BelugaXL: Airbus takes off from the new mega-cargo – economy

Parts of the fuselage or wings must be flown
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6 hours ago

TOULOUSE –
The new Airbus BelugaXL carrier has completed its maiden flight. Five machines need to be built – the Group already has concrete application possibilities.

It is the successor of the European aeronautical manufacturer's toboggan With its belugas, Airbus transports between its European locations. huge pieces of aircraft such as hulls or wings. Because of their silhouette similar to that of a whale, they figure among the most striking planes of the sky.

The first copy of Beluga's new generation took off Thursday morning from Toulouse-Blagnac airport, Airbus announced. The thick stream was painted with a mouth and an eye, reminiscent of a smiling whale. His first flight took a little over four hours.

Airbus plans to build a total of five BelugaXL aircraft. They are based on the cargo variant of the A330 jumbo jet, from which many components have been taken over. They should start operating in 2019 and gradually replace the five previous beluga whales. The smaller predecessor model was developed on the basis of the A300 and completed its first flight in 1994. The BelugaXL is 63 meters long, almost 19 meters high and can carry more than 50 tons of cargo.