Summary

  • Boeing and Airbus have developed transporter aircraft, the Dreamlifter, and BelugaXL, to transport large parts of their aircraft globally.
  • The Dreamlifter and BelugaXL are based on previous airframes from the two manufacturers and feature much different cargo doors.
  • The BelugaXL is larger in size with a higher fuselage volume, but the Dreamlifter has a greater payload capacity.

Boeing and Airbus aircraft consist of millions of parts. These are assembled in various locations throughout the globe, and large pieces of the fuselage or wings need to be transported from one site to another. Both aircraft manufacturing behemoths have developed transporter aircraft based on their commercial airliners to meet this requirement. Let's take a closer look at the mammoth aircraft, the Boeing Dreamlifter, and the BelugaXL, focusing on the differences between the two programs and their respective planes.

Global aircraft assembly

Both Boeing and Airbus construct their aircraft components in different countries. Airbus started with collaborations across several European nations and has now expanded production beyond the continent to both North America and China. Meanwhile, Boeing, for instance, brings components for its 787 Dreamliner together from Italy and Japan for assembly in the US.

Read the latest Boeing news here.

Several Boeing aircraft being produced.
Photo: Boeing

Such parts could be sent by sea and land, but it is much quicker to deliver them by air. And these are aircraft manufacturers, after all, so why not solve the problem by building a specially designed aircraft? As such, both companies have developed their own freighters.

The Boeing Dreamlifter

Boeing launched its first Dreamlifter in 2006 to support the construction of the 787 Dreamliner. It is also known as the Large Cargo Freighter (LCF). Boeing 787 wings are constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagoya, Japan. Fuselage sections are built in Japan, Italy, and the US. These pieces are too big for standard shipping containers or the hold of a 747 Freighter. As such, conventional land and sea transportation would have proved tricky, and Boeing's usual way of transporting parts by air did not suffice.

A Boeing Dreamlifter just after take off.
Photo: Boeing

Its solution was to develop the Dreamlifter, which Boeing based on the Boeing 747-400 airframe. This kept the same basic design and wingspan but altered the fuselage and tail. The largest difference is the noticeably bulging fuselage. Less obviously, the fuselage has also been extended with an additional conical section. Boeing also increased the height of the tail by around 1.5 meters to aid in the control of the altered aircraft.

Four Boeing Dreamlifters

Rather than build new aircraft, Boeing has converted four 747-400s previously used as passenger aircraft. One came from Air China, another from Malaysia Airlines, and two from China Airlines. The reconfiguration was carried out in Taiwan with Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation.

A Boeing Dreamlifter taxiing to the runway.
Photo: Boeing

The first aircraft was completed in 2006 and entered service in 2007. The fourth, and seemingly final, was in service by 2010. They were initially operated by Seattle-based Evergreen International Airlines; however, this task was handed over to Atlas Air in 2010 (Evergreen subsequently ceased operations three years later).

The Dreamlifter's swing door

A critical difference between the Dreamlifter and the Beluga is the cargo access. The Beluga has an opening front nose door similar to that seen on the Boeing 747 but above the cockpit area for full fuselage access. The Dreamlifter, however, has a more unusual swing tail door. For Boeing, this reportedly proved quite a challenge as it was not something the plane maker had previously implemented on its aircraft. The door had to remain secure and latched in different operating environments and transmit the load correctly between the fuselage and the tail.

Cargo being loaded into a Boeing Dreamlifter.
Photo: Boeing

Boeing's solution was a hydraulically controlled door (which requires ground support to operate) with a proprietary 21-bolt locking system. In order to install the swing door, Boeing also had to remove the APU to avoid running fuel lines through the door hinges. This means that the Dreamlifter relies on an external supply for engine start.

Loading the Dreamlifter requires a device known as a DBL. This is a specialized device constructed by the French company TLD. At 35.96 meters long, it holds the Guinness World Record title of 'longest aircraft loader in the world.'

A Boeing 787 fuselage being loaded into a Boeing Dreamlifter.
Photo: Boeing

The Dreamlifters have a pretty limited route map. They are most often seen at Charleston International Airport in South Carolina, where Boeing's 787 Dreamliner division is, as well as Anchorage International, Chubu Centrair in Japan, Taranto-Grottaglie in Italy, and Boeing's production facility in Wichita, Kansas.

