Airbus has a way of shifting stuff around its sites from its different engineering bases to its assembly plants – and that using a specially modified Airbus A300 – the A300-600ST… or as it became more commonly known, the Airbus Beluga
The Airbus Beluga swallowing an Airbus A350 wing – Image, Airbus
Airbus uses the Beluga fleet to transport large and outsized components such as wings, fuselages for its A320 series, A330 and A350 aircraft.
However, the fleet introduced in between 1994 and 2001 need additional help to deliver Airbus’s production targets. Therefore Airbus is to invest and develop five new Airbus Belgua’s – based on the A330 series aircraft (itself a descendent of the A300 series).
The new aircraft are due to enter service from 2019.
The looks won’t change too much, with the cockpit to remain lowered from the main deck – with the cargo bay structure and the rear-end/tail to be developed.
Whilst as passengers, we’ll never see or need to board this aircraft, these aircraft help deliver the components of the planes that we will fly in in the future. If Airbus can get the flying hours out of these aircraft, this will hopefully lower costs of the aircraft – that we have to pay for in our tickets.
Airbus Beluga loading an A320neo fuselage. Image – Airbus.
And whilst they look odd, they’re doing an amazing job.
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