The shape of the Airbus BelugaXL resembles the Arctic cetacean.
A Flintshire resident caught the moment lightning struck an Airbus Beluga while it flew over north Wales in the UK on Wednesday. Photo: Glenn Smethurst
The Airbus Beluga, a whale-shaped aircraft, is one of the largest airplanes in the world. Airbus
An Airbus Beluga transport plane on display during the ILA Berlin Air Show 2022. EPA
An Airbus Beluga weighs 85.6 tonnes. AFP
Airbus playfully added a smiling face to the massive jet. The aircraft is closer in size to two blue whales – the world's largest animals – placed nose to tail. Reuters
The BelugaXL's nose measures 18.9 metres high - about the height of a three-storey building. Getty
With a maximum payload of 51 tonnes, the jet can carry seven full-size elephants and still have cargo space to spare. Reuters
The giant flying 'whale' can easily carry two A350 XWB wings in one flight. Fully-loaded it can cover distances up to 2,200 nautical miles. AFP
A Beluga transport plane takes off in Colomiers near Toulouse, France. The plane flies between Airbus's 11 production sites in Europe to the company's assembly lines in France, Germany and China. Reuters
The design of the BelugaXL re-uses existing components and equipment from Airbus's A330 wide-body range. It is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. Reuters
The shape of the Airbus BelugaXL resembles the Arctic cetacean.
A Flintshire resident caught the moment lightning struck an Airbus Beluga while it flew over north Wales in the UK on Wednesday. Photo: Glenn Smethurst
The Airbus Beluga, a whale-shaped aircraft, is one of the largest airplanes in the world. Airbus
An Airbus Beluga transport plane on display during the ILA Berlin Air Show 2022. EPA
An Airbus Beluga weighs 85.6 tonnes. AFP
Airbus playfully added a smiling face to the massive jet. The aircraft is closer in size to two blue whales – the world's largest animals – placed nose to tail. Reuters
The BelugaXL's nose measures 18.9 metres high - about the height of a three-storey building. Getty
With a maximum payload of 51 tonnes, the jet can carry seven full-size elephants and still have cargo space to spare. Reuters
The giant flying 'whale' can easily carry two A350 XWB wings in one flight. Fully-loaded it can cover distances up to 2,200 nautical miles. AFP
A Beluga transport plane takes off in Colomiers near Toulouse, France. The plane flies between Airbus's 11 production sites in Europe to the company's assembly lines in France, Germany and China. Reuters
The design of the BelugaXL re-uses existing components and equipment from Airbus's A330 wide-body range. It is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. Reuters
The shape of the Airbus BelugaXL resembles the Arctic cetacean.