Final Airbus BelugaXL Cargo Plane Unveiled, Emerges From Paint Shop: See Pics

The Airbus BelugaXL is often called the 'Whale' or 'Smiling Beluga' due to its resemblance to the Beluga Whale, on which its design is based.

Image: Twitter

Airbus, the French plane maker has rolled out the last and final BelugaXL cargo plane from its paint shop. The sixth unit of its oversized airlifter - the Airbus BelugaXL - marks the final installment in the manufacturer’s renewed lineup of these specialized carriers. The Beluga is often called the 'Whale' due to its resemblance to the Beluga Whale, on which its design is based. The plane maker shared a few images on the social media to give a preview of the upcoming transporter for large cargo operations. The Airbus BelugaXL is a super-sized transporter, and currently the largest civilian transport plane.

Sharing the pics of the freshly painted Airbus BelugaXL on Twitter, the planemaker wrote, "Something BIG has just sneaked out of our paint shop - check out our latest (and last) #BelugaXL as she gets ready to support outsized cargo operations!" 

Something BIG has just sneaked out of our paint shop - check out our latest (and last) #BelugaXL as she gets ready to support outsized cargo operations! pic.twitter.com/GxPnMcdpPX

— Airbus (@Airbus) June 29, 2023

Airbus BelugaXL: Dimensions

With a length of 63.1 meters, a height of 18.9 meters, and a wingspan of 60.3 meters, it can hold cargo measuring 2,209 cubic meters – the largest among all civil or military aircraft currently in service. The Airbus BelugaXL is based on the Airbus A330-200 Freighter and entered service in 2020. It is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.

While Airbus BelugaXL is currently the largest civilian cargo plane, it was long overshadowed by the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the only of its kind aircraft that was destroyed in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. As for the BelugaXL, it is utilized by the European manufacturer for transporting aircraft components between its factories. Airbus operates manufacturing sites in France, Germany, Spain, and the UK.