This is the most unusual airplane in the world: it resembles a whale and transports unusual materials

Today in VIAJAR Magazine, we invite you to look to the sky to discover the most unusual airplane in the world. This is the Beluga XL, an aircraft that was put into service in 2019, transforming the Airbus A330-200 Freighter passenger jet. The most distinctive feature of this new aircraft, equipped with Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines, is its whale-like shape, which is designed to transport large dimensional materials.

Aviation enthusiasts (who are likely eagerly awaiting the launch of the airplane that will travel three times the speed of sound) and trivia lovers should know that the airplane shaped like a beluga (a type of cetacean that is a mix between a whale and a giant dolphin) measures 63 meters in length, reaches a height of 19 meters, and has a diameter of nine meters in its cargo area. Additionally, this aircraft should have no problems with overweight issues, as it can support a maximum payload of 51 tons.

Beyond the curious shape of its fuselage, the Beluga XL is designed to transport certain materials that, due to their size, cannot fit in other types of aircraft. Can you imagine what materials we are talking about? Indeed, these are large-dimension aviation components.

The immediate precursor to the Beluga XL is a similar model simply called Beluga, but this new model (note this fact) has 30 percent more capacity, allowing it to carry two wings of the Airbus A350 instead of just one.

The manufacturers of this aircraft didn't put much thought into the commercial name and opted for the obvious: its shape. The Beluga XL, as its name indicates, is shaped like this cetacean also known as the white whale. The eyes and mouth painted on the fuselage give this airborne giant a very friendly appearance, weighing about 86 tons when empty.

Long before the Beluga XL took to the skies, other aerial giants could be seen, like the Aero Spacelines SuperGuppy, a cargo airplane that made its inaugural flight back in 1965. This model, in turn, is an evolution of the Pregnant Guppy aircraft. All of them are designed to carry freight and not for transporting passengers. However, for traveler transport, there are also new and interesting projects.

In the 1960s, NASA needed to send enormous pieces for the construction of aerospace material. Among them were the components for the rocket that would carry a human to the Moon for the first time. From this need arose the Pregnant Guppy because its appearance resembles the tropical fish that gives birth to its young instead of laying eggs. Now, perhaps the Beluga XL will transport the parts of the spacecraft that will take humans to Mars.

Pregnant Guppy, Super Guppy, Beluga, and Beluga XL are some of the most unusual airplanes in the world mainly due to their shape. And beyond the anecdotal nature of their fuselage, they are crucial for efficiently transporting both air and aerospace materials.