The Airbus A330-200

Powerplants

A330-200 - Choice of two 300.3kN (67,500lb) General Electric CF6-80E1A2s, 286.7kN (64,000lb) Pratt & Whitney PW-4164s, or PW-4168s or 302.5kN (68,000lb) RollsRoyce Trent 768 or Trent 772 turbofans.

Performance

Max cruising speed 880km/h (475kt) at 33,000ft, economical cruising speed 860km/h (464kt). Range with max passengers and reserves at 230t MTOW 11,850km (6400nm), at 217t MTOW 8890km (4800nm).

Weights

A330-200 - Operating empty 120,150kg (264,875lb) with CF6 engines, 120,750kg (266,200lb) with PW4168s, or 120,250kg (265,150lb) with Trents. Max takeoff 230,000-233,000kg (507,050-513,670lb).

Dimensions

Wing span 60.30m (197ft 10in), length 59.00m (193ft 7in), height 16.83m (55ft 2in). Wing area 363.1m2 (3908.4sq ft).

Capacity

Flightcrew of two. Passenger seating arrangements for 256 in three classes or 293 in two classes. Front and rear underbelly cargo holds can take 26 LD3 containers or six freight pallets and passenger baggage.

Production

Total A330-200 built stood at 108 at June 2002. Deliveries began in April 1998.

Type

Long range widebody airliner
Schematics

History

The A330-200 is the newest member of Airbus' widebody twinjet family and is a long range, shortened development of the standard A330, developed in part as a replacement for the A300-600R and a competitor to the 767-300ER.

Airbus launched development of the A330-200 in November 1995, followed by the first customer order, for 13 from ILFC, placed in February 1996. First flight was on August 13 1997, with certification and first customer deliveries,to ILFC/Canada 3000, in April 1998.

The A330-200 is based on the A330-300 and shares near identical systems, airframe, flightdeck and wings, the only major difference being the fuselage length. Compared with the 300 the A330-200 is 10 frames shorter, and so has an overall length of 59.00m (193ft 7in), compared with 63.70m (209ft 0in) for the standard length aircraft. This allows the A330-200 to seat 256 passengers in a three class configuration, or alternatively 293 in two classes.

Because of its decreased length the A330-200 features enlarged horizontal and vertical tail surfaces (to compensate for the loss of moment arm with the shorter fuselage). Another important change is the addition of a centre fuel tank, which increases the A330-200's fuel capacity over the 300's, and results in the 200's 11,850km (6400nm) range.

Like the A330, engine options are the GE CF6-80, Pratt & Whitney 4000 series and the RollsRoyce Trent 700.

The A330-200 has sold quite strongly since its launch. Among the initial A330-200 customers are, apart from ILFC, Canada 3000, Korean Air, Austrian, Air Transat, Emirates, Swissair, Sabena, Monarch, Asiana, TAM, and Air Lanka.

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The Airbus A320

Powerplants

Two 111.2kN to 120.1kN (25-27,000lb) CFM International CFM56-5A1 turbofans or 118kN (26,500lb) CFM56-5A3s or 120kN (27,000lb) -5B4s, or two 113.4kN (25,500lb) International Aero Engines IAE V2500-A1 or 117.9kN (26,500lb) V2527-A5s.

Performance

A320-200 - Max cruising speed 903km/h (487kt) at 28,000ft, economical cruising speed 840km/h (454kt) at 37,000ft. Range with 150 passengers and reserves with CFM56s 4843km (2615nm), or 5639km (3045nm), or 5278km (2850nm); with V2500s 4874km (2632nm) or optionally 5463km (2950nm) or 5676km (3065nm).

Weights

A320-200 - Operating empty with V2500s 42,220kg (93,079lb); with CFM56s 42,175kg (92,980lb). Standard max takeoff for both versions 73,500kg (162,040lb) or optionally 75,500kg (166,445lb) or 77,000kg (169,755lb).

Dimensions

Wing span 34.09m (111ft 10in), length 37.57m (123ft 3in), height 11.76m (38ft 7in). Wing area 122.6m2 (1319.7sq ft).

