Aerospaceweb.org | Aircraft Museum - Airbus A310 (original) (raw)

Data |Image Gallery

DESCRIPTION: As Airbus was finalizing plans for the A300, many airlines expressed interest in a smaller, extended range model. Following a number of design studies, Airbus announced plans to proceed with a derivative of the A300 called the A310. The two aircraft made use of much the same construction to minimize costs. The A310 combined a shortened A300 fuselage with a new tail assembly and wing. The wing incorporated advanced high-lift devices allowing wingspan and wing area to be greatly reduced. In addition, the A310 introduced a sophisticated two-crew cockpit with advanced digital avionics. Seating between 210 and 250 passengers, the initial A310-200 model was developed into a full range of passenger, freight, and mixed passenger/cargo versions that sold well throughout the airline market. Production later switched to the A310-300 extended range model and A310-300F cargo freighter. Though the -300 series proved the most popular, only a handful were built during the 1990s and the final delivery occurred in 1998. No further orders were received even though the production line officially remained open until May 2007. A total of 260 A310 airliners were built for airlines, cargo companies, and military services. Data below for A310-300 Last modified 10 March 2011
HISTORY:
First Flight	(A310) 3 April 1982 (A300-300) 8 July 1985
Service Entry	April 1983 (with Lufthansa and Swissair)
CREW:	two flight crew: pilot, co-pilot
PASSENGERS:	210 in three classes 220 in two classes 280 in one class
ESTIMATED COST:	unknown
AIRFOIL SECTIONS:
Wing Root	unknown
Wing Tip	unknown
DIMENSIONS:
Length	153.08 ft (46.66 m)
Wingspan	144.00 ft (43.89 m)
Height	51.83 ft (15.80 m)
Wing Area	2,357.3 ft� (219.0 m�)
Canard Area	not applicable
WEIGHTS:
Empty	177,130 lb (80,345 kg)
Normal Takeoff	unknown
Max Takeoff	330,695 lb (150,000 kg)
Fuel Capacity	internal: 16,130 gal (61,070 L) external: not applicable
Max Payload	72,445 lb (32,860 kg)
PROPULSION:
Powerplant	two General Electric CF6-80C2A2 turbofans or two Pratt & Whitney PW4152 turbofans
Thrust	(GE) 107,000 lb (476.0 kN) (PW) 118,000 lb (524.9 kN)
PERFORMANCE:
Max Level Speed	at altitude: unknown at sea level: unknown cruise speed: 545 mph (875 km/h) at 32,800 ft (10,000 m), Mach 0.8
Initial Climb Rate	unknown
Service Ceiling	unknown
Range	max payload: 5,200 nm (9,600 km)
g-Limits	unknown
KNOWN VARIANTS:
A300B10	Airbus design study for a shorter, longer-range version of the basic A300 airframe
A310	First prototype
A310-200	First production model; 85 built
A310-200C	Convertible passenger/cargo model
A310-200F	Dedicated cargo model
A310-300	Long-range model with wingtip fences and increased fuel capacity; over 170 built
A310-300C	Convertible passenger/cargo model based on the A310-300
A310-300F	Freighter model based on the A310-300
A310 MRTT	Multi Role Tanker Transport converted from A310 airliners and designed as a military airborne refueling tanker or cargo transport, equipped with a fuel transfer operator station and two refueling pods under each wing as well as additional fuel tanks to provide a total capacity of 171,960 lb (78,000 kg); 4 converted for Germany and 2 for Canada
CC-150 Polaris	Canadian designation for the A310
KNOWN OPERATORS:
Civil	Aeroflot Aerolineas Argentinas Air Afrique Air Algerie AirCalin Air Djibouti Air France Air India Air India Cargo Air Jamaica Air Kazakhstan Air Libert� Air Niugini Air Paradise International Air Plus Argentina Air Plus Comet Air Transat Antinea Airlines Armenian Airlines Austrian Airlines Avion Aircraft Trading AwAir International Biman Bangladesh Carnival Air Lines China Eastern China Northwest Airlines Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) CSA Czech Airlines Cyprus Arways Delta Air Lines Emirates Airlines Equatoriana FedEx Hapag-Lloyd Iberworld Iran Air Kenya Airways Khalifa Airways Kibrish Turkish Airlines KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines KTHY Cyprus Turkish Airlines Kuwait Airways LAB Airlines Libyan Arab Airlines Lufthansa MIAT (Mongolian Airlines) Middle East Airlines Midwest Airlines Egypt Nigeria Airways Oman Air Pacific Airlines Pakistan International Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) Praeda Qatar Airways Regionair Royal Aviation Royal Flight Royal Jordanian Airline Sabena Sata International Singapore Airlines Sofia/Bulgaria Sudan Airways Swissair TAP Air Portugal Tarom Thai Airways International Transaero Trans Mediterranean Airways Turkish Airlines United Airways Uzbekistan Airways VASP Vietnam Wardair Yemenia Airways
Government/Military	Belgium, Belgishe Luchtmacht/Force A�rienne Belge (Belgian Air Force) Canada (Canadian Armed Forces, Air Command) France, Arm�e de l'Air (French Air Force) Germany, Deutsche Luftwaffe (German Air Force) Pakistan, Pakistan Fiza'ya (Pakistani Air Force) Spain, Ej�rcito del Aire Espa�ola (Spanish Air Force) Thailand, Kongtap Agard Thai (Royal Thai Air Force)
3-VIEW SCHEMATIC:
SOURCES: Aboulafia, Richard. Jane's Civil Aircraft. Glasgow: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996, p. 28-29, Airbus A310. Airbus A300/A310 site Chant, Christopher and Taylor, Michael J.H. The World's Greatest Aircraft. Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books, 2006, p. 238, Airbus Industrie A310. Donald, David, ed. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. NY: Barnes & Noble, 1997, p. 35, Airbus Industrie A310. Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press, 1999, p. 26-33, Airbus A310. Donald, David and Lake, Jon, ed. The Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft. NY: Barnes & Noble, 2000, p. 27, Airbus Industrie A310. Rendall, David. Jane's Aircraft Recognition Guide, 2nd ed. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999, p. 203, Airbus A310. Taylor, Michael. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1996/1997. London: Brassey's, 1996, p. 286-287, Airbus A310. Taylor, Michael J. H. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000. London: Brassey's, 1999, p. 269-270, Airbus A310, Airbus Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT).