Battle Of The Beasts: Boeing's Dreamlifter Vs Airbus' Beluga XL
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 гру 2021
- Boeing and Airbus have both developed fuselage transporter aircraft based on their commercial aircraft series. These are designed to carry components for their aircraft to central assembly locations. Here, we’ll take a look at both the Boeing Dreamlifter and Airbus Beluga XL, focussing on the differences between the two programs and aircraft.
Article link: simpleflying.com/boeing-dream...
Photo and video sources: bit.ly/3H4y1rS
Simple Flying:
Visit our website where we publish 150-200 news stories per week: simpleflying.com/
Listen to our weekly podcast: simpleflying.com/podcast/
Download our iOS & Android app: simpleflying.com/simple-flyin...
Daily email digest sign up: simpleflying.com/daily-digest/
Check out our main UA-cam channel: / @simpleflyingnews
Follow us on social media:
Instagram: / simpleflyingnews
Twitter: / simple_flying
Facebook: / simpleflyingnews
Linkedin: / 33222643
#aviation #flight #avgeek #airlines #flying
#Aviation #Flight #Avgeek #Flying
I consider myself lucky as the windows of my room are facing the approach path of Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport. I see Belugas as well as all kinds of Airbus aircraft on test flights on a daily basis!
You are indeed lucky I can see sometimes the beluga during cruise as it flies toward Hamburg it's always a special thing for me
Yes very lucky. I wish I could see the beluga everyday
AirBnB it out
@@mahadaalvi yeah
@@MQ9Anthony Compare 1930s Nazi Germany Vs 2020s Communist Chinazi IN YOUR NEXT VIDEO Project before it's too late
I like the Belugas more than the Dreamlifter. They are well constructed and don’t look like an afterthought.
well they didn't built the planes from new, they took used 747 passenger aircrafts and chop it up and insert new parts.
yeah that’s why they are an afterthought penitent. They didnt design a whole plane just for it, they just reused some old 747’s
@@penitent2401 So were the Belugas
@@9999AWC the Belugas were redesigned and modified from their existing designs but the aircraft themselves were built from new. the Boeing literally buys back old 747 planes from airlines that has used them for years to cut up and modify.
Plane looked like it bump its head.
Is it only me or does the Beluga look a whole lot more refined and almost like a commercial product from Airbus, compared to the “patched together” Dreamlifter?
The Beluga (especially newer XL variant and its whale livery) does look significantly better than the Dreamlifter. The cargo area looks more retrofitted to the aircraft then the Dreamlifter's which appears almost bolted on. I sometimes see the Beluga aircraft on approach to Chester and it is very majestic
The Xl is like an commercial variant even though nobody yet decided to buy it. In comparison to the others , it has a type certificate.
Well if you want to make parts around Europe, you would put more effort in transporting parts.
Rather than "oh we now have parts made internationally, let's get by with what we have."
The dream lifter looks like a dogs doodle 😬😂
@@Biggunkief the belugas are not "commercial", airbus never even though of selling them. you'd need to train people to the specific systems, owning one is likely not cost-efficient compared to rental. Plus they fill such a specific need than no one would need one full time except airbus or boeing. But the fun part is that there is indeed demand for such aircraft, and apparently the fifth beluga (not XL) was build mostly to service those customers, as well as giving more wiggle room to the four other planes.
now that the XL fleet is operationnal, airbus reported considering selling them or forming a dedicated branch, but no final decision has been made yet.
Edit : and barely two weeks after I posted that, they indeed formed a dedicated freight subsidiary called... Airbus beluga transport.
The Airbus Beluga XL is my favorite.
U First
I work at the Bremen Airport where the Airbus plant for wing equipment of A330 and A350 takes place if I'm not wrong. I see Belugas and the XLs landing and taking off up close. That's always impressing and I'm always happy to spot them
I've been seeing the belugas live at bremen airport in germany eversince i've been a kid. They are really impressive, but i wish they'd build a beluga xxl on a380 base. That thing would be MASSIVE!
