The Beluga XL landed at Airbus Broughton last week to give people in North Wales their first glimpse of the “whale of the sky”.
Hawarden airport welcomed the jet as part of the test and certification phase for the new plane as Airbus prepares it to enter operational service later this year.
Its role will be to transport wings and other large parts around the Airbus sites in the UK, France, Germany and Spain – replacing the existing Beluga ST fleet over the coming years.
There has been plenty of coverage of its airborne exploits in recent days but now the aerospace giant has released a video showing wings being loaded on the new planes.
This clip has been taken from the Bremen site in Germany but this highlights how the plane will be used once operational at Broughton.
One of the key reasons for the development of the new plane is its ability to take two A350 wings at one time – helping with the step up in production rates for Airbus.
Beluga XL is expected to enter service in May this year after its 10 month certification campaign.
With a length of 63 metres, the Beluga XL is approximately seven metres longer than its Beluga ST predecessor and incorporates a highly-enlarged cargo bay structure and modified rear and tail section.
The new fleet will increase Airbus’ air transport capacity for the company’s industrial network by about 30%.
