Editing Airbus Beluga (section)

==Design==
[[File:Cargo bay A300-600ST Beluga.jpg|thumb|right|The cargo space of Beluga, ''F-GSTC''; AirExpo 2008, Toulouse Francazal Airport, France]]

[[File:Meeting aérien d'Albert-Picardie (7 juin 2008) 020 (Beluga).jpg|thumb|upright=1|Upward-swinging hinged door]]The A300-600ST Beluga shares many design similarities, although differing substantially in appearance, to the [[Airbus A300]] upon which it was based.<ref name=Flight5May1998/> The wings, engines, landing gear, and the lower part of the fuselage remain identical to those used on the conventional A300, while the upper part of the fuselage forms an enormous horseshoe-shaped structure {{cvt|7.7|m}} in diameter. In comparison with the Super Guppy, the payload was more than doubled and the volume increased by more than 30%<ref name=Flight5May1998/> The [[General Electric CF6#CF6-80C2|General Electric CF6-80C2]] [[turbofan]] engines used are slightly uprated from those used on the standard A300 as well.<ref name=Flight31May1994/> The [[vertical stabilizer]] uses a modified A340 fin with a {{cvt|1.12|m}} base extension while the [[tailplane]] was strengthened and fitted with auxiliary fins to maintain directional stability. The tailplane [[trim tank]] was also deleted.<ref name=Flight5May1998/><ref name = "on the wings"/>

To provide access to the cargo area from the front without having to disconnect all electrical, hydraulic and flight control connections (and also avoiding the lengthy recalibrations before each flight that reconnection entailed), the standard A300 cockpit was relocated down below the cargo-floor level.<ref name=Flight31May1994/> By relocating the cockpit in this manner, loading times were halved from those typically achieved with the Super Guppy, which had needed to disconnect and reconnect such systems.<ref name=Flight5May1998/> Another reason for faster loading times was the adoption of a [[roll-on/roll-off]] loading system, as well as the ability to unload the aircraft in winds of up to 40 knots.<ref name=Flight5May1998/> The qualities and improved capabilities of the Beluga resulted in the costs associated with transporting Airbus components dropping to one-third of those being incurred operating the Super Guppy.<ref name=Flight31May1994/>

The cockpit of the Beluga is pressurized but the cargo deck is not, making it inaccessible during flight and unsuitable for cargoes that require a pressurized environment, such as live animals. However, the cargo deck is fitted with a heating module to keep the cargo within an appropriate temperature range.<ref name="cnn2015" /> On at least one occasion, a pressurized container has been used for cargo. The aircraft is operated by a crew of three – two pilots and a loadmaster.<ref name="cnn2015" />

The main deck cargo volume of the Beluga is greater than that of the C-5 Galaxy or the Antonov An-124, but still smaller than Antonov An-225. However, it is restricted by cargo-weight capacity of 47 tonnes, compared to 122.5 tonnes for the C-5 Galaxy and 150 tonnes for the An-124.<ref name = "on the wings"/><ref>{{Cite web |title = Aircraft families/Beluga |publisher=Airbus |url = http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/freighter/beluga/ |access-date = 22 January 2014 |archive-date = 28 August 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140828231534/http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/freighter/beluga/ |language = en-gb |url-status = dead }}</ref> Despite this width, the Beluga cannot carry most fuselage parts of the [[Airbus A380]], which are instead normally transported by ship and road; nevertheless, some A380 components have been transported by Belugas.<ref>{{Cite news |title = Airbus delivers first A380 fuselage section from Spain |publisher = Airbus |date = 6 November 2003 |url = http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/11_06_03_A380.html |access-date = 7 February 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080123160112/http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/11_06_03_A380.html |archive-date = 23 January 2008 |url-status = dead |language = en-gb |df = dmy-all }}</ref>