World's biggest cargo plane in surprise visit
Dean Kirby
October 20, 2006
PLANE spotters were in for a treat when this supersized jet made a surprise visit to Manchester Airport yesterday.
The aircraft, called the Beluga after the beluga whale, looks just like a giant unpainted Thunderbirds' model and is said to be the world's largest cargo carrier.
It is understood the A300-600ST Super Transporter, as it is also known, was heading from Hamburg to the BAe Systems factory at Broughton, near Chester.
But the pilot is thought to have diverted to Manchester because cross-winds were buffeting the runway at his destination.
The aircraft's rare stop-off delighted the huge number of spotters who gather at the airport each day to monitor the skies.
John Cully, from Swinton, said: "It's a fantastic sight, isn't it? You don't see anything else like that in the world of aviation."
