The Airbus Beluga XL VI 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 last of a total of six Beluga XL aircraft. What sets the Sixth machine apart from the others is that one of the beluga’s eyes is closed, making it an airplane winks. Both eyes of the other five freighters are open.
Airbus originally wanted to build just five XLs, but increased that number to six in 2019. “Within a few years, we could find ourselves in a situation where there are more and more production, or one of the Beluga XL machines breaks down, then the sixth plane becomes indispensable.” ..
Beluga
The Beluga XL is a replacement for the outdated and smaller BelugaST. The smaller type is based on the A300 and first flew in 1994. After years of service to Airbus, the aircraft can now also be chartered by third parties. With cargo leasing company Airbus Beluga Transport, Airbus hopes to offer shippers and other potential customers a solution for transporting exceptionally large cargo. The service can be used in the aerospace, energy, defence, aviation and marine sectors, among others.
