Airbus A300

The Airbus A300 is a short to medium range widebody aircraft. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin engined widebody, it was the first product of the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS. The A300 ceased production in July 2007, along with the smaller A310. Freighter sales for which the A300 competed are to be fulfilled by a new A330-200F derivative.
he A300 was the first airliner to use just in time manufacturing techniques. Complete aircraft sections were manufactured by consortium partners all over Europe. These were airlifted to the final assembly line at Toulouse Blagnac by a fleet of Boeing 377 derived AeroSpacelines Super Guppy aircraft. Originally devised as a way to share the work among Airbus's partners without the expense of two assembly lines, it turned out to be a more efficient way of building airplanes (more flexible and reduced costs) as opposed to building the whole airplane at one site. This fact was not lost on Boeing, which, over thirty years later, decided to manufacture the Boeing 787 in this manner, using outsized 747s to ferry wings and other parts from Japan.

Technology :

1. Advanced wings by de Havilland (later BAE Systems) with:

   a. supercritical airfoil section for economical performance

   b. advanced aerodynamically efficient flight controls

2. 222 inch diameter circular fuselage section for 8-abreast passenger seating and wide enough for 2 LD3 cargo containers side-by-side
3. Structures made from metal billets, reducing weight
4. First airliner to be fitted with wind shear protection
5. Advanced autopilots capable of flying the aircraft from climb-out to landing
6. Electrically controlled braking system
7. Later A300s incorporate other advanced features such as
8. 2-man crew by automating the flight engineer's functions, an industry first
9. Glass cockpit flight instruments
10. Extensive use of composites for an aircraft of its era
11. Center-of-gravity control by shifting around fuel
12. The first airliner to use wingtip fences for better aerodynamics
13. All these made the A300 a substitute for the widebody trijets such as McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 for short to medium routes. On the early versions, Airbus used the same engines and similar major systems as the DC-10

CREW : 2 to 3 flight crew

PASSENGERS :

• 250 in three classes
• 266 in two classes
• 330 in one class

KNOWN VARIANTS :

• A300B1 First prototypes : 2 built
• A300B2 First production model
• A300B4 Longer-range model with increased fuel capacity, Kruger leading edge flaps, and increased maximum takeoff weight; total of 284 B2 and B4 aircraft built before production ended in 1984
• A300C4 Convertible freighter model with large cargo door added in port side
• A300-600 Improved passenger model with extra row of seats, re-designed two-crew flight deck, and numerous drag-reduction items including wing-tip fences
• A300-600R Long-range model of A300-600 with increased maximum takeoff weight and trim tank
• A300-600 Convertible Convertible freighter model of A300-600 A300-600F Dedicated cargo version of A300-600 A300-600T Beluga Extensively modified A300-600 with enlarged fuselage for carrying outsized loads

DIMENSIONS:
Length 177.42 ft (54.08 m)
Wingspan 147.08 ft (44.84 m)
Height 54.25 ft (16.53 m)
Wing Area 2,798.6 ft2 (260.0 m2)
Canard Area not applicable

WEIGHTS:
Empty (A300-600) 172,400 lb (78,200 kg)
(A300-600R) 198,000 lb (89,815 kg)
Typical Load unknown
Max Takeoff (A300-600) 363,765 lb (165,000 kg)
(A300-600R) 375,885 lb (170,500 kg)
Fuel Capacity internal: 16,380 gal (62,000 L)
external: not applicable
Max Payload 87,930 lb (39,885 kg)

KNOWN OPERATORS:

• Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight
• Air Afrique
• Air Anatolia
• Airbus International Transport
• Air Contractors
• Airfoyle
• Air France
• Air India
• Air Inter
• Air Inter Europe
• Air Jamaica
• Air Liberté
• Air Macau
• Air Niugini
• Air Scandic
• Air Togo
• Akdeniz Airlines
• Alfa Airlines
• Alitalia
• American Airlines
• Anatolia
• Angel Airlines
• Ariana Afghan Airlines
• Australian Airlines
• Aviation Sales Leasing Company
• Aviation Systems International
• Avion Aircraft Trading
• AwAir International
• Bellview Airlines
• Cathay Pacific Airways
• Channel Express
• China Airlines
• China Eastern Airlines
• China Northern Airlines
• China Northwest Airlines
• City Bird
• Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)
• Continental Airlines
• DHL Airways
• Eastern Airlines
• Egypt air
• Emery Worldwide Airlines
• Emirates
• Emirates Post
• Euro First Air
• European Air Charter
• European Air Transport
• European Aviation
• Express.net Airlines
• Farn air
• Faucatt Peru
• FedEx
• Finn air
• Garuda Indonesia Airways
• Grand Air
• Heavy lift Cargo Airlines
• Iberia
• ICC - Air Cargo Canada
• Indian Airlines
• Iran Air
• Istanbul Airlines
• Japan Air Systems
• Jet Link Holland
• JHM Cargo Express
• Khalifa Airways
• Korean Air Lines
• Kuwait Airways
• L'Aeropostale
• Lufthansa
• Lux air
• Mahan Air
• Malaysia Airlines
• MNG Cargo Airlines
• Monarch Airlines
• Novespace
• Olympic Airways
• ONUR Air
• Pace Air Cargo
• Pakistan International
• Pan Air
• Pan American World Airways (Pan Am)
• Pan American World Airways (Pan Am II)
• Philippine Air Lines
• Premiair
• Pyramid
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Regionair
• Saudia
• Schreiner Airways
• Sempati Air
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• Sudan Airways
• TACA
• Thai Airways International
• TNT Airways
• Toa Domestic Airlines (TDA)
• Tradewinds International
• Trans Aer
• Trans Australia Airlines (TAA)
• Tristar Air
• Tulip Air Charter
• Tunis Air
• United Parcel Service (UPS)
• VASP
• ZAS Airline of Egypt