PlaneSmart From New Zealand, joined Dec 2004, 739 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 2416 times:
Not a lot different to B.
There was an A300 B1 (protoype/pre-production), and on paper B3 and B5.
Unless someone who was working for A at the time can tell us, adopting -xxx numbering probably imitated B. When the dominant market leader does something, it becomes the defacto industry standard. Lockheed switched from -xx to -xxx as well.
Using numbering higher than was in current use at B perhaps was intended to convey A products were more advanced / superior to B's. Typical marketing dept ploy.
Tom_eddf From Germany, joined Apr 2000, 449 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 2216 times:
There were additional letters too, for instance SAA had A300-B2K. Anyone know what the additional lettering signified?
K stands for Krueger Flaps, a sort of leading edge flap inboard of the slats. As opposed to normal slats, they move upwards from underneath the leading edge of the wing instead of downwards from the top of the leading edge, when extended. Other aircraft using Krueger Flaps or Slats include the 747 (all series) and the A310.
Justplanesmart From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 694 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 2161 times:
The original idea for the A300 was a larger aircraft, to seat about 300 pax and be powered by two Rolls-Royce RB207 engines. This was dropped in favor of the A300B, which was around 250 in capacity and powered by the CF6-50. At that time, there were many variants proposed, all with a number following the B. The first two airframes completed were A300B1's, the third was modified to the A300B2 standard, with a slight fuselage stretch. The higher-weight version was the B4. Other ideas included the B9, with a much longer fuselage, the B10 with a shorter one, and the B11 with four engines. These ultimately became the A330, the A310, and the A340 respectively. The earliest models had a simple designation, like -1A, -1C, -3A. I have never seen an explanation for what these designated, although it might have been engine variants. As others have stated, the B2K had the inboard Krueger flaps in common with the B4. Airbus later adopted their present nomenclature, with the original B2 becoming the B2-100, the B2K now the B2-200, the original B4 the B4-100, and the heavier B4 the B4-200. In addition the last two digits now designated the engine variant, the first the manufacturer and the second the actual model.
Tom_eddf From Germany, joined Apr 2000, 449 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 2148 times:
@Justplanesmart,
good summary of how Airbus was developing derivatives of the A300, however, I remember the A330/A340 not as the A300B9 and A300B11, but as the TA9/TA11 program, with TA standing for Twin Aisle.
Justplanesmart From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 694 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 2064 times:
Tom_eddf-
The TA designation came later, when the commonality with the A300 was clearly going to be limited to the fuselage cross-section. The original A300B9, A300B10 and A300B11 would have had very limited changes from the existing aircraft, mostly just length and, in the case of the B11, the engines. When it was decided to go with a smaller and lighter wing on the B10, it was changed to the A310. When the JET idea for a 150-passenger came under Airbus aegis, it was dubbed the SA, for Single Aisle, leading ultimately to the A320. The ideas for new wide-bodies were then given the TA designation, with the number left over from the earlier B designation. There was even a TA12, which was a long-range twin with capacity similar to the A300 and 767-300.
FoxBravo From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 2807 posts, RR: 5 Reply 16, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days ago) and read 2009 times:
Hawk if I'm right the A300-600 had wingtip fences a la 320, not sure about other variants
Yes, that is correct--A300s prior to the -600/-600R series did not have wingtip fences.
Even on the -600/-600R, however, they are slightly different from the wingtip fences seen on the A310-300 (and a very few -200s) and A320 family. A picture is worth a thousand words--as you can see, the A300's have a sort of lower profile and are less "pointy."
Scorpio From Belgium, joined Oct 2001, 4934 posts, RR: 47 Reply 17, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days ago) and read 2000 times:
On the wingtip fences, it must be noted that they were not present on the initial A300-600s. Saudia's -600s don't have them (they were the launch customer), and neither did the two initally delivered to Kuwait Airways (which were destroyed during Gulf War 1). The first one to have the fences was the first -600 for Thai Airways.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 19, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 1973 times:
I think the captions might be mistaken.
I believe only the -600R has wingtip fences, not the -600. And I don't believe that's an A310-200. It looks like an A310-300 to me.
Scorpio From Belgium, joined Oct 2001, 4934 posts, RR: 47 Reply 20, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 1964 times:
I believe only the -600R has wingtip fences, not the -600.
Incorrect. All, except for the first 16 A300-600s (11 for Saudia, 2 for Kuwait Airways, 1 for Kuwait government and 2 for UAE government) have the fences. Illustration: look at LH's A300s: most of them are standard -600s (only 4 are -600R) yet they all have the fences.
And I don't believe that's an A310-200.
It's a -200. A limited number of -200 have wingtip fences.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 21, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 1959 times:
FoxBravo From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 2807 posts, RR: 5 Reply 24, posted (8 years 4 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 1825 times:
On the wingtip fences, it must be noted that they were not present on the initial A300-600s. Saudia's -600s don't have them (they were the launch customer), and neither did the two initally delivered to Kuwait Airways (which were destroyed during Gulf War 1). The first one to have the fences was the first -600 for Thai Airways.
Interesting--I was not aware of this. I knew Thai's -600s had them, since I have flown on one, but I guess I hadn't seen any of the others.
A limited number of -200 have wingtip fences.
Yes, in addition to the ex-Cyprus aircraft, Hapag Lloyd and Thai also took delivery of winglet-equipped -200s. Of the latter, one aircraft crashed at Surat Thani (as a side note, Thai had terrible luck with their small fleet of A310s, as they also lost a -300 at Kathmandu).
There is also a A300B2(4)-200FF, stands for Forward Facing (Crew). Not many were build, though.
These were the first widebody aircraft equipped with 2-crew cockpits, and in that sense were a precursor to the -600, which featured the new 2-crew cockpit as standard. Some were delivered to Garuda and a couple to Finnair (the latter were leased to Air Scandic until recently).
25 Starlionblue: More Airbus version number info (and shameless plug): http://www.rosboch.net/aviation.htm#AirbusVersions
26 FoxBravo: Starlionblue, did you put that all together yourself? Great site! I had seen various sites with the Boeing customer codes, etc., but I hadn't found su
27 Starlionblue: FoxBravo: Thx for that! Nice to hear the work is appreciated. Yes I did put it all together myself. The info comes from various sources. Some is from
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