Airbus A-330-700 Beluga XL
The Airbus A330-700L BelugaXL is an oversized cargo aircraft built to ferry large Airbus wing and fuselage sections between the company's European factories, replacing the smaller original Beluga. Based on the A330's wings, engines, and landing gear, it has a vastly enlarged upper fuselage that gives it a distinctive bulging, almost cartoonish profile in flight. Its cockpit sits noticeably lower than the cargo hold above it, offset to one side so the pilots can see past the bulbous nose during taxi and takeoff. Only a handful were built, and they fly almost exclusively fixed routes between Airbus's own plants.
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Did you know?
The BelugaXL's cockpit sits low and offset to one side, letting pilots see past its bulbous cargo-hold nose during taxi.
Specifications
| Length | 63.1 m (207 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 60.3 m (198 ft) |
| Height | 17.2 m (57 ft) |
| Persons on board | 4 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 227 t |
| Range | 2,200 NM (4,074 km) |
| Maximum speed | 470 kt (870 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 41,100 ft (12,527 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 35,000 ft (10,668 m) |
| Fuel capacity | 73,000 l |
| Engines | 2x Rolls-Royce Trent 700 |
| Units built | 6 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Airbus A-330-700 Beluga XL starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
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