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Watch Airbus' Beluga Cargo Plane Land and Take Off in Hamburg

Brendan Dorsey
Brendan Dorsey
Contributor
Born and raised in Northern California, schooled in our Nation's capital, and currently working in the greatest city in the world - NYC. I was instantly hooked to traveling the second I stepped foot in Europe. The addiction only grew once I found out I could do it for free, all on points and miles. I could also eat bagels for every meal.
Sept. 09, 2016
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1 min read
Airbus Beluga Featured
Watch Airbus' Beluga Cargo Plane Land and Take Off in Hamburg
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It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a... blimp with wings? No, it's actually a rare Airbus A300-600ST 'Beluga' that we're bringing to you in this week's crazy aviation video.

The jet was originally called a "Super Transporter," but after many comparisons to the Beluga whale, it's since adopted the name of the similar-looking sea creature. The Beluga is a transport jet that ferries airplane parts and oversized cargo around the globe in a unique style. It's modified from an A300-600 wide-body passenger aircraft, and only five have been made since production began in 1992.

In the video above, the Beluga approaches the runway at Airbus's plant in Hamburg, Germany, with such grace that you wouldn't think it was the behemoth that it is. Then, just after landing, the oddly-shaped aircraft turns around and has a seamless takeoff, flying out into the evening sky.