Aerospace startup Radia announced at last week’s Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference that it would build a massive cargo aircraft that could be described as a flying aircraft carrier of sorts. The “WindRunner” would be an “ultra-large air cargo aircraft” meant to address the “oversized airlift gap.”

Instead of focusing solely on weight, the WindRunner would address the issue of volume—capable of carrying “mission-ready systems to austere or degraded locations,” the company explained, helping the Pentagon to meet its Agile Combat Employment (ACE) goals.

Many current heavy airlifters, including the C-5M Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, and A400 M........

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