Capacity

Flightcrew of two. Main cabin can accommodate a maximum of 179 passengers in a high density layout. Typical two class seating arrangement for 12 passengers at four abreast and 138 at six abreast. Seven LD3 derived LD3-46 containers or palletised cargo can be stored in the underbelly forward (four) and rear (three) freight holds.

Production

As of early 2003, firm orders for the A320 stood at 1397 with 1131 delivered.

Type

Short to medium range airliner
Schematics

History

Perhaps the most important contributor to Airbus Industrie's success as an airliner manufacturer, the four member A320 family is a significant sales success and a technological trailblazer. The 150 seat A320 is the foundation and best selling member of the family.

The A320 is perhaps best known as the first airliner to introduce a fly-by-wire flight control system - where control inputs from the pilot are transmitted to the flying surfaces by electronic signals rather than mechanical means. Apart from a small weight saving, the advantage of Airbus' fly-by-wire is that as it is computer controlled, an inbuilt flight envelope protection makes it virtually impossible to exceed certain flight parameters such as G limits and the aircraft's maximum and minimum operating speeds and angle of attack limits.

Also integral to the A320 is the advanced electronic flightdeck, with six fully integrated EFIS colour displays and innovative sidestick controllers rather than conventional control columns. The A320 also employs a relatively high percentage of composite materials compared to earlier designs. Two engines are offered, the CFM56 and IAE V2500.

The A320 program was launched in March 1982, first flight occurred on February 22 1987, while certification was awarded on February 26 1988. Launch customer Air France took delivery of its first A320 in March that year. The first V2500 engined A320 was delivered to Adria Airways in May 1989.

The initial production version was the A320-100, which was built in only small numbers before being replaced by the definitive A320-200 (certificated in November 1988) with increased max takeoff weight, greater range and winglets. The stretched A321 and shortened A319 and A318 are described separately. All four share a common pilot type rating. Mid 2000 A320 family production was at a monthly rate of 22, to be increased to 30 units a month by the end of 2002.

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The Airbus A319CJ

Powerplants

Two 118kN (26,500lb) International Aero Engines IAE V2527M-A5 or CFM International CFM56 turbofans.

Performance

Max cruising speed Mach 0.82. Max altitude 41,000ft. Range with 10 passengers 11,650km (6300nm). Rate of climb 23min to 37,000ft

Weights

Max take-off 75,500kg (166,450lb), zero fuel 58,515 kg (129,000lb)

Dimensions

Wing span 33.91m (111ft 3in), length 33.80m (110ft 11in), height 11.80m (38ft 8.5in). Wing area 122.4m2 (1317.5sq ft).

Capacity

Flightcrew of two. Six standard layouts offering seating from 10 to 39 passengers.
Production

Up to 12 A319CJs expected to be built each year. First customer delivery scheduled for November 1999. Green A319CJ costs $US35m, interior completion can cost $US4-10m. Twelve firm orders held at late 1998.

Type

Long range large corporate jet

History

The Airbus Corporate Jetliner, or A319CJ, is a long range corporate jet development of the A319 airliner which competes directly with the Boeing Business Jet and dedicated long range corporate jets such as the Bombardier Global Express and Gulfstream V.

Airbus launched the A319CJ at the 1997 Paris Airshow and the first A319CJ rolled out of Dasa's Hamburg A319/A321 assembly hall in October 1998. The airframe was then due to be fitted with belly auxiliary fuel tanks and flight test instrumentation prior to making a first flight in May 1999. Certification is planned for mid 1999 with the first customer delivery due in November that year.

Unlike the Boeing Business Jet, which combines the 737-700's airframe with the 737-800's strengthened wing and undercarriage, the A319CJ is designed to be a minimum change development of the A319. This means, according to Airbus, that the A319CJ can be easily converted to an airliner, thus increasing the aircraft's potential resale value.

