This goofy looking jet is the key to Europe's airplane market

The Airbus A300-600ST, more popularly known as the "Beluga" due to its resemblance to the Arctic whale, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its first flight this month.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Beluga performs critical transportation roles in Europe, and today more than 60 flights are performed each week, between 11 sites, carrying parts for all Airbus programs.

The last email you'll ever need!

Airbus production centers are scattered throughout Europe, a throwback to its beginnings as a pan-European consortium, and each factory specializes in the completion of a specific section of an aircraft. The five Belugas link these plants and take the aircraft sections to the final assembly line at either Toulouse in France, or Hamburg in Germany.

Until the Beluga took over in 1994, Airbus used another funny-looking aircraft to deal with transportation, a variant of the Boeing C-97 called the "Super Guppy". But the Super Guppy was already outdated when Airbus started using it. Worse still, Airbus was relying on old aircraft from its chief rival, Boeing, to hand the bulk of its logistics.

Each of the vice Belugas in use are actually Airbus A300-600 jets, modified to carry large cargo.

The aircraft's top section is cut and a wider fuselage section-which resembles a bubble-is added, giving the Beluga its characteristic look.

The cockpit is also lowered, making it possible for the cargo hold to be loaded and unloaded through the front of the aircraft.

Though its service has been invaluable to Airbus, the Beluga is hitting two decades, and it's starting to show its age and limitations.

Airbus has multiplied aircraft deliveries by nearly five since the Beluga's maiden flight, and assembly plants in China and Alabama are well outside the Beluga's range of 1,500 nautical miles.

The Beluga will remain in service, but Airbus is already looking at replacements, including an updated format which is called the Beluga XL, based on an A330 airframe.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'