The Airbus BelugaXL

Airbus launched the BelugaXL in 2020, with the primary objective being to carry parts for the Airbus A350. In particular, it can fly A350 wings - two of them at the same time. Its predecessor, the Beluga, is only capable of carrying one wing at a time.

An Airbus BelugaXL parked at an airport.
Photo: Airbus

Airbus' fuselage transporters go back further than Boeing's. The BelugaXL was only introduced in 2020. However, before that, Airbus used the Beluga and the Super Guppy. The Super Guppy was introduced in 1972. These were modified Boeing Stratocruisers used to transport parts for the Airbus A300. Right from the start, Airbus' operation was decentralized, with components being constructed in several European countries.

The Super Guppy was replaced by the Beluga in 1995 as the manufacturer required larger parts to be transported for the A340. It was developed based on the A300-600 airframe, with a significantly enlarged fuselage for cargo transport. Five Beluga aircraft entered service between 1995 and 1999. The first (of six) BelugaXL aircraft entered service in 2000.

Read the latest Airbus news here.

The BelugaXL is based on the A330

The BelugaXL is based on a modified Airbus A330-200 airframe, and each example features a distinctive smiling whale appearance. It uses the reinforced floor structure from the A330-200 freighter and a combination of designs from the A330-200 and A330-300 for the main fuselage. The wingspan is unchanged, but the tail is larger, and ventral fins are added to the tail assembly.

Two Airbus BelugaXL airlifters parked at an airport.
Photo: Airbus

It is loaded through an upwards-opening hinged cargo door at the front of the aircraft. The A330 cockpit has been moved lower and now sits below the fuselage floor. This allows the door to be opened without affecting the electronic and flight control systems.

There are now six BelugaXL aircraft

There are more BelugaXL aircraft than Dreamlifters - six versus four. The sixth and final BelugaXL entered service in July 2023.

An Airbus BelugaXL parked at an airport.
Photo: Airbus

The original Beluga fleet is still flying through a new separate cargo airline setup, allowing for more charter services.

The Dreamlifter vs the Beluga XL

The two aircraft have several similarities. Both were designed to meet specific transportation needs and take advantage of existing airframe designs. They have both served to speed up the production of other aircraft compared to ground or maritime transportation. Airbus has had such transporters for much longer due to its history of construction across different European locations from the 1970s, and it has always had a more extensive transporter fleet.

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There are several structural and equipment differences other than size. Most significantly, each manufacturer has approached cargo access to the fuselage differently. These methods are very different but have both required some complex engineering and bespoke development.

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Which aircraft is bigger?

The pure size of these aircraft is not the most essential part, as each freighter has specific design purposes. But, for pure volume, the Beluga XL is the leader. It offers a fuselage volume of 2,209 cubic meters, while the Dreamlifter comes in behind at 1,840 cubic meters. For completeness, the original Beluga is behind both, with a volume of 1,500 cubic meters.

Meanwhile, for body length, the Dreamlifter wins. It is a stretched version of the 747-400 fuselage with a total length of 71.68 meters. The Beluga XL, on the other hand, has a length of 63.1 meters. The Boeing 747-8 beats both of them, though, and the upcoming Boeing 777-9 will reach an impressive 76.7 meters.

The underbelly of a Boeing 777X flying in the sky.
Photo: Vidit Luthra | Shutterstock.com

However, size isn't everything - weight matters as well for a freighter. The Dreamlifter gets ahead here, mainly due to its basis on the four-engine 747-400. It offers a maximum payload of 113,400 kg. Meanwhile, the Beluga XL has a maximum payload of just 50,500 kg. Comparatively, the now-destroyed Antonov An-225 did not have the fuselage volume of the Beluga or the Dreamlifter but could carry an incredible payload of around 250,000 kilograms.

The Dreamlifter and Beluga XL are exceptional aircraft, serving a vital role for Boeing and Airbus. Feel free to discuss their design, history, and use further in the comments section below.

  • rsz_airbus_50th_years_anniversary_formation_flight_-_air_to_air
    Airbus
    Stock Code:
    AIR
    Date Founded:
    1970-12-18
    CEO:
    Guillaume Faury
    Headquarters Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Key Product Lines:
    Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380
    Business Type:
    Planemaker
  • 787-8 Dreamliner
    Boeing
    Stock Code:
    BA
    Date Founded:
    1916-07-15
    CEO:
    Dave Calhoun
    Headquarters Location:
    Chicago, USA
    Key Product Lines:
    Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787
    Business Type:
    Planemaker