The first A319CJ is powered by IAE V2500s but CFM56s are also available, while the A319's containerised cargo hold means that the CJ's auxiliary fuel tanks can be easily loaded and unloaded, giving operators flexibility to reconfigure the aircraft for varying payload/range requirements. Like the rest of the A320 single aisle family (plus the A330 and A340), the A319CJ shares Airbus' common advanced six screen EFIS flightdeck with sidestick controllers, plus fly-by-wire flight controls.

At mid 2002 Airbus had selected five cabin outfitters for the aircraft - among which Lufthansa Technik in Germany, Jet Aviation of Switzerland, and Air France Industries. Airbus will supply green A319CJ airframes to the outfitters for interior fitment. Interiors weigh around 3.8 tonnes (8500lb) and cost $US4-10m. Outfitting will typically take four to six months.

The first A319CJ order, announced in December 1997, was placed by a Kuwaiti individual. Among the later customers are the Italian, French, and Venezuelan Air Forces, Taiwan's Eva Air, and Qatar Airways.

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The Airbus A318

Powerplants

Two Pratt & Whitney PW-6000 or CFM International CF56-5 turbofans with a thrust range from 96.0kN (21,600lb) to 105.9kN (23,800lb)

Performance

Max operating Mach No. M0.82
Range at 59 tonne (129,955lb) takeoff weight 2780km (1500nm), range at 61.5 tonne (135,463lb) takeoff weight 3705km (2000nm).

Weights

Standard max takeoff 59,000kg (130,100lb), optionally up to 68,000kg (149,900lb). Typical operating weight empty 38,375kg (84.600lb)

Dimensions

Wing span 34.09m (111ft 10in), length 31.44m (103ft 2in), height 12.56m (41ft 2in), wing area 122.6m2 (1320ft2)

Capacity

Flightcrew of two. Standard seating for 107 passengers (eight premium class at four abreast and 97cm/38in pitch, 99 economy class at six abreast and 81cm/32in pitch). Single class seating for 117 at 81cm (32in) pitch at six abreast.
Production


By Jan.2002 total orders for the A318 stood at 114.
Initial deliveries planned for late 2002.

Type

100 seat regional airliner

History

The A318 will be Airbus' smallest airliner and is the European manufacturer's first foray into the 100 seat market.

Airbus' initial efforts at developing a 100 seat airliner were focused on the all new AE31X program (covering the baseline 95 seat AE316 and 115-125 seat AE317) which Airbus and Alenia, as Airbus Industrie Asia, were developing in conjunction with AVIC of China and Singapore Technologies. The AE31X program arose out of earlier Chinese and South Korean studies for a 100 seater and a framework agreement covering its development was signed in May 1997. However on September 3 1998 Airbus announced termination of the project saying it was not economically viable.

The AE31X would have flown in mid 2002 and entered service in mid 2003. Final assembly would have been undertaken at Xian in China by Xian Aircraft Company.

Even before the cancellation of the AE31X program Airbus had been independently studying a minimum change 100 seat derivative of the A319 covered by the A319M5 designation (M5 = minus five fuselage frames). Following the AE31X's cancellation Airbus announced the commercial launch of the A319M5 as the A318 at the 1998 Farnborough Airshow.

Airbus announced the A318's industrial launch in April 1999, allowing full scale development to get underway, permitting service entry in late 2002. Program development cost is estimated at $US300m, and the list unit price $US36m.

Compared with the A319, the A318 is 4.5 frames shorter, reducing standard two class seating from 124 to 107. The A318's other significant new feature will be its powerplant, the newly developed Pratt & Whitney PW-6000 (being developed in the 67-102kN/15-23,000lb thrust class), but the CFM International CFM56-5 is also available. Other changes will include a small dorsal fin added to the tail, modified wing camber, and a reduced size cargo door.

Otherwise the A318 will retain much commonality with the rest of the A320 family, including the advanced flightdeck with side stick controllers and fly-by-wire flight controls allowing a common type rating, and the same six abreast fuselage cross section.

The first flight was made on January 15, 2002 from Hamburg-Finkenwerder.