Both are impressive aircraft.
Compared to the Beluga XL, the Dreamlifter looks like a box nailed together.
Here we see the quality difference. Airbus builds its Beluga’s in-house on a brand new A330 freighter optimized for its needs. Boeing goes in cheap, buys a couple of old 747s from China and converts them in Taiwan. And although the original Belugas have been around for more them twice as long as the Dreamlifter, Boeing managed to make it look like they’ve been around since the late 80s
Quality? Or engineering preexisting vehicles to suit need? Airbus had history of creating similar sort of aircraft whereas Boeing didn’t. Boeing were able to modify an existing design - so why not do that?
Eh... China Airlines is the national airline of Taiwan - the Republic of China.
Boeing super guppies have been around since the 1960s,in fact Airbus used them for a long time.
I think the main point here is the Dreamlifter may be an airworthy engineering marvel, but the unsightly seams on the bodywork at 0:58 near the main cargo bay make it look really old or like a rushed project. The Belugas on the other hand are simply beautifully finished. It's not a beauty pageant, but if it was...well.
@@MkurugenziMwenyekiti yep, and the increase in drag from the variations and changes in the surface of the body doesn't seem that good. If Boeing is gonna continue using these for more than 10 years, they should redesign a more purpose built aircraft for that job. I ain't saying it's bad, but it seems like it's getting really old and old fast.
The Beluga is much better simply because of the beluga paintjob
How could anyone say no to that smile?
They have personality...dreamlifter seems a bit odd but the transition of the fuselage
And the fact that Airbus adopted the name Beluga for this 2nd generation cargo plane even though the original A300 Beluga was first nicknamed the Super Transporter.
its so sad that the antanov an225 is gone
I think it is planned to rebuild it
Personally, I want to see a "Great Beluga", built using an A380 double-decker as the basis. Used to help move plenty of large payloads whether it's rocket boosters for EU space agencies or parts for a massive wind turbine.
The problem is that those demands are already being fulfilled by road, sea and rail transport so there isn't really anything Airbus can offer. The ESA built their space port next to a regular port for a reason.
I see Beluga's regularly, they often fly over my house entering or leaving Toulouse Blagnac Airport, I live about 65km (45miles) away in the mountains. I have seen my house in a promo film by Airbus when they flew A380, A350, A400M and a Beluga plus 3 smaller chase/camera aircraft, circling the mountains for about an hour.
That's cool
I live near Broughton UK, and I see the Beluga daily. It's still very cool / exciting to see!
Im just surprised the beluga can fly with just two engines
Yeah I’m kinda curious why they based them on the A330 instead of the A340.
im surprised it can fly at all lmao
The beluga xl actually has a smaller mtow than the standard a330 series, so even though it has a massive cargo hold volume it can only lift around 100,000 kilos extra over its empty weight. when you consider that fuel makes up half to three quarters of that 100,000 kilos, there actually very little weight left over to lift aircraft parts. The wings and fuselages are nowadays composite material, and therefore much lighter than pre2000s aircraft parts.
The Beluga is mostly hollow and even the fuselage and wing parts it transports are rather light in that sense
The beluga has more powerful engines I think
Based in the south-est of Toulouse, France, we see all belugas quite often while they turn in the sky to align with the runway in their descent. The XL is really a beautiful aircraft.
I live pretty close to the approach of 34L at Paine Field in Everett, WA, so I see the Boeing Dreamlifters not infrequently. It's still impressive, even after several years of seeing them.
I remember seeing the Dreamlifter in person when it accidentally landed at a local airport a couple years ago. It's a pretty impressive aircraft to see in person
I was there working that night. It was insane when it happened. that plane is huge.
I was based at KPAE flying the LCF for Atlas. I have quite a bit of time these. I miss my NGO layovers.
While it is true that Boeing hadn't utilized a swing-tail design before, that's not to say the company was starting completely from scratch. Back when they acquired McDonnell Douglas, they also acquired their then-decades-old design of the DC-6's rare swing-tail variant (DC-6B-ST) (of which only two or so airworthy examples exist today; both with Buffalo Airways if I remember correctly).
