Airbus A300

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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.[1]

Variants

A300C4-605R

A300-ZERO-G

• A300B1 Only two were built: the first prototype, and a second aircraft which was later sold for airline service (to Air Algérie) and has now been scrapped. It has accommodation for 259 passengers with a maximum weight of 132,000 kg and two General Electric CF6-50A engines of 220 kN thrust.
• A300B2 The first production version. Powered by General Electric CF6 or Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines of between 227 and 236 kN thrust, it entered service with Air France in May 1974.
  • A300B2-100: 137 Metric Ton MTOW
  • A300B2-200: 142 Metric Ton MTOW, with Kruger flaps
  • A300B2-300: increased Maximum Landing Weight/Maximum Zero Fuel Weight
• A300B4 The major production version. Features a center fuel tank for increased fuel capacity (47,500 kg). Production of the B2 and B4 totaled 248.
  • A300B4-100: 157.5 Metric Ton MTOW
  • A300B4-200: 165 Metric Ton MTOW
  • A300B4-200FF: An A300 with a "forward-facing" crew compartment. The world's first 2-crew widebody airliner. Includes some of the A310's and A300-600's digital avionics. First saw service with Garuda in 1982, further customers were VASP, Tunisair and Kar-Air/Finnair.
  • A300B4-600: Referred to as the A300-600. See Below.
  • A300C4: Convertible freighter version, with a large cargo door on the port side. First delivered to South African Airways in October 1982.
  • A300F4-203: Freighter version of the A300B4-200. First delivery occurred in 1986, but only very few were built as the A300F4-200 was soon replaced by the more capable A300-600F (official designation: A300F4-600F).
• A300-600: Officially designated A300B4-600, this version is the same length as the B2 and B4 but has increased space because it uses the A310 rear fuselage and tail. It has higher power CF6-80 or Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines and entered service in 1983 with Saudi Arabian Airlines. A total of 313 A300-600s (all versions) have been sold.
  • A300-600: (Official designation: A300B4-600) The baseline model of the -600 series.
  • A300-620C: (Official designation: A300C4-620) A convertible freighter version. First delivery December 1985.
  • A300-600F: (Official designation: A300F4-600) The freighter version of the baseline -600.
  • A300-600R: (Official designation: A300B4-600R) The increased range -600, achieved by an additional trim fuel tank in the tail. First delivery in 1988 to American Airlines; all A300s built since 1989 (freighters included) are -600Rs. Japan Air System(Later merged in Japan Air Lines) took delivery of the last new-built passenger A300, an A300-622R, in November 2002.
  • A300-600RF: (Official designation: A300F4-600R) The freighter version of the -600R. All A300s delivered between November 2002 and 12 July 2007 (last ever A300 delivery) were A300-600RFs.
  • A300-600ST: Commonly referred to as the Beluga or "Airbus Super Transporter," these five airframes are used by Airbus to ferry parts between the company's disparate manufacturing facilities, thus enabling workshare distribution. They replaced the four Aero Spacelines Super Guppys previously used by Airbus.
• A300B10 (A310) Introduced a shorter fuselage, a new, higher aspect ratio wing, smaller tail and two crew operation. It is available in standard -200 and the Extended range -300 with 9,600 km range in both passenger and full cargo versions. It is also available as a military tanker/transport serving the Canadian Forces and Luftwaffe. Sales total 260, although five of these (ordered by Iraqi Airways) were never built.