Airbus A310 Totally Explained

Everything about Airbus A310 totally explained

The Airbus A310 is a medium to long-range widebody airliner. Launched in 1978, it was the second aircraft created by the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, which is now fully owned by EADS. The A310 is a shortened derivative of the A300, the first twin-engined widebody airliner. The A310 (along with the A300) ceased production in July 2007. Freighter sales for which the A310 competed are to be fulfilled by a new A330-200F derivative.

History

The A310's range exceeds that of all the A300 models, except for the A300-600, which surpases the A310-200. This feature has led to the aircraft being used extensively on transatlantic routes. The A300 and A310 introduced the concept of commonality: A300-600 and A310 pilots can qualify for the other aircraft with one day of training.
Like its sister aircraft, the A300, the A310 has reached the end of its market life as a passenger and cargo aircraft. There have been no new A310 passenger orders since the late 1990s, and only a few freighter orders remain. The A310 (along with the A300) ceased production in July of 2007, though five orders from Iraqi Airways remain on the books. The remaining freighter sales are to be fulfilled by the new A330-200F derivative.
The aircraft was formally launched in July 1978 for Lufthansa and Swissair. A further development of the A300, the aircraft was initially designated the A300 B10. Essentially a "baby" A300, the main differences in the two aircraft are

Shortened fuselage - same cross section, providing capacity of about 200.
Redesigned wing - designed by British Aerospace who rejoined Airbus consortium
Smaller vertical fin

The A310 was marketed as an introduction to widebody operations for developing airlines. The A310 was replaced in Airbus' lineup by the highly successful A330-200, which shares its fuselage cross-section. Between 1983 and the very last aircraft produced 1998, 255 A310s were delivered by Airbus.
The A300 and A310 established Airbus as a competitor to Boeing and allowed it to go ahead with the more ambitious A320 and A330/A340 families.

Variants

A310-200

The first A310, the 162nd Airbus off the production line, made its maiden flight in April 1982 powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines. The -200 entered service with Swissair and Lufthansa a year later.Also the late series -200 also featured winglets just like the -300. A310-200C A convertible version, the seats can be removed and cargo placed on the main deck.

A310-300

First flown in July 1985, the -300 has an increased MTOW and an increase in range, provided by additional centre and horizontal stabilizer (trim-tank) fuel tanks. This model also introduced wingtip fences to improve aerodynamic efficiency, a feature that has since been retrofitted to some -200s. The aircraft entered service in 1986, again with Swissair. No production freighters of the A310 were produced. Operators such as FedEx instead adapt ex-airline A310s into freighters. Most have been the -300 version.

A310-300C A convertible passenger/cargo version, the seats can be removed and cargo placed on the main deck.

A310-300F An all-cargo version.

A310 MRTT

A310 MRTT:The A310 has been operated by many of the world's airforces as a pure transport, however some are now being converted to the "Multi Role Tanker Transport" configuration by EADS, providing an aerial refueling capability. Six have been ordered; four by the German Luftwaffe and two by the Canadian Forces. Deliveries began in 2004. Three are being converted at EADS' Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) in Dresden, Germany; the other three at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany. The Chilean Air Force has recently purchased two second-hand A310s to replace its ageing 707-320 'Aguila' tanker and transports. The first was received in October 2007.

Operators

Military operators

The A310 has been used by the armed forces of the following countries:

- Canadian Forces Air Command - designated CC-150 Polaris

Pakistan air force

Accident and incidents

Hull-loss Accidents: 6 with a total of 518 fatalities

Hijackings: 10 with a total of 5 fatalities

S7 Airlines Flight 778, an Airbus A310-324 jet from Moscow carrying 196 passengers and eight crew, overshot the runway at Irkutsk in Siberia, plowed through a concrete barrier and caught fire as it crashed into buildings. Reports said that 70 of the 204 on board survived, with 12 still missing. Since the accident, casualty figures have fluctuated, in part due to three people boarding the aircraft that were not on the passenger manifest, and some survivors having walked home and assumed to be trapped in the wreckage.

Aeroflot Flight 593 crashed in Siberia after the pilot let his son sit at the controls and the autopilot silently disconnected.

Tarom Flight 371 crashed in Baloteşti next to Otopeni International Airport near Bucharest on 31 March 1995 after a jamming of the throttle on the starboard engine followed by a lack of reaction by pilots.

Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from Abidjan on 31 January 2000.

Hapag-Lloyd Flight 3378 - July 12, 2000

Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight BG006, an A310-325 carrying 236 passengers and crew, suffered a collapsed nose gear while accelerating down the runway. Fourteen people suffered minor injuries in the accident at Dubai International Airport on 12 March 2007. The aircraft came to rest at the end of the runway and was evacuated, but blocked the only active runway and forced the airport to close for nearly eight hours. The aircraft was written off.

Air India An Air India Airbus A310-300 AI-349 arriving from Shanghai via Bangkok made an emergency landing at IGI Airport, New Delhi on 9 April 2007. The landing was successful, the passengers and crew were evacuated safely. The front undercarriage of the plane collapsed while it was being towed away and its nose slumped. An airline statement mentioned that the aircraft had “a technical snag in the locking system of the front landing gear".

Specifications

	A310-200	A310-200F	A310-300	A310-300F
Crew	2
Length	46.66 m (153 ft 1 in)
Height	15.8 m (51 ft 10 in)
Wingspan	43.9 m (144 ft)
Wing sweep	28 °
Cross section	5.64 m (17ft 4in)
Passengers (2cl)	240	33t cargo	240	33t cargo
MTOW	141,974 kg (312,342 lb)		164,000 kg (361,600 lb)*
Empty weight	80,142 kg (176,312 lb)	72,400 kg	83,100 kg (183,300 lb)	73,900 kg
Max fuel	55,200 l (14,603 US g)		75,470 l (19,940 US g)
Cruise speed (M)	0.80 (850 km/h.)
Max speed (M)	0.84 (901 km/h.)
Ceiling	12,000 m (40,000 ft)
Thrust (×2) (lb)	50,000-53,200		56,000-59,000
Engines	PWJT9D-7R4 or CF6-80C2A2		PW4156A or CF6-80C2A8
Range	6,800 km (3,670 nm) Trans-continental	5,550 km	9,600 km (5,200 nm) Trans-atlantic	7,330 km

* 157,000 kg is standard for the -300, 164,000 kg is an option.

A310 deliveries

By the end of March 2007 a total of 260 A310s had been ordered and 255 delivered.

2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994	1993
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	2	2	2	22
1992	1991	1990	1989	1988	1987	1986	1985	1984	1983	1982	1981	1980
24	19	18	23	28	21	19	26	21	17	0	0	0

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