Beluga XL, the giant wings of Airbus

By François Deletraz (text) and Pierre-Olivier Deschamps / Agence Vu '(photos)

The Beluga XL. Here is a plane unique in the world! It is a huge device that seems made as much for the ocean as for the sky, as it resembles the whale of which it bears the name. And to see it, one can only marvel at the technical prowess of aeronautical engineers.

Read also: With Maveric, Airbus explores the routes of the aircraft of the future

Built specifically for the transport of spare parts to assembly centers, the Beluga alone reflects the uniqueness of Airbus. Because, unlike other manufacturers who concentrate their activity in the same place, the European manufacturer has production centers spread across Europe.

It is to respect this geographic diversity that the Beluga was invented, but also to remain faithful to the history of Airbus. In its beginnings, Airbus was only a trade name, a simple economic interest grouping (GIE) which brought together in 1970 Sud-Aviation in Toulouse, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm in Germany and

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