fiightglobal.com 11-17 June 2019 | Flight International | 39
PARIS
BelugaXLFlight-testing of the first BelugaXL,
MSN1824, has entered its “final stage” prior
to certification, says Airbus. It had completed
more than 140 test flights by mid-April,
amounting to some 500h, and will be certified
as a derivative using the A330-300 as a base-
line, Airbus says.
UNPRESSURISED DECK
The BelugaXL has been subject to equivalent
EASA safety proposals such as that covering a
ground control law, known as RSTAR, which
acts on the rudder and is designed to improve
stability in the yaw axis on the ground. An-
other refers to the outsize fuselage and the de-
cision, similar to that for the A300-600ST, not
to fit smoke-detection systems to the unpres-
surised main deck, as might normally be re-
quired for Class E cargo compartments.
“The risk of hazardous fire will be preclud-
ed in the [main deck] as no design features
which could create a fire risk will be incorpo-
rated in this cargo compartment,” says EASA,
adding that permitted cargo items will be of a
nature that avoids the possibility of ignition.
The certification programme covers not
only the specific flight performance require-
ments for the modified aircraft but aspects
such as the reconfigured cockpit section
which, unlike the A300-600ST, will feature a
courier area behind the flightdeck with ac-
commodation for four people – three seats fit-
ted on the right-hand side, with another on
the left. EASA has pointed out that the emer-
gency exits for the A330-300 could not be re-
tained and, as a result, the only exits available
on the BelugaXL are the two cockpit sliding
windows – requiring additional procedures to
ensure they are latched before departure.“Ground and flight tests have been carried
out on schedule and according to plan,” says the
airframer. “No major changes have been made.”
The A300-600ST was selected for certifica-
tion flights using the satellite-augmentation
system EGNOS – the European GeostationaryNavigation Overlay Service – at Pau Pyrenees
airport, about 90 miles (150km) west of
Toulouse. ATI had expressed interest owing
to the absence of instrument landing systems
at some of the airports used by the operator.
As well as the flight testing of the Belu-
gaXL, Airbus has been carrying out integra-
tion checks with new facilities at its main
supplier stations, as well as loading exercises
to demonstrate that the aircraft can fulfil the
central function for which it was designed –
the ability to transport two A350 wings simul-
taneously. This capability was verified in Feb-
ruary, when a pair of A350 wings was
shipped from the Bremen plant to Toulouse.
Testing was also carried out at sites in Seville
in February, as well as the UK wing plant at
Broughton. The arrival at Broughton was par-
ticularly crucial, because the runway conditions
at the airport had been a specific influence on
the design of the BelugaXL.GROUND INTEGRATION
“Ground integration testing is ongoing,” says
Airbus. “All loading and unloading tests per-
formed up to now – in Bremen, Toulouse and
Broughton – were successfully completed.”
Flight operations with the BelugaXL will
differ from those previously employed on the
A300-600ST fleet. Airbus transitioned to a two-
person cockpit configuration on the A300-
600ST in May 2018, and the company says
that it is undergoing a “major change” by creat-
ing a loadmaster position to take over from du-
ties previously performed by flight engineers.
Loadmasters undergo a training scheme that
includes at least 20 loading and unloading cy-
cles, to prepare for the responsibility of open-
ing the freight door and ensuring safe transi-
tion of fuselage sections and wings between
the aircraft and ground receiving stations.
“Part of this [training] is theoretical, provid-
ing an insight into the aircraft’s technology
and familiarising loadmasters with weight
and balance calculations,” says Airbus. “It
also covers subjects such as human factors
and handling dangerous goods.”
Airbus’s development of the BelugaXL will
include a lighter-weight variant, with a maxi-
mum take-off weight (MTOW) of 205t against
the standard 227t. It says this will enable the
operator to minimise landing and navigation
charges, which are based on MTOW.
Once the first three BelugaXLs are in ser-
vice the A300-600ST fleet will “gradually be
available for sale”, says the airframer, or
potentially redeployed to enable it to serve
external customers. Airbus declines to dis-
close the status of any discussions it might be
having on the matter.
But the company stresses that the A300-
600ST could still have 10-20 years’ flying life.
The original iteration of the unmistakable Be-
luga, it says, is “far from being written off”. ■JB Accariez/master films/AirbusS Ramadier/Airbus
Aircraft was designed around a central function – to carry two A350 wings simultaneously
Loading exercises have been
taking place at supplier stations“By expanding the [BelugaXL]
programme we protect future
growth, and mitigate against
industrial risks”
Bertrand George
BelugaXL programme head, Airbus