The last ever Airbus Beluga XL is preparing for takeoff
Published on Jul 07, 2023 at 2:49 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Jul 10, 2023 at 3:18 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
We’ve said goodbye to the Boeing 747.
It’s now time to wave farewell to the Airbus Beluga XL.
Airbus this week officially called time on its production of the bonkers Beluga cargo plane.
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It’s a sad day for aviation because this is no normal plane.
The final Airbus Beluga XL rolled off the production line in Toulouse, France, earlier this week.
The plane is the sixth model to be built, with each solely created to transport cargo around the world.
This final Beluga is different from the five others built too.
It still features the signature Airbus tailfin, but the behemoth has a big cheeky grin up front and a winking eye graphic on one side.
Cute.
Gleaming paintwork finished, the sixth Airbus Beluga XL will take to the skies for the first time in the coming days.
The plan is for the Beluga freighter to enter service for Airbus later this year.
Like the other Beluga XL aircraft in the fleet, the final plane will be used to ferry large components between the plane maker’s production facilities.
They have sites all over the globe, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK.
Built around the Airbus A330, the Beluga XL is one of the largest cargo planes in the world.
Unveiled in November 2015, the very first aircraft took to the skies in July 2018.
Each of the six planes comprises a fuselage that’s more than 200 feet long (60.96 meters) and 29 feet wide (8.84 meters).
In total, the plane’s cargo hold measures an impressive 7,247 cubic feet.
The cabin of a Airbus Beluga XL is almost 25 feet wide (7.62 meters) and the large door at the front means it’s capable of carrying some pretty hefty cargo.
Among other cargo, the Beluga XL regularly carries plane wings and fuselage sections.
To get all that weight up in the air, the Beluga is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, which help give the plane a range of almost 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers).
European plane spotters will be keeping a close eye on Flightradar24 for the final plane’s maiden voyage.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.