Role Wide-body airliner
National origin Multinational
Manufacturer Airbus
First flight 28 October 1972
ntroduction 23 May 1974 with Air France
Status In limited passenger service, In cargo service
Primary users FedEx Express
UPS Airlines
European Air Transport Leipzig
Mahan Air
Produced 1971–2007
Number built 561
Variants A300-600ST BelugaAirbus A310
Developed into Airbus A330 / Airbus A340
The A300-600ST Beluga shares many design similarities, although differing substantially in appearance, to the Airbus A300 upon which it was based. The wings, engines, landing gear, and the lower part of the fuselage remain identical to those used on the conventional A300, while the upper part of the fuselage forms an enormous horseshoe-shaped structure 7.7 m (25 ft) in diameter. In comparison with the Super Guppy, the payload was more than doubled and the volume increased by more than 30% The General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan engines used are slightly uprated from those used on the standard A300 as well. The vertical stabilizer uses a modified A340 fin with a 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in) base extension while the tailplane was strengthened and fitted with auxiliary fins to maintain directional stability. The tailplane trim tank was also deleted.
In January 1996, the Beluga formally entered service, ferrying components from various aerospace sites to the final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg. On 24 October 1997, the last of Airbus's Super Guppy freighters was retired and its outsize cargo mission from that point onwards being exclusively performed by the new A300-600ST fleet. In 1997, the second year of Beluga operations, the fleet accumulated in excess of 2,500 flight hours across more than 1,400 flights. By 2012, the fleet was performing roughly 5,000 flight hours per year; Airbus expected this figure to double by 2017Ceiling
Range
Aircraft Speed
Max Crew
| Length | 53.61 m (175.9 ft) | 54.08 m (177.4 ft) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 16.72 m (54.9 ft) | 16.66 m (54.7 ft) | |
| Wing | 44.84 m (147.1 ft) span, 260 m2 (2,800 sq ft) area[74] 7.7 aspect ratio | ||
On 25 January 2022, Airbus announced a service offering outsize cargo transportation using its BelugaST fleet. Airbus Beluga Transport saw additional demand after sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In January 1996, the Beluga formally entered service, ferrying components from various aerospace sites to the final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg
Since entering service, the Beluga has been subject to several infrastructure upgrades. In 2011, Pau Pyrénées Airport.