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The Airbus A310

Powerplants

Initial powerplant choice of either two 213.5kN (48,000lb) Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4D1s or two 222.4kN (50,000lb) General Electric CF6-80A3 turbofans. Current choices of 238kN (53,500lb) CF6-80C2A2s, 262.4kN (59,000lb) CF6-80C2A8s, 231.2kN (52,000lb) PW-4152s, or 249.1kN (56,000lb) PW-4156s.

Performance

Max cruising speed 897km/h (484kt), long range cruising speed 850km/h (459kt). Range at typical airliner operating weight with 218 passengers and baggage and reserves 6800km (3670nm) for A310-200, 7982km (4310nm) for CF6 powered A310-300, 9580km (5170nm) for high gross weight A310-300 with CF6s.

Weights

A310-200 with CF6-80C2A2s - Operating empty 80,142kg (176,683lb), max takeoff 142,000kg (313,055lb). A310-300 with CF6-80C2A8s - Operating empty 81,205kg (179,025lb), max takeoff 150,000kg (330,695lb) standard, or higher gross weight options through to 164,000kg (361,560lb).

Dimensions

Wing span 43.89m (144ft 0in), length 46.66m (153ft 1in), height 15.80m (51ft 10in). Wing area 219.0m2 (2357.3sq ft).

Capacity

Flightcrew of two. Max passenger capacity at nine abreast 280. Typical two class arrangement for 20 passengers at six abreast and 192 economy class passenger eight abreast. Cargo capacity in fore and aft underfloor compartments can hold 2.44 x 3.17m (88 x 125in) pallets or a total of up to 14 LD3 containers.

Production

Total orders held for the A310 stood at 261 at late 1998, of which more than 250 had been delivered.

History

The A310 first began life as the A300B10, one of a number of projected developments and derivatives of Airbus' original A300B airliner.

While based on the larger A300, the A310 introduced a number of major changes. The fuselage was shortened by 13 frames compared to the A300B, reducing seating to around 200 to 230 passengers and a new higher aspect ratio wing of smaller span and area was developed. New and smaller horizontal tail surfaces, fly-by-wire outboard spoilers and a two crew EFIS flightdeck were incorporated, while the engine pylons were common to suit both engine options.

The first flight of the A310 occurred on April 3 1982, after the program was launched in July 1978. Service entry was with Lufthansa in April 1983. Early production A310s did not have the small winglets that became a feature of later build A310-200s and the A310-300. The A310-300 is a longer range development of the base A310-200, and has been in production since 1985. This version can carry a further 7000kg (15,430lb) of fuel in the tailplane.

The A310-200F freighter is available new build or as a conversion of existing aircraft (13 A310s were converted to freighters for Federal Express by Airbus partner Daimler Benz [now DaimlerChrysler] Aerospace Airbus). The A310-200C convertible passenger/freighter first entered service with Dutch operator Martinair in 1984.

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The Airbus A300B2/B4

Powerplants

A300B2/B4 - Two 227kN (51,000lb) General Electric CF6-50Cs or 236kN (53,000lb) Pratt & Whitney JT9D-9 turbofans.

Performance

A300B2-200 - Typical high speed cruising speed 917km/h (495kt), typical long range cruising speed 847km/h (457kt). Range with 269 passengers and reserves 3430km (1850nm). A300B4-200 - Same except range with 269 passengers and reserves 5375km (2900nm), range with max fuel 6300km (3400nm).

Weights

A300B2-200 - Operating empty 85,910kg (189,400lb), max takeoff 142,000kg (313,055lb).
A300B4-200 - Operating empty 88,500kg (195,109lb), max takeoff 165,000kg (363,760lb).

Dimensions

Wing span 44.84m (147ft 1in), length 53.62m (175ft 11in), height 16.53m (54ft 3in). Wing area 260.0m2 (2798.7sq ft).

Capacity

Flightcrew of two pilots and a flight engineer. Seating for between 220 and 336 single class passengers in main cabin. Typical two class arrangement for 20 business class and 230 economy class passengers. Belly cargo compartments can carry 20 LD3 containers.