Airbus used Boeing pregnant guppy aircraft for decades before they copied the concept on one of their own airframes.
@@kdrapertrucker The Pregnant Guppy isn't a Boeing design, it was an aftermarket modification to a Boeing aircraft made by a small private air cargo company. It was initially designed to transport parts for NASA but after the end of the Apollo program the company was struggling until Airbus acquired it and then embraced the concept fully.
Nice comparison. I'm surprised there was no mention of pressurization or about the structural modifications to keep the cockpit and passenger compartments pressurized while the cargo compartment is not pressurized.
As for looks, neither is a great beauty, although the Beluga with its 'smile' is really rather cute in a funny sort of way - unfortunately the Dreamlifter is just plain ugly!
However, as well explained in the video, they are designed to do a job and need to be judged on that and that alone.
What would be interesting is if Boeing and Airbus were to do a swap and see how each others products met (or didn't meet) their needs. If they both did, then judging them on cost of operation would then be an appropriate way of determining which is the winner.
Thinking the dreamlifter is long to handle fuselages. Beluga would be too short.
0:58 The Dreamlifter -is operated by Atlas Air Inc. Does that mean it doesn't actually belong to Boeing? That would explain why (still on the same --0:58-- frame) it- has Frankenstein monster-like seams on the custom panels that create the main cargo bay. Very unsightly and unlike Boeing. But if the thing does its job well then that's all that matters.
Edit: watched the Dreamlifter ownership/outsourcing part later on the video.
@@danharold3087 Front section (cca 10m) of dreamlifter is not wide enough to fit fusalage in while beluga goes all the way thanks to cocpit that is moved below the cargo bay. I suspect there is less of a difference in cargo bay length than in total length and I'm not even sure if dreamlifter is longer inside (counting only the wide section, there probably is cargo area below cocpit, but that is definitely not wide enough)
Assuming the French would make something and not think about the aesthetics of it is very naïve. the belugas are pretty sleek and elegant, and the cute smile is a bonus.
the dreamlifter on the other hand... ew.
Both aircraft are winners in that they do the job they were designed to do. They were not designed for a beauty contest nor to achieve commercial sales.
I like how I used to watch your videos when you had 4 or 5k views but here you are with over 100k! Way to go!
tbh i like the beluga xl better :D
A further historical note--the Boeing Stratocruiser was based on the WWII B-29.
To be unveiled:
Airbus Beluga XL-1000neo XLR
and Boeing Dreamlifter Max 10
No, that has to be the Dreamlifter Max 13...
I live close to the Boeing Factory in Everett and I see the Dream Lifter every once in awhile. It’s crazy to see it.
I prefer the looks of the Airbus.
You could fit the baluga in the dreamlifter
@@kdrapertrucker so? the dreamlifter still looks a mess
@@kdrapertrucker we don't need that shit of a dream lifter
@@soilentgreen7 who cares how it looks as long as it does the job well.
@@wasmiddelsap3379 no, you don't. Maybe Airbus should work on their customer service. Since they can't seem to maintain the equipment they were contracted to maintain.
Perfect video this one👍
Living in Hamburg Germany, i can see the Beluga every once in a while heading to the local Airbus facility. Interestingly due to their large size, it looks like they fly very slow. When the Beluga was new, it and the Super Guppy was present at an Open Doors day at Hamburg Airport. I was still a kid back then, but the size of these freighters were very impressive... and the free drinks and ice on a hot summers day :D
9:07 that hurt :(
I've seen three of the four Dreamlifters in person, both in Mulkiteo at the Boeing plant there, and at the Boeing plant in Charleston, SC. One UA-camr I follow did some flying around Marana, AZ, and it seems that one of the Dreamlifters is currently parked there, possibly due to low utilization needs at the moment.
Since the A380s are retiring, Airbus is probably considering buying a few of them back and converting some to special purpose cargo aircraft. Imagine a Beluga Mark III built on an A380 airframe....
