{"id":4283,"date":"2025-02-27T01:27:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T09:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/?p=4283"},"modified":"2025-02-27T01:27:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T09:27:49","slug":"radia-selects-collier-for-windrunner-structural-sizing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/radia-selects-collier-for-windrunner-structural-sizing\/","title":{"rendered":"Radia Selects Collier for WindRunner Structural Sizing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Artist rendering of the WindRunner airframe model showing optimization zones in HyperX software interface. Image Collier Aerospace Corp.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NEWPORT NEWS, VA, Feb 27, 2025 – Collier Aerospace Corp., developer of the HyperX <\/a>CAE solution, announced that Radia, Inc. selected its design and analysis software for the structural sizing of WindRunner \u2013 the world\u2019s largest aircraft. Structural sizing is the critical process of determining the size and weight of primary aircraft structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radia is developing the WindRunner <\/a>aircraft, an outsized aerial logistics platform designed to efficiently and effectively deliver the world\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collier Aerospace<\/a>\u2019s software and services help Radia\u2019s engineering and design teams optimize and accelerate sizing for the massive aircraft\u2019s airframe and efficiently evaluate and analyze many different design configurations under rigorous time and cost pressures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aircraft size comparison of the WindRunner and a Boeing 747-400. Image credit Radia.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsing Collier\u2019s technology, we can create and analyze design concepts in hours and automate the time-consuming process of evaluating hundreds to thousands of load cases,\u201d said Mark Lundstrom, founder and CEO of Radia. \u201cCollier\u2019s software helps us efficiently evaluate design options and optimize WindRunner\u2019s weight and structural performance in support of its critically important mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s automated sizing capabilities to account for unusual variables such as the huge size and capacity of the unpressurized fuselage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Artist rendering showcasing the WindRunner aircraft, approximately the length of a football field (356 ft), shown in HyperX software interface. Image Collier Aerospace Corp.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a thrill to work with Radia on its breakthrough WindRunner aircraft and contribute to its extraordinary mission,\u201d commented Craig Collier, professional engineer and CEO of Collier Aerospace. \u201cThis 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\u2019s capabilities. We can\u2019t wait to see the final result of this groundbreaking design when WindRunner makes its maiden flight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Collier Aerospace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Engineers are using advanced software to streamline aircraft design and speed up testing. This tech helps build massive cargo planes with optimized performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,17],"tags":[1498,1062,60,252,1497,1496,1499],"class_list":["post-4283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aerospace","category-simulation","tag-aircraftinnovation","tag-aviationtech","tag-collier-aerospace","tag-futureofflight","tag-hyperxsoftware","tag-structuraldesign","tag-windrunner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4283"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4294,"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4283\/revisions\/4294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superwomansolutions.com\/engtechnica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}