AIRCRAFT
The Airbus A300 is significant not only for being a commercial success in its own right, but for being the first design of Europe's most successful postwar airliner manufacturer and the world's first twin-engined widebody jetliner.Aerospatiale of France, CASA of Spain and the forerunners of Germany's DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and British Aerospace formed the Airbus Industrie consortium in the late 1960s specifically to develop a twin engined 300 seat widebody `air bus' to fill an identified market gap.
Product of a truly international program of development and manufacture, the A300 was the first of the Airbus family of wide-body jetliners that have challenged long-held U.S. primacy in the production of transport aircraft. Design activity began in 1965 as an Anglo-French initiative to develop a large-capacity transport for BEA and Air France. West German participation began with the signature of a memorandum of understanding by the three governments on Sept. 26, 1967.
The initial trilateral project was for a 330,000 lb (149,700 kg) aircraft with two Rolls-Royce RB.207 engines, but this was scaled down after the British government withdrew on the grounds that a market could not be guaranteed, leaving Hawker Siddeley to maintain a British share on a privately financed basis.
The original 300 seat airliner design matured into a smaller 250 seater in December 1968. The A300 designation gaining a `B' suffix to denote the change. The smaller A300B with a 275,575 lb (125,000 kg) gross weight, two British or American engines each of about 45,000 lb (20,410 kg) thrust and accommodation for 252 passengers.
Two prototype A300B1s were built in this configuration. the two aircraft first flew on Oct. 28, 1972, and Feb. 5, 1973, at Toulouse powered with General Electric CF6-50A turbofans. These had a fuselage length 8 ft 8 in. (2.65 m) less than that of the production models. The General Electric CF6 was the powerplant of choice for initial A300s.
Production of the A300 family is shared by the Airbus partners, comprising Aerospatiale in France, MBB in West Germany (later Deutsche Aerospace and now DaimlerChrysler Aerospace Airbus), British Aerospace in the U.K. and CASA in Spain, with Fokker in the Netherlands an associate in the program.
Final assembly of all widebody Airbus takes place at Toulouse and the newer narrow body A321 and the A319 at DaimlerChrysler Aerospace Airbus, Hamburg. Major components are ferried between the national production centers.
Production began with the A300B2, later known as A300B2-100, with General Electric CF6-50C or C2 engines and this first flew on June 28, 1973. The A300B2K (later A300B2-200) introduced wing-root leading-edge Kruger flaps for better field performance, and first flew on July 30, 1976.
French and West German certification of the A300B2 was obtained on Mar. 15, 1974, and service began on May 30, 1974, with Air France. The first A300B2K was delivered to South African Airways on Nov. 23, 1976.
Pratt & Whitney JT9D-59A engines were introduced on the A300B2-220 (and A300B2-320 with higher zero-fuel and landing weights) and first flown Apr. 28, 1979.
The A300B4 (later A300B4-100 with CF6 engines, and A300B4-120 with JT9D engines) was introduced as a long-range version, with more fuel capacity and higher weights; the first flight of this variant was made on Dec.26, 1974. A higher-weight option, with structural strengthening, is the A300B4-200, which could also have more fuel in the rear cargo hold. The A300B4 was certificated in France and West Germany on Mar. 26, 1975, gained U.S. approval June 30, 1976, and entered service with Germanair on June 1, 1975.
Late in the A300B4's production life an optional two-man forward-facing cockpit A300B4-200FF was offered. It was first flown on Oct. 6, 1981, and the customers were Garuda, Tunis Air and VASP.
A small number of A300C convertibles freighters were also built designated A300C4, based on the B4, these featured a forward main deck freight door behind the wing on the left hand side, and reinforced floor. The first of these flew in mid-1979. The A300B4-200FF was certificated on Jan. 8, 1982, and entered service with Garuda. The convertible A300C4 entered service with Hapag-Lloyd at the end of 1979.
Production of the A300B4 ceased in May 1984, with manufacture switching to the much improved, two-man cockpit, A300B4-600, marketed as the A300-600. (See our separate entry)
Older A300s are now finding a useful niche as freighters. Considerable numbers of A300 retired from passenger service are now being converted as freighters. One of the most active companies in this field is the Bristol (Filton) based BAE Systems. First flight of the BAE conversion was in Feb. 1997 with an aircraft for Channel Express, the aircraft designated the A300B4-200F. Other companies include DaimlerChrysler Aerospace Airbus.
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