At the second of two refuelling stops, at Novosibirsk in Russia

TOP: Airbus carrying out a loading dry run
BOTTOM: Beluga Transport undertaking test loading at Airbus's Marignane base

The maiden flight of this Beluga super-transporter used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Airbus’s Broughton plant in the UK

A Beluga being loaded using the Airbus multi-pallet platform.

One of the five Belugas dedicated to transporting oversize cargo for commercially contracted customers, seen here being loaded at Marignane

Ground and flight crew of NASA’s Super Guppy Transport oversize cargo aircraft close the nose section after loading two retired NASA T-38 aircraft into its huge cargo bay

The Aero Spacelines B-377PG Pregnant Guppy was flown to Dryden for tests and evaluation by pilots Joe Vensel and Stan Butchart in October 1962

Ground vibration testing measures the dynamic behaviour of the BelugaXL and confirms theoretical models of various flight conditions, such as manoeuvring, flying in gusty conditions and landing

Five BelugaXL airlifters - based on the airframe of Airbus’s versatile A330 - are to be built, with service entry planned for 2019. Shown here is the core airframe integration