automate the time-consuming process of evaluating hundreds to thousands of load cases,” said Mark Lundstrom, founder and CEO of Radia. “Collier’s software helps us efficiently evaluate design options and optimize WindRunner’s weight and structural performance in support of its critically important mission.”

Radia began the WindRunner project in 2016 and brought in Collier Aerospace at an early stage as a software provider and engineering consultant. To support the design process, Radia used Collier’s methodology for structural sizing and analysis. The team conducted configuration assessments of the wings, fuselage, ribs, spars stringers, and other parts made of composite and metal. Radia leveraged the tool’s automated sizing capabilities to account for unusual variables such as the huge size and capacity of the unpressurized fuselage.

HyperX software automates stress analysis and design. It performs rapid structural sizing, lightweighting, and margin writing for all load cases. The software also helps ensure the producibility of a composite part by creating a design that is optimized for manufacturability. It reduces schedule time by speeding up the engineering cycle and shortening the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification processes.

“It’s been a thrill to work with Radia on its breakthrough WindRunner aircraft and contribute to its extraordinary mission,” commented Craig Collier, professional engineer and CEO of Collier Aerospace. “This collaboration brought together the vision of the Radia team and our collective deep knowledge and experience in aerospace structural engineering. We contributed to the success of this design project by providing guidance on our software’s capabilities. We can’t wait to see the final result of this groundbreaking design when WindRunner makes its maiden flight.”

About Collier Aerospace

Founded in 1995, Collier Aerospace Corporation specializes in developing structural analysis and design optimization software for the aerospace industry. Their flagship product, HyperX, assists engineers in performing rapid stress analysis and structural sizing for both composite and metallic airframes, aiming to reduce weight and expedite certification processes. Headquartered at 760 Pilot House Drive, Newport News, Virginia, USA, the company serves sectors including space launch vehicles, commercial aviation, business jets, and urban air mobility. As of 2025, Collier Aerospace employs 31 professionals. While specific annual revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, the company has secured funding through grants and private debt financing. Notable clients include NASA, Boeing, and Bell Helicopter, reflecting the company’s significant role in advancing aerospace structural engineering.