We’ve heard plenty of stories from cutting-edge aerospace and automotive companies that drew inspiration for their innovative designs from nature. Mechanically translating the seemingly effortless movements of a bird’s wings or a reptile’s crawl has led engineers to create truly unique products and game-changing technologies.
The common theme in all of these designs is an appreciation for the inherent connection between nature and machine. So, you have to admire the vision of engineers at Airbus who are basing their latest plane design on a 3,000-pound arctic whale.
Although the company has had five Beluga aircraft in service for the last 20 years, it’s currently developing an even larger version of the unique-looking plane. They’ve been used to transport massive aircraft parts like fuselage sections, wings, and tails from suppliers to Airbus assembly plants.
The new Beluga XL is 23’ longer, has a wingspan that’s 50’ wider, an operating range that’s 700 miles larger and can carry 12,000 pounds more than its predecessor.
Airbus says these jumbo cargo planes combine added carrying capacity with the speed and efficiency of an airliner.
In addition to its size, the Belugas feature some unique design characteristics. These features include the open bubble space that opens from the front for loading some of those huge plane parts. Additionally, the cockpit is lower than its airliner sibling to avoid issues with the electrical, hydraulic, and flight control systems while loading and unloading.
Perhaps the biggest benefit is that the new XL design will allow for transporting two aircraft wings instead of one, as well as sections of the double-decker A380, the world’s largest passenger plane. Using the Beluga XL saves Airbus from the costs of transporting these huge pieces by a combination of road, rail, and sea.
The current pod of Belugas will be gradually retired by 2025.