Airbus A300
Airbus · Multinational (Europe) · first flew 1972 · airliner
The Airbus A300 was the world's first twin-engined widebody airliner and the inaugural product of the Airbus consortium.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | First twin-engined widebody |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- First twin-engined widebody
- Wide twin-aisle fuselage
- Two underwing turbofans
Look for a relatively short, wide twin-aisle fuselage with just two underwing engines and a conventional tail, the original template that all later twin widebodies followed.
Specifications
- The Airbus A300 has a length of 54.08 m (177 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 44.84 m (147 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 891 km/h (554 mph).
- Typical crew: 2-3 flight crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype first flew on 28 October 1972 and the type entered service with Air France in 1974. As Airbus's founding aircraft it pioneered the two-engine widebody concept and introduced advanced two-crew cockpits, with production running until 2007.
Variants
Early A300B2 and B4 models gave way to the much-improved A300-600 with a two-crew glass cockpit. A dedicated A300-600F freighter version found long-lasting success with express carriers.
Where you'll see it
British operators and visiting airlines flew the A300 into Heathrow and Gatwick for decades, and freighter A300-600s remained common cargo visitors to UK airports such as East Midlands well into recent years.
Related aircraft
- Airbus A310
- Airbus A300-600
- Airbus A320
- Airbus A340-300
- Douglas DC-10-30
- Boeing 747-200
- Sud Aviation Caravelle 12
- VFW 614
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