Airbus Beluga • Hacker News Board

Re: Airbus Beluga

#31

Post by coin » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 6:37 PM UTC

adolph wrote: post #17

The Wikipedia article has a likely error. Airbus constructed SuperGuppies under license. The final operating aircraft is one made by Airbus. https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N941NA

Yup. For a long time there was a saying that every Airbus made was transported by a Boeing.

Re: Airbus Beluga

#32

Post by Eikon » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 6:39 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #2

I saw this plane once in person, no picture will ever do it justice. That something that size can fly at all without being a dirigible is absolutely amazing.

This must be because you haven't seen the AN-225!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-225_Mriya

Re: Airbus Beluga

#33

Post by krisoft » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 6:40 PM UTC

_8j50 wrote: post #3

The 100K lb capacity is interesting. An 18 wheeler truck has 80K lb capacity, I would have thought it could carry multiple full capacity containers.

And that is why I always roll my eyes when a journalist uses the weight of a jet airplane to "translate" the weight of some heavy object. Airplanes are surprisingly light compared to their size. One cannot pick up an airplane[1] just like that so most doesn't realise this.

1: Notable exception :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9x1TRbeC_0

Re: Airbus Beluga

#34

Post by kergonath » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 6:43 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #2

I saw this plane once in person, no picture will ever do it justice. That something that size can fly at all without being a dirigible is absolutely amazing.

I saw it a couple of times from the mountains near Toulouse, and this was my impression as well. It is fascinating to watch; it does not look like it should be able to fly, with its oversized belly and (relatively) tiny wings. It really looks more like a zeppelin than an aircraft.

Re: Airbus Beluga

#35

Post by djohnston » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 6:46 PM UTC

I would imagine this aircraft has some pretty bespoke aerodynamics with a lot of extra training required.

Re: Airbus Beluga

#36

Post by kingcharles » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 6:50 PM UTC

gregoriol wrote: post #18

It's amazing how small other planes look like when being loaded inside: https://simpleflying.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1280px-F... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Airbus_b... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/F-GSTD_B...

It's planes all the way down!

Re: Airbus Beluga

#37

Post by ___q » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 6:51 PM UTC

game_the0ry wrote: post #28

Planes are weird. Sometimes I look at like 747 or a monster like the beluga, and think - how the fuck does something that big and heavy even move on the ground, and then fly across the ocean? A plane transporting another plane inside is almost too much process.

lift

Re: Airbus Beluga

#38

Post by herodoturtle » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 6:59 PM UTC

gregoriol wrote: post #18

It's amazing how small other planes look like when being loaded inside: https://simpleflying.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1280px-F... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Airbus_b... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/F-GSTD_B...

Yo dawg, I heard you like planes.

Re: Airbus Beluga

#39

Post by defterGoose » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 7:00 PM UTC

j765 wrote: post #25

Boeing has a similar aircraft as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Dreamlifter Not quite as bulbous, though.

And then of course there's the Super Guppy, which I'm pretty sure is how the Cylons came down to earth undetected...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Spacelines_Super_Guppy

Re: Airbus Beluga

#40

Post by mdturnerphys » Sat, Jan 01, 2022, 7:08 PM UTC

I got to see NASA's Super Guppy land and unload a T-38 (I think) at Ellington Field 15 years ago while prepping for a flight on the Vomit Comet. It's pretty absurd to see a plane come out of a plane.