System Internally Developed and Tested Inside 18 Months
Airbus Defence and Space has developed and tested a loading system to lift outsized military cargo into the A300-600ST ‘Beluga’ aircraft. The system’s first customer, the Bundeswehr, tested the system by loading a CH-53 helicopter into the Beluga.
“The demand for outsized air cargo capability is on the rise. Capacity is scarce and, in light of current geopolitical developments, many customers are looking for new, fast and efficient solutions. This is exactly what we offer with our BelugaST fleet,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “Our teams have been working on a remarkable solution to facilitate a speedy, efficient and autonomous handling to load heavy military cargo onto the aircraft. Speed, agility and autonomy are crucial elements for our customers when it comes to such operations.”
The new self-funded cargo loading system and jig have now been unveiled to international customers following the verification event. Developed and manufactured from scratch within 18 months, the system enables arrangements for the loading of a CH-53 in a reduced state of dismantling to be completed within less than 1.5 hours, while the actual loading process can be accomplished in about an hour. The total lifting capacity of the system, which requires no crane, is 35t – and it can be relocated to the aircraft’s destination.
Prior to announcing plans to offer the services of its existing BelugaST fleet earlier this year, the fleet of five aircraft was solely used for the transport of large aircraft sections between various Airbus sites as part of the company’s production system. With the advent of the new BelugaXL, based on the larger A330-200 platform, the existing BelugaST fleet is now available for customer transport services worldwide.
