Airbus A310 variant
Airbus A310 A310-300
The standard production version of the A310: same dimensions as the -200 but with higher take-off weight, extra fuel tanks and the range that turned the twin into a transatlantic aircraft.
- July 8, 1985
- First flight
- 9,540 km
- Range
- 243
- Passengers
History
From medium range to long haul
The A310-300 first flew on 8 July 1985 and is dimensionally identical to the -200. The difference lies in maximum take-off weight — 164,000 kg against 144,000 — and in range, which grows to 5,150 nautical miles (about 9,540 km) thanks to additional fuel tanks in the centre section and the horizontal stabiliser. It entered service in 1986 with Swissair and eventually displaced the -200 as the standard production version.
Wingtip fences and in-flight trim
The -300 introduced wingtip fences to improve aerodynamic efficiency, a feature later retrofitted to some -200s. It also carries a computerised fuel distribution system that optimises the centre of gravity in flight by shuttling up to 5,000 kg of fuel in and out of the horizontal stabiliser tank, controlled by the Centre of Gravity Control Computer.
Powerplants and certificates
The -300 sub-designations record each customer's powerplant: A310-304 with General Electric CF6-80C2A2 (certified 11 March 1986), A310-308 with CF6-80C2A8/A2 (5 June 1991), A310-322 with Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4E1 (5 December 1985), A310-324 with PW4152 (27 May 1987) and A310-325 with PW4156A (6 March 1992). The model's headline specifications are those of the A310-325: 243 passengers, 79,166 kg empty weight, a 12,530 m ceiling and two PW4156A of 249.08 kN each.
Descendants
The -300 airframe underpinned the -300C combi, the -300F freighter — conversions only — and the military MRT and MRTT rebuilds. By the end of production 255 A310s of all versions had been delivered.