...But Ugly is in the Mind of the Beholder
The most-voluminous air cargo carrier flying in
the world today, Airbus Transport International's A300-600ST
"Beluga," will make its first visit to Oshkosh, from July 29-August
4.
The Beluga, designed as a successor to the "Super Guppy"
[seen below in NASA livery and at Oshkosh 2000 --ed.], is
a highly-modified Airbus A300 jetliner. It is the only aircraft in
the world capable of handling loads with cross-sections of up to
16' (4.88meters) x 16 '. The Beluga is used to ferry complete
sections of Airbus aircraft from their manufacturing plants to
final assembly lines in Germany or France. Airbus Transport
International (ATI) also operates five Belugas on a charter basis
to other parties.
"We are excited about welcoming the Beluga to
Oshkosh for the first time," EAA President and AirVenture Chairman
Tom Poberezny said. "This massive airplane is unlike
anything else in the world, and will certainly draw the
curiosity of every AirVenture participant. As we celebrate
aviation's innovation of the past 100 years, the Beluga's
appearance will help show the creativity within aircraft design
taking place today."
The Beluga is tentatively scheduled to arrive at Wittman
Regional Airport in Oshkosh on Monday, July 28, and remain at
AirVenture until the following Monday, August 4. During that time,
it will be parked on the main AeroShell Square showcase ramp.
[Like, you'd need directions to find it? --ed.]
Big cargo? No problem.
The Beluga is able to haul a variety of payloads
in the space, military and other outsized cargo industries. The
aircraft has a 47-ton payload and a main-deck volume greater than
the U.S. Air Force C-5 or C-17 cargo planes, or even the massive
Antonov AN-124 from Russia. With its immense size, the Beluga can
carry up to 1,500 cubic meters of freight up to 900 nautical miles
(1,600 kilometers).
"Airbus believes it's important to make the 100th anniversary of
powered flight especially memorable, and we are therefore very
excited to bring one of the world's most memorable aircraft to this
year's AirVenture," declared T. Allan McArtor, chairman of Airbus
North America. "The Beluga embodies both the spirit of the Wrights
-- that where there is a will to fly, there is a way --
and, in a sense, the legacy of the pioneers of aviation. It is an
aircraft designed to aid the construction of other aircraft, and
we're thankful to our great colleagues in Airbus Transport
International for making it possible for the Beluga to be a part of
this year's special festivities."
The last of ATI's five Belugas entered service in January 2001.
Missions over the past year include shipment of the Spot 5
satellite from France to French Guyana, and the shipment of two
SeaKing helicopters from Europe to East Africa. In addition, Beluga
aircraft have played an important role in the space program, having
delivered large modules for the International Space Station to
Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
It's really huge, and, considering its shape,
awfully fast.
Cargo shipped by the Beluga aircraft is loaded through a unique
upward-opening door above the cockpit. The main cargo deck is 23
feet high and 123 feet long, and can handle a cylindrical object
(such as another airplane fuselage) of up to 70 feet in
length. The Beluga cruises at 0.7 Mach (approximately 510
miles per hour) at up to 35,000 feet of altitude.
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