Airbus A300
First child of the new association of European constructors like Aerospatiale of France, Daimler - Chrysler of Germany, the Spanish Casa, Sabca of Belgium and British Aerospace, the A300 career had quite a slow start. The new group had everything to prove concerning the competitiveness of his product and it is thanks to national companies like Air France and Lufthansa that production really started from 1974.
A total of 249 A300 were build between 1972 and 1984 among which two B1 prototypes, the lengthened B2, the improved range B4 and the A300C, a convertible version equipped with a large cargo door in the rear fuselage.
The A-300 was initially flown by a cockpit of three, but the 200FF version was later proposed with no flight engineer. This new concept, though much criticized, was made possible by the improvements in electronics and system automation. It proved a very successful sales argument in the civil aviation world.
The A300-600 started its commercial career in March 1984. This modernized version of the B4 had an increased range of up to 4,000 nm (7,500 km). Along with the CF6-80C2A1, the Pratt & Whitney PW4158 engine was also available. The plane has had lot of improvements in its electronics (EFIS), aerodynamics (Winglets, Fowler flaps) and structure (Composite materials). The A300-600R delivered to American Airlines from April 1988 incorporated a new fuel trim tank in the horizontal stabiliser permitting an efficient control of the CG (center of gravity) to reduce fuel consumption. Federal Express was the main customer for the A300F4 that was completely dedicated to freight transportation.
The A300-600ST Beluga is the most spectacular member of the A300 family. With its oversized fuselage and modified tail, the machine replaced the Super Guppy that was originally used by Airbus for transportation of aircraft elements before assembly in Toulouse or Hamburg. The Beluga first flew in September 1994 and five machines were built.
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