...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.

FMI: www.airbus.com; www.airventure.org