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Earlier this week, the fourth Airbus Beluga XL (Also known as XL4) took its first flight. It was performing its 3-hour test flight to and from Toulouse. This is part of Airbus' progressive introduction of the Beluga XL to the existing Beluga fleet. Sadly, this also means that the older Beluga ST's will be retired from the fleet. More information regarding the fate of the Beluga ST will be released at the end of this year.
Now, you may ask, what is the Beluga for? The Airbus Beluga is mainly used by Airbus to transport aeroplane parts, such as the fuselage of an A320, from its suppliers to the manufacturing base. The Beluga XL is based on an A330 Freighter and is one of the largest cargo transporters in the world, coming close to the Antonov AN-225!
The aircraft that took its first flight today, which is the Beluga XL4 has a registration of F-WWCO, which is a common registration given to aircraft sent for testing.
That is all for today's article, I hope you enjoyed it.
Did you manage to spot this brand-new Beluga XL?
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Written by: Sohail Sawlani
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