The latest Beluga XL comes out of the paint shop with a wink | Pictures

The sixth Airbus Beluga XL left the paint shop on Thursday. The color scheme of the device differs from the other five copies.

The aircraft, which is based on the Airbus A330, is the latest of a total of six Beluga XL aircraft. What distinguishes the sixth machine from the others is that one of the Beluga’s eyes is closed, which makes the plane winks. Both eyes of the other five freighters are open.

Airbus originally only wanted to build five XL aircraft, but increased that number to six in 2019. “In a few years, we could find ourselves in a situation where production increases, or one of our Beluga XL machines breaks down , and then the sixth aircraft becomes essential,” said Bertrand George, Beluga XL program manager at Airbus at the time. . .

BelugaST

The Beluga XL is the replacement for the obsolete and smaller BelugaST. The smaller type is based on the A300 and first flew in 1994. After years of service for Airbus, the aircraft can now also be leased by third parties. With the freight charter company “Airbus Beluga Transport”, Airbus hopes to offer freight companies and other potential customers a solution for the transport of exceptionally bulky goods. The service can be used in the aerospace, energy, defense, aviation and marine sectors, among others.