#5: Thar she blows! Airbus unveils first BelugaXL
Sometimes, just a picture is enough to nudge the needle into top 10 territory. This image, first published on June 29, depicted the unveiling of the newest version of Airbus’ super-wide freighter. In a companywide contest, more than 40 percent of the employees at Airbus voted on the livery of the heavily modified A330-200F, nicknamed the “BelugaXL.” Citing a ramp-up in capacity requirements, Airbus rolled out this even larger version of its original great white whale, the Beluga A300-600ST, which was designed for inter-company use of oversized aircraft parts from factory-to-factory. The unmistakably goofy cetacean grin was enough to place this photo in the No. 5 spot on the list of the most clicked-upon articles of 2018.