Aircraft
First BelugaXL Rolls Out of Factory in Toulouse
First flight expected by mid-year
The first structurally complete BelugaXL stands nearly ready for engine installation. (Photo: Airbus)
The first structurally complete BelugaXL stands nearly ready for engine installation. (Photo: Airbus)

The first structurally complete airframe for the new Airbus BelugaXL has rolled out from its assembly hangar in Toulouse, France, the manufacturer said Tuesday. Based on an A330-200F airframe, the planned fleet of five BelugaXLs will provide 30 percent more transport capacity than the Beluga-600XTs they will replace. For example, each can carry a complete set of A350XWB wings, compared with just one wing for the 600XT. Similarly, it can carry more parts of the A320. In total, the new Beluga can carry 52 metric tons of payload over a distance of 2,200 nm nonstop.