Airbus A310 MRTT

Airbus · Multinational (Airbus) · first flew 2003 · transport aircraft

The Airbus A310 MRTT is a multi-role tanker transport conversion of the A310 widebody airliner, fitted with underwing refuelling pods or a fuselage boom to refuel other aircraft in flight.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	twin underwing turbofans on a widebody fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

twin underwing turbofans on a widebody fuselage
hose-and-drogue refuelling pods under the wings or a boom fairing under the tail
A310's noticeably shorter fuselage compared with the A300

Refuelling pods under the wings or a boom fairing under the tail, plus military grey camouflage rather than airline colours, distinguish it from a standard A310 airliner.

Specifications

The Airbus A310 MRTT has a length of 46.66 m (153 ft).
It has a wingspan of 43.9 m (144 ft).
Its maximum speed is 861 km/h (535 mph).
Typical crew: 3-4 flight crew plus boom/hose operator.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Conversion partners adapted retired A310 airframes for military air-to-air refuelling and transport duty, building on the A310 airliner first flown in 1982; the work added hose-and-drogue pods or a boom along with retained cargo/passenger capability.

Variants

Operators fitted differing refuelling systems, and the type effectively bridged the gap before the larger A330 MRTT became Airbus's primary tanker offering.

Where you'll see it

A small number of A310 MRTTs served with air forces including Germany's Luftwaffe and Canada's air force for both tanking and VIP/troop transport; it is not UK-operated.

Related aircraft

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