I see the dreamlifter landing often at IAB AFB in Wichita, Kansas. the 787 is partially built at Spirit AeroSystems.
I find it quite ironic that Airbus has been in the oversized cargo business longer than Boeing but started using Boeing aircraft.
If i have understand the video correctly, they used the Gupi to transport the parts for their first Aircraft
Well yea since the A300 was their first aircraft, what other choice would they have
It was at the time of the first ever Airbus, they had no other choice than boeing.
I would have thought the Beluga could carry more weight. Love the old prop one though
Love both these planes. Gorgeous big beasts.
I almost misread that last sentence
@@BIZKIT551 lmao
a380 and 747: gets retired
airbus beluga and dreamlifter: fine i'll do it myself
I mean they have the Beluga eyes and a smiley face, how can you not like that kind of marketing.
Evergreen Airlines was based out of McMinnville but the 747s didn’t fly out of there. Is this why Seattle was mentioned?
Well Airbus painted a smiling face on their aircraft so obviously they're the best ones here.
Once visited airbus in Toulouse with my universities class and we were allowed to see the Beluga be unloaded up close (ie. a few meters from it), impressive plane especially when you are right next to it.
these ABSOLUTLY COLASSAL multi TON metal machines are capable of lifting themselves high up in the air and reach speeds faster than your car holding weights larger than your house. do you realize how amazing that is?!
we have not ''failed as a species'', we're just complaining about our shortcomings -which are valid, but things like this go to show that we'll persevere. enjoy being alive in the dawn of the 21'st century (cc).
Always amazed that people have such a preference for one manufacture over another that they feel the need to express their unqualified opinion about it in an attempt to trash the other manufacturer.
None of us are going to be buying either one of them so their looks simply don't matter to the manufacturer as long as they get the job they were designed for done. These two aircraft are designed to fulfil a requirement, looks quite simply don't matter. And as for Boeing converting existing aircraft to make the Dream Lifter, well that just makes economic sense.
Its been like that. Those are the types of people that have bias between Airbus and Boeing because of their polarized minds. I don't have a polarized mind therefore, I have no bias between Airbus and Boeing. I like them both and I am impressed how they can make oversized planes to transport aircraft components for airplane productions.
I'm just a humble man at awe of these inventions.
Range is also a major difference. The Dreamlifter has a range of 7 800 km with a 113 400 kg payload and the Beluga XL has a 4 300 km range with a 50 500 kg load.
I live near Broughton in the UK so I'm right under the xls flight path I see it multiple times a day
Despite normally being a Boeing fan, I can’t deny that the Beluga is a stunning aircraft compared to the design of the Dreamlifter.
I used to see both Beluga & XL flying over..........impressive sight, always
A few things to consider which is the better aircraft:
In terms of volume, Airbus Beluga < Boeing Dreamlifter < Airbus Beluga XL
In terms of MTOW, Beluga (155 t) < Beluga XL (227 t) < Dreamlifter (364 t)
In terms of range, Beluga (2000 km) < Beluga XL (4500 km) < Dreamlifter (7800 km)
In terms of operations:
The Airbus Beluga and XL are totally self-sufficient. The cargo door has electrical motors that allows the door to operate without any ground equipment. For the crew to access the aircraft, there's no need for external airstairs as the entry hatch below the fuselage also contains deployable stairs. In the event of cargo shifting loose, it would impact the cargo door, rather than the crew cabin as on the Dreamlifter. Unlike the Dreamlifter, the Beluga and XL has an APU, allowing self-sufficient engine starts.
The Boeing Dreamlifter is not self-sufficient. It needs a special ground jig to open the swing tail door, which is not powered at all. The locking system is also a lot more complex and heavier than on the Beluga. The crew also needs external airstairs to access through the normal passenger entry doors (as on a regular 747), therefore disallowing the aircraft from operating from an airport without airstairs. In the event of cargo shifting loose, the aircraft requires a very strong bulkhead to prevent loose cargo from penetrating the crew compartment. Unlike the Beluga, the Dreamlifter does not have an APU, requiring an air-start unit to start the engines.
