* Posts by AirbusUK

2 publicly visible posts • joined 20 May 2016

Airbus to build plane that's even uglier than the A380

AirbusUK

Re: Beluga Fans in Uproar Shocker

Correct. Thank you for confirming that I am doing my job!

AirbusUK

Beluga Fans in Uproar Shocker

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If the Beluga could read, it would be really upset that you’ve called it ugly. As it happens it is far more capable in areas other than literacy.

Look at the Beluga as the stork that brings the newborn. It works hard shuttling between Airbus’ European installations collecting wings, fuselage sections and tails which results in the “birth” of new aircraft. Note that storks may not be pretty to us, but then they probably think we’re a bit odd too.

And it has quite a fan base too. Just this morning I was in Broughton in the UK (where Airbus makes its wings) chaperoning a TV crew filming the Beluga landing. They weren't there for that, but they just couldn't resist. Photos don’t do it justice.

The new Beluga XL is due to start being built in 2017 and should enter service in 2019. It’s just as well, as Airbus has around 10 years’ worth of orders to fulfil and moving all those components around is going to take something sturdy and reliable. Beluga’s real beauty is the way it sustains all those jobs in Europe and beyond with an efficient transport network.

As for the A380, it’s a magnificent sight watching this behemoth coming in to land, and if you get the chance to walk around the outside of one when it’s on the ground, you’ll see how awesome it really is.

And having been on one UK-US last weekend, the effortless take off, quiet, smooth flight and the cavernous interior make it the vehicle of choice for long-haul passengers (aerosexuals included) all around the world. Who cares what it looks like? No wine is spilt. What’s not to like?

Anyway, just had the Beluga on the phone. Someone has read your article to it and it still loves you, even if that love is unrequited….