April, 2016

European plane manufacturer's super-sized transporter jet, Airbus A300-600ST (Beluga)

In order to give you more insights into the CI newly acquired Airbus A350 aircraft, we made a tour in the aircraft's final assembly line in Toulouse. Before we get into the specifics, I'd like to give some props:What is “Beluga”? How are the large plane parts transported? How many Beluga aircraft are constructed? What is the Beluga's maximum payload?

We’ve got the latest first-hand information by CI field representatives曾聰富and 王經元, from the Airbus jetliner final assembly lines in Toulouse. Let’s enjoy the close-up perspectives of the final assembly line.

A peek inside the Airbus A300-600ST（Beluga）

The Airbus A300-600ST (Beluga) Super Transporter is used by Airbus to transport large plane parts from its production facilities to its European assembly lines. The aircraft is a highly modified version of the A300-600. Airbus created its supersize transporter by cutting the top section off one of its Airbus A300 wide-body jet models and then adding a bubble-shaped additional fuselage to the airframe. The strangest-looking aircraft earned its nickname for its uncanny resemblance to the whale of the same name. Since the 1994 original, four more Belugas have been produced and all 5 of them remain active participants in Airbus operations.

The Beluga, one of the world’s largest cargo carriers, has a spacious cargo hold of 1400 cubic meters which can accommodate equivalent to an incredibly 36 autos or seven elephants. The Belugas airlift the large, pre-assembled sections of its jetliners from their production locations to final assembly lines and is capable of transporting a fuselage area for Airbus’ most current wide-body airplane, the A350.

The Beluga made its maiden flight in1994 and has been in service for 20 years. The five Belugas currently in operation make more than 65 flights each week. To support the production rate increases, Airbus is expanding its existing A300-600ST fleet with the development and production of the second generation of the outsize cargo transporters "Beluga XL". The new Belugas will be derived from the company’s A330 wide-body product and be even larger than the existing fleet. Airbus expects the first of the five new Belugas to enter service in mid-2019. The original five A300-600ST Beluga aircraft is to be progressively retired through 2025.

Airbus A300-600ST’s Vital Statistics