RIP AN-225 😔
man I saw the AIrbus Beluga No. 2 (F-GSTB) at Kolkata (VECC) on 25th May 2022
that was magnificent
Both the Beluga and Dreamlifter look like my dog after she refuses to leave that red wasp alone and gets stung.
Belugas are super cute 😍😍
I am an airbus fan but I do still like some Boeing planes but the Boeing 747 just seems outdated and not as modern as the airbus a380
I'm none.
But I genuinely love the 747....it just looks majestic.
380 looks bulbous😂
One of the Dreamlifters is parked at Marana Arizona with no engines already.
That's why it is called a "dream"lifter
@@lucbaeten3344 do you know how old they are compared to the beluga? exactly
Possibly in storage.
No mention of the Super Guppy carrying NASA's Saturn S-4B third stage for the moon landings?
Pregnant guppy did that, it was similar but different aircraft.
Love the super guppy!
I always wondered what would happen if they used the a380 as a base for the beluga. I
Such an idea may not work, as the plan the build the A380F fell through as well. The problem is that with its massive volume, it simply can't carry the weight required to fill the full fuselage top to bottom (and forward to back).
@@Gameflyer001 that's true yeah, but considering that it would have to transport Aircraft parts mainly, the cargo weight may not be as dense as, let's say, two gas-turbines for power plants. So I think at least regarding that problem, it could find its niche in some place, but considering that a plane as large as the A380 won't be build again anytime soon, there is most probably no need for it anyways.
I suspect that it'd be a lot more difficult to do the thing that the Belugas have been doing where you move the cockpit down with the A380 which makes it a less optimal candidate.
The dreamlifter a plane than can fit the average American 😂😂😂😂😂
And the ego of the average frenchman
@@kdrapertrucker and the saltyness of an american
@@soilentgreen7 and the debt of asian countries
and capacity to hold a lot of assholes, like yourself
And the immaturity of men .... mine is bigger than yours!
AWESOME! I absolutely LOVE dual mid-roll ads at 1:07 into a video! Way to suck even worse than TV :)
What is your favorite aircraft?! My favorite is the 747 especially the(747-400) :) My second favorite is the A380, my third favorite is the A330 especially with (RR Trent 700's) and my fourth favorite is the A340 especially the (A340-600) and my fifth favorite is the 777 especially the 777-300er!
For me it's the Spitfire, for civilian aviation the A-220 (former C-ceries)
@@jakobrinsdorf7791 wow! Great choices, my military favorite is the F15!
Mine has been the A320 since one of them landed in the Hudson River and nobody died (well, except for the birds that had flown into the engines).
@@BrokenCurtain OK, the A340 had several runway excursion accidents with Iberia and nobody has ever died on one, but the A320 has had fatal crashes before!
@@Elias-xy9kc
I'm pretty sure the two models share enough similarities that it could be justified to swing either way. All I'm saying is that a fully loaded plane that can survive an emergency landing on a river without causing any major injuries to the passengers - so everyone can just walk outside and step on a boat - is a pretty damn good design.
You should have added Antonov cargo plane also to the party
It’s not used by Antonov for the transportation of aircraft parts. Also it wasn’t designed for that task, the Beluga and Dreamlifter where solely built to transport aircraft parts, although they could of course also carry other cargo
It's crazy how much the Beluga really does look like a beluga whale.
In the future, Airbus will likely develop the Beluga XWB. Can't wait for that hehe
Its alr XXWB - Xtra Xtra Wide Body
They fly over Merseyside frequently, and at low level. Amazing!
War away all you want but for mass cargo transport the antov is a world above
Was, unfortunately.
Me too!
is the whole cabin pressurized?
Nope, unnecessary as a cargo aircraft.
Rip the an 225
i used to live in bremen germany and there was a beluga maintnance and test facility at the airport. I would always see the beluga.
Anyone know why the Dreamlifter has no winglets? It’s based on the -400.