Production

A300B2 and B4 orders stood at 249 when production was completed in 1984. Approximately 214 in service at late 1998.

History

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.

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.

The original 300 seat airliner design matured into a smaller 250 seater, the A300 designation gaining a `B' suffix to denote the change. Two prototype A300B1s were built, the first of these flying from Toulouse, France on October 28 1972, the second on February 5 the next year. The General Electric CF6 was the powerplant choice for initial A300s. Following the prototype A300B1s was the 2.65m (8ft 8in) longer A300B2, the first production version which first flew in April 1974. The B2 entered service with Air France on May 23 1974.

Subsequent versions included the B2-200 with Krueger leading edge flaps and different wheels and brakes; the B2-300 with increased weights for greater payload and multi stop capability; the B4-100 a longer range version of the B2 with Krueger flaps; and the increased max takeoff weight B4-200 which featured reinforced wings and fuselage, improved landing gear and optional rear cargo bay fuel tank. A small number of A300C convertibles were also built, these featured a main deck freight door behind the wing on the left hand side. Late in the A300B4's production life an optional two crew flightdeck was offered as the A300-200FF (customers were Garuda, Tunis Air and VASP).

Production of the A300B4 ceased in May 1984, with manufacture switching to the improved A300-600.

Older A300s are now finding a useful niche as freighters, with a number of companies, in particular DaimlerChrysler Aerospace Airbus, offering conversion programs.

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The Airbus A300-600ST Super Transporter

Powerplants
Two 262.4kN (59,000lb) class General Electric CF6-80C2A8 turbofans.

Performance

Max cruising speed 780km/h (421kt). Range with a 40 tonne payload 2400km (1295nm), range with a 30 tonne (66,150lb) payload 4000km (2160nm).

Weights

Max payload 47 tonnes (103,615lb), max takeoff 155,000kg (341,700lb).

Dimensions

Wing span 44.84m (147ft 0in), length 56.16m (184ft 3in), height 17.23m (56ft 6in). Wing area 260m2 (2798.7sq ft). Internal useable length 37.70m (123ft 8in), diameter 7.40m (24ft 3in).

Capacity

The A300-600ST's max payload of 47 tonnes (103,615lb) is unlikely to be fully utilised, as the emphasis of the design is on volume rather than payload. The internal main cabin volume is 1400m3 (49,442cu ft), and can carry a range of oversize components, such as a fully equipped A330 or A340 wing shipset, or two A320/321 wing shipsets, or two A310 fuselage sections (front & rear).

Production

Airbus has taken delivery of its four A300-600STs originally on order and has converted an option on a fifth to a firm order.

History

The A300-600ST Super Transporter was designed to replace Airbus Industrie's Super Guppy transports, used by the consortium to ferry oversize components such as wings and fuselage sections between Airbus' partners' plants throughout western Europe.

Development of the A300-600ST, nicknamed Beluga and also Super Flipper, began in August 1991. The A300-600ST's tight development program - for what in many ways is effectively a new aircraft - saw the transport rolled out in June 1994, with first flight on September 13 that year. The A300-600ST then entered a 400 hour flight test program which culminated in mid 1995, with certification awarded that September and with delivery and entry into service with Airbus in January 1996. All of the first four on order had been delivered by mid 1998 (allowing the Super Guppy's retirement in October 1997). The fifth Super Transporter is scheduled to be delivered in 2001.


The A300-600ST is based on the A300-600 airliner, with which it shares the wing, lower fuselage, main undercarriage and cockpit. The main differences are obvious - a bulged main deck, new forward lower fuselage, new enlarged tail with winglets and an upwards hinging main cargo door. A design study of a similarly configured A340, the A340ST Mega Transporter, to carry A3XX components is underway.

Program management of the A300-600ST is the responsibility of the Special Aircraft Transport Company, or SATIC, an economic interest grouping formed on a 50/50 basis by Aerospatiale and DASA operating on behalf of Airbus Industrie. While much of the work on the aircraft is performed by the Airbus partners, other European companies are also involved in the program.

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