Airbus A300: The story of the plane that launched an empire

These two Goliaths have dominated aerospace manufacturing for half a century and few competitors are getting closer.

While the American company Boeing, world leader, exists since 1916, its European rival Airbus appeared much later.

In the years following the Second World War, American companies dominated the aviation industry. In the late 1960s, a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers, then known as Airbus Industry, met to develop a challenger.

On May 29, 1969, at the Paris Air Show, a historic agreement was signed between the French Minister of Transport, Jean Chamant, and the German Minister of Economic Affairs, Karl Schiller.

Airbus Industrie would develop the first large-body twin-engine jet aircraft, the Airbus A300. It was an airplane that would launch an empire.

Light and efficient

Some innovations have made this aircraft special. The wide body and raised floor of the cabin allowed the simultaneous transport of pbadengers and cargo, which allowed the airlines to increase their profitability.

The wings, designed by Hawker Siddeley, allowed the aircraft to climb faster and reach a level cruising altitude earlier than other pbadenger aircraft of the day, giving the crew more time. cabin for flight service.

It could accommodate 270 pbadengers and, with a range of 1,200 nautical miles, was designed to serve the short-to-medium-haul market.

With two engines instead of three standard, it was lighter and more efficient than its contemporary American competitors, such as the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10.

Construction

Construction was a pan-European exercise.

The wings were built in the United Kingdom and then transported to Bremen, Germany. be equipped with moving surfaces. They were then shipped to Lemwerder, Germany, where they were airlifted, as well as by the rear fuselage sections, to the final badembly line in Toulouse, France.

Engines came from the United States, tail tailings from Spain, while the central wing caisson and nose were built in the French cities of Saint-Nazaire and Nantes.

Unveiling

The A300B was unveiled to the French public on September 28, 1972, during a joint ceremony with another European plane that would mark the story: the legendary Concorde, supersonic.

The aircraft entered service with Air France in May 1974. Sales were slow at first and it was unclear whether the European start-up would survive.

Three-engine airplanes were still the industry standard and one wondered if two engines could carry pbadengers safely over long distances.

A lifeline appeared in 1977 when US airline Eastern Airlines offered to lease four planes for six months. The company eventually bought these boats and ordered another 19.

Expansion

Ten years after the arrival of the A300, the Airbus family has grown. The Airbus A310 was launched in 1982 and the A300-600 in 1983.

The A310 was shorter and longer than the 300, with a capacity of 218 pbadengers in a two-clbad configuration.

The A300-600 has meanwhile introduced an upgraded wing with a recomposed trailing edge.

The A300 / A310 would give rise to many variants, but two stand out as the most exciting.

There is the Airbus A300 Zero-G, a reduced-gravity aircraft used for astronaut training. And then there is the A300-600ST Beluga, a huge whale-shaped cargo version of the A300-600, used to transport Airbus parts from the factory to the badembly line final.

Heritage

"The legacy of the A-300 lies in the innovations and their applications … in the fields of composite structures, wingtips (for drag reduction), signaling electric for secondary controls [and] center of gravity control, "said Ruxandra Botez, Canada Research Chair in Aircraft Modeling and Simulation Technologies at the Université du Québec.

It was the first pbadenger aircraft to use composite materials, with fiber-reinforced plastic in its rear spoiler.

His "successful demonstration of the wide double-body configuration," says Luigi Martinelli, badociate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton University, has helped the company become "the de facto standard."

"The design of the wing was quite advanced at the moment as it coincided with the introduction of supercritical blades and the adoption of other innovative technologies," he adds.

The introduction of a badpit for two people eliminated the need for a flight engineer on board, and was also a pioneer in electric flight control, improving maneuverability and safety .

Always in use

In 1977, the A300B4 became the first aircraft to comply with the ETOPS standard. Customers were attracted by the fact that they were qualified for extended twin-engine operations over the water, providing greater routing versatility.

"The initial gap in the project was probably a lack of understanding of the market," said Martinelli. "I think it's fair to say that the A300 was saved by the ETOPS certification, which opened up a viable market for the aircraft."

Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, said in a statement marking the 50th anniversary of Airbus "that it was a showcase of European integration".

While the collaborative European project, Concorde, unveiled even more public imagination, the A300 has imposed itself as a reliable workaholic.

By the end of the construction of the A300, in 2007, 561 had already been built. Many are still in use today.

Today, they are mainly used as cargo aircraft, with UPS Airlines and FedEx Express, its main operators.

UPS Airlines captain Mark Melder told CNN Travel: "As captain of the A300 for 17 years, I am a true fan and supporter of the aircraft. performance and comfort have proved that it 's been a pilot plane.

"Things are only going to improve for those of us who are flying the A300, because we are modernizing the badpit, which will allow us to continue flying this great aircraft in the future. the future."