Apparently it’s because it makes almost no difference to efficiency and in fact messed up the airflow from what was found in the tests
Winglets are best effective when cruising long time otherwise not much difference
The whole Guppy fleet was built for the Apollo space program. NASA still maintains one of them. Several were sold to Airbus. Before they built the Beluga, "Every Airbus was carried on the wings of a Boeing"
In fact airbus used the guppy before the beluga!
oh, that's cool, I didn't know airbus ordered a 6th beluga XL
the regular belugas are still far from dead though, and there is demand for them but airbus didn't decide what to do with them yet.
Likely that Airbus would sell off the Beluga to a cargo airline that specialises in oversized cargo. (Something similar to what Antonov Airlines would do with the AN-124s and before the invasion, the AN-225)
@@CoSmicGoesRacingmore like transferred to another company owned by Airbus, called the Airbus Beluga Transport. Since the original company, Airbus Transport International mostly handle Airbus own internal logistic operations. But, at least for now, AiBT still operates under ATI. But in the future AiBT will operates under its own air transport certificate. However, I would not be surprised with that Airbus sold off one of the BelugaST to NASA or ESA, just like the last Super Guppy.
Lmao at least the beluga looks cute
I have dine a lot of shooting at Boeing’s factory at Paine Field and have quite a bit of footage of Dreamlifters and other large aircraft flying in and out of there. If any of my footage would be a good fit in your videos please let me know.
One does look quite a bit better than the other though.😬
Dreamlifter?
@@wmx7588 Dreamlifter is the ugliest aircraft in the world
@@sudhars lmao when I replied to the comment it still said "bigger"
Well yes I prefer Beluga XL
@@wmx7588 oh! Ok understandable
I think both planes r really cool and funny lol
This is the key differences, the dreamlifter is longer and can trust heavier and the beluga is thicker with a gentle trust.... it all depends how you like it
So with the dream liner not having an apu if it ever lost all 4 engines in flight it would not be able to restart then at all?
Seems safe
APU is not used to start engines in the air anyway. You windmill air start them. Plus, better luck winning the lottery than losing all 4.
I wish the video had fuel usage per volume/cargo weight.
This is honestly one of the most important metrics. As mentioned in the video, the Beluga XL can carry two wings, which I am guessing that the Dreamliner can as well, but what is the cost of transporting those two wings for each of them?
@@ocadioan General operating costs would be great to have but I suspect that those numbers are highly guarded secrets by both companies.
I saw a super guppy flying a few months ago!
I think Russia should make make more of those super size planes from the soviet era
I presume you are referring to the Antonov AN124 and AN225. Both were made in Ukraine although I am sure many parts were made in other countries and shipped to Ukraine for final assembly, as is the norm with most modern aircraft manufacturing.
I have stood next to the dreamlifter. Its an insanely massive plane.
Sad watching this. Making the comparison to the AN-225 and knowing it’s a wreck thanks to misguided Russian Aggression.
i see the Beluga XL avery day it is a intresting aicraft.
Super guppy has been around a longer than its usage by airbus.
So, why didn't they use C130 like doors? to load cargo??
The beluga xl is much better because it has more space and looks much cooler
What would beluga xl look like as a passenger plane?
I don't know why, but the Dreamlifter looks like an old, hunched over, British man.
Title: Battle of the Beasts
Me: Sees a cute, smiling Beluga
The beluga xl is way nicer looking and i also like the whale face
Dreamliner looks aesthetic
Looks like mega mind
scoliosis vs hydrocephalus
I always thought these were fake when I saw pictures when I was in elementary lmao
I have to say though that the Beluga with the Beluga painting on it looks alot better than the Dreamlifter !!!!!!!!!!!!
@5:30 "There will be a larger fleet of Beluga XL aircraft than Dreamliners." REALLY?!? 😮🤔✈️
The belugas look like they were well designed and very intentional. The dreamlifter looks like the designers had a week to design it and just said fuck it give the 747 a tumor and call it a day