The A300-600ST Super Transporter (nicknamed Beluga) based on the A300-600 airliner was designed to replace Airbus Industries Super Guppy transports, used by the consortium to ferry oversize components such as wings and fuselage sections between Airbus’ partners’ plants throughout western Europe.
The Airbus Super Transporter features the widest fuselage cross-section of any aircraft, civil of military, and his main deck cargo volume is greater than the Lockheed C-5B Galaxy, Antonov 124 and Boeing C-17.
Airbus A300B4-608ST Super Transporters are also available for charter flights for third parties. Air Transports Internationals home base is in Toulouse, France adjacent to Airbus.
In 1999 the Beluga carried a famous very large painting from the Musee du Louvres in Paris to Tokyo. In February 2003, it transported three helicopters for Eurocopter to Australia, while in 2004 it made three trips to Ba?konur, the historical Russian launch site, to deliver three Astrium satellites. In September 2005, the Beluga contributed to the Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, USA, emergency relief effort with 30 tonnes of tents, blankets, camp beds and a mobile hospital.
The “Beluga” has flown two new production NH90 helicopters from Marseille, France to Berlin in Germany, the transport of two operational United Nations CH-53s from Larnaka in Cyprus to Frankfurt, Germany, and the shipment of an EH-101 from Milan, Italy to Fairbanks, Alaska.
| Developing nation: | Europe |
| Manufacturer/designer: | EADS – Airbus Industry. |
| Production line: | Toulouse-Blagnac, France. |
| Type aircraft: | Oversize cargo freighter. |
| First flight: | September 13, 1994. F-WAST. |
| First delivery: | October 25, 1995. |
| Airbus A300-608ST “Beluga” | |
| Cockpit crew: | Two pilots. |
| Cargo length: | 37,7 m. |
| Cargo cylindrical length: | 21,34 m. |
| Cargo diameter: | 7,10 m. |
| Cargo volume: | – Maine deck 1.400 m³. |
| Wing span: | 44,84 m. |
| Wing area: | 260 m². |
| Fuselage length: | 56,16 m. |
| Fuselage diameter: | 7,31 m. |
| Height: | – 17,24 m.
– Cargo nose door 16,78 m. |
| Engines: | Two General Electric CF6-80C2A8 rated 262,4 kN. |
| Weight: | – Max. payload: 47.000 Kg. |
| Max. Take off weight: | 155.000 Kg. |
| Max. Landing weight: | 140.000 Kg. |
| Cruise Speed: | 745 km/h. |
| Max. ceiling: | 10.670 m. |
| Max. Range: | – 47.000 kg 1.667 km – 40.000 kg 2.779 km – 26.000 kg 4.632 km |
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