Airbus Industries
Airbus A330-743L Beluga XL
Airbus A330-743L
Beluga XL
Role Outsize freight aircraft
Manufacturer Airbus
First flight 19 July 2018
Introduction 9 January 2020
Status In service
Primary user Airbus Transport International
Produced 2016–2023
Number built 6
Developed from Airbus A330-200F / Airbus Beluga
.
History Airbus A330-743L Beluga XL.
Airbus SE is a European
multinational aerospace corporation
In 2013, the five original Belugas could not cope with production growth, and Airbus evaluated the Antonov An-124 and An-225, Boeing C-17 or Dreamlifter, and A400M, before choosing to modify one of its own aircraft. The programme was launched in November 2014 to build five aircraft to replace the existing five BelugaSTs; the design freeze was announced on 16 September 2015. The program cost is €1 billion for development and production.
The aircraft's lower fuselage is assembled on the Airbus A330 final assembly line, and then moved to another facility for the year-long process of assembling the upper fuselage and the lowered nose fuselage The first section arrived in Toulouse in November 2016. Final assembly started on 8 December 2016. The first large sections: one central and two lateral rear section panels, arrived on 12 April 2017 at the Toulouse Final Assembly facility (L34) from Aernnova's factory in Berantevilla, Spain.0
KmCeiling
0
KmRange
0
MachAircraft Speed
0
Max Crew
Photo Gallery
Airbus A330-743L Beluga XL
Airbus Industries S.A.
Airbus A330-743L Beluga XL
General characteristics
- Capacity: 50,500 kg (111,333 lb) payload
- Length: 63.1 m (207 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 60.3 m (197 ft 10 in)
- Height: 18.9 m (62 ft 0 in)
- Wing area: 361.6 m2 (3,892 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 10.1
-
Powerplants
- Empty weight: 127,500 kg (281,089 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 227,000 kg (500,449 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 73,000 kg (161,000 lb)
- Fuselage diameter: 8.8 m (29 ft)
- Cargo hold: 2,209 m3 (78,000 cu ft) volume
- Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Trent 700 turbofan, 316 kN (71,000 lbf) thrust each
Specifications
- Cruise speed: 737 km/h (458 mph, 398 kn) , Mach 0.69 at FL350
- Range: 4,300 km (2,600 mi, 2,300 nmi) at max payload
- Service ceiling: 11,000 m (35,000 ft)
Aircraft of comparable role
- Aero Spacelines Super Guppy – Turboprop conversion and enlarged version of outsize cargo carrier Pregnant Guppy
- Antonov An-124 Ruslan – Soviet large military transport aircraft
- Antonov An-225 Mriya – Soviet/Ukrainian heavy strategic cargo aircraft
- Boeing Dreamlifter – Outsize cargo conversion of the 747-400
Links to Youtube & Others
Airbus started operating the first BelugaXL on 9 January 2020; all six freighters are expected to be operating by the end of 2023, while the previous A300-600STs are to be phased out from 2021.
Airbus A330-743L
Beluga XL
The first cut of the Beluga XL MSN001 rear fuselage has been successfully achieved in Spain
Youtube Link
This Airbus Beluga XL is an impressive airplane and it` s always hard to believe that this thing can actually fly.
Read more in Airbus Aviation
.
