World's 'most bizarre' plane that has a smiling face and is too heavy for most airports

There are only 11 of them in the entire world (Image: Getty)

Aviation enthusiasts will probably know this plane very well already. It’s one of the most unique aircrafts ever designed and it’s very difficult to mistake it for anything else, mostly because it looks like a whale. But despite its famous appearance, spotting it is quite difficult as there are only 11 of them in the entire world.

The aircraft is instantly recognisable thanks to its huge rounded shape and a smiling face painted onto its nose. It looks more like something from a cartoon than a working cargo aircraft, but that’s exactly what it is. In fact, it’s one of the biggest flying machines ever made and plays a very important role in transporting massive cargo between factories across Europe.

The official name of the aircraft is the Airbus Beluga (Image: Getty)

The aircraft is instantly recognisable thanks to its huge rounded shape (Image: Getty)

The official name of the aircraft is the Airbus Beluga, and it comes in two versions, the older Beluga ST and the newer, even larger BelugaXL.

It’s designed to carry huge parts, including full aircraft wings and spacecraft components, that wouldn’t fit inside standard cargo planes.

Its unusual shape helps it carry massive loads, and its curved body resembles a Beluga whale so closely that Airbus decided to paint a smile and eyes on the front.

But even though it’s built to fly, the enormous aircraft is too heavy for most airport taxiways. 

That means it can land at certain airports but isn’t allowed to taxi around like a normal plane.

The enormous aircraft is too heavy for most airport taxiways (Image: Getty)

The Beluga’s main job is to move aircraft parts like wings and fuselages between Airbus factories (Image: Getty)

Aviation experts at Flight Delayed explained: “The Beluga Airbus would damage most airport taxiways because of its incredible weight. 

“It can briefly land to offload but it isn’t allowed to taxi in most airports due to the pressure it puts on the ground.”

The Beluga’s main job is to move aircraft parts like wings and fuselages between Airbus factories in the UK, France, Germany, and Spain. 

But it also helps carry spacecraft equipment to the European Space Agency’s launch site in French Guiana.

In 2022, it even helped deliver parts for Europe’s first Eurostar Neo satellite to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Airbus decided to paint a smile and eyes on the front (Image: Getty)

There is always a lot of debate about whether the Beluga is bigger than the Boeing Dreamlifter (Image: Getty)

The newer BelugaXL is even bigger than the original and can carry two A350 wings at once. 

It measures over 63m long, has a wingspan of 60m, and a cargo volume of 2,209m³, which is bigger than even the Boeing Dreamlifter.

But while it’s larger inside, it can’t carry as much weight compared to Boeing’s counterpart. 

The BelugaXL’s max payload is 51 tonnes, compared to 113 tonnes for the Dreamlifter.

Today, there are 11 Belugas in service - five ST models and six XLs. The older ones are being used for commercial oversized cargo through Airbus Beluga Transport (ABT).

The plane regularly visits specially adapted airports like Hawarden in the UK, Hamburg in Germany, and Toulouse in France, where Airbus has its headquarters.

It might look like a flying cartoon whale, but without it, Airbus wouldn’t be able to build planes like the A320 or A350.