The first Airbus: setting new standards, together
In the early 1960s, world air traffic was booming. The major airlines, especially in the United States, were looking for more capacity and, of course, better economic performance. In response, the three major U.S. manufacturers - Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed (who dominated the world market with a combined share of almost 85 per cent) - started to study twin-aisle airliners using the new generation of powerful high-bypass ratio engines developed by the three leading engine makers: Pratt & Whitney and General Electric in the U.S., and Rolls-Royce in Europe. This resulted in development of the long-range, four-engine Boeing 747, and two medium-haul tri-jets - the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar and Douglas DC-10.
These aircraft were opening a new era in air transport. They not only offered the capacity increases requested by airlines, but were burning far less fuel per passenger, offered better economics and greatly improved cabin comfort.
These aircraft were opening a new era in air transport. They not only offered the capacity increases requested by airlines, but were burning far less fuel per passenger, offered better economics and greatly improved cabin comfort.
Everything was in place to turn air transport into a means of mass transportation.
In fact, not quite everything. The new L-1011 and DC-10 had capacities that were too large for most short- and medium-haul routes operated by conventional twin-engine single-aisle aircraft - which did not offer comparable economic performance, passenger comfort and reduced environmental impact. There was a gap, and it was this opening that the European-developed A300 was ready to fill.
In the late 1960s, when it appeared that air traffic was developing at a slower pace than the airlines had expected, this gap became even larger. One of the great ideas of Roger Béteille (who was in charge of setting up the European Airbus project since its start in 1967) was to immediately adapt to this new situation. Instead of the originally-planned 300-passenger airliner fitted with brand new engines, he launched a study for a scaled-down, twin-aisle aircraft with 200 to 250 seats. It was to be powered by a pair of General Electric jet engines already earmarked for the long-range version of the DC-10. Not only did the new A300B better respond to the real needs of customers, it would use an existing engine - drastically reducing the overall development costs.
Béteille also had another bright idea that today is still one of the strong selling points for the successor widebody A330s and 340s: their 5.64-metre (222-inch) fuselage diameter. “To perform well, an aircraft must have a certain harmony of proportion, in particular concerning its fuselage diameter and its length,” Béteille explained. In other words, there is an ideal diameter for each capacity, and in the case of a 200-250 seat plane, that diameter is close to 5.54 metres. However, such a diameter would have made it impossible to optimally house the standard LD3 containers used in the cargo compartments of other widebody jetliners.
In fact, not quite everything. The new L-1011 and DC-10 had capacities that were too large for most short- and medium-haul routes operated by conventional twin-engine single-aisle aircraft - which did not offer comparable economic performance, passenger comfort and reduced environmental impact. There was a gap, and it was this opening that the European-developed A300 was ready to fill.
In the late 1960s, when it appeared that air traffic was developing at a slower pace than the airlines had expected, this gap became even larger. One of the great ideas of Roger Béteille (who was in charge of setting up the European Airbus project since its start in 1967) was to immediately adapt to this new situation. Instead of the originally-planned 300-passenger airliner fitted with brand new engines, he launched a study for a scaled-down, twin-aisle aircraft with 200 to 250 seats. It was to be powered by a pair of General Electric jet engines already earmarked for the long-range version of the DC-10. Not only did the new A300B better respond to the real needs of customers, it would use an existing engine - drastically reducing the overall development costs.
Béteille also had another bright idea that today is still one of the strong selling points for the successor widebody A330s and 340s: their 5.64-metre (222-inch) fuselage diameter. “To perform well, an aircraft must have a certain harmony of proportion, in particular concerning its fuselage diameter and its length,” Béteille explained. In other words, there is an ideal diameter for each capacity, and in the case of a 200-250 seat plane, that diameter is close to 5.54 metres. However, such a diameter would have made it impossible to optimally house the standard LD3 containers used in the cargo compartments of other widebody jetliners.
So, Béteille - who from the start was thinking of freighter versions for the new European aircraft - decided to increase its diameter by 10 centimetres in order to standardise its capabilities with the DC-10, L-1011 and 747. “Calculations showed that the diameter increase was, in theory, translating into a 350-kg. weight increase, and would affect the DOC (direct operating costs) by 0.15 percent - in theory,” he explained. "I took the decision to pursue the design on the basis of a 5.64-metre diameter fuselage, estimating that the commercial drawbacks due to the lack of container standardisation were incomparable with the negligible theoretical benefit brought by an absolute technical optimisation. Our cross-section choice proved to be an excellent decision."
The A300B development aircraft made its first flight on 28 October, 1972, and the type certificate was obtained in March 1974. This enabled Air France to start operations with its first A300B2 on the Paris-London route in May 1974. Meanwhile, the first A300B4 - an increased gross weight variant of the B2 - was preparing for its first flight, which took place on 26 December, 1974. The introduction of this new Airbus model two years after the original version was the clear demonstration that Airbus did not intend to be a niche player, but had plans to offer a wide range of products on the international market.
In March 1978, an Airbus commercial brochure proudly summed up the qualities of the A300, using the tagline: "A300 spells profit." This brochure noted that the world's first widebody twin-jet brought a new generation of operational capabilities to medium-haul routes, including low fuel consumption, low operating costs, low external noise levels, Category III instrument landings, widebody comfort and containerised cargo. And, very significantly, the brochure's last two pages were devoted to the “development pattern” for future Airbus variants, including the A300B10, B9 and B11 - which later gave birth to the A310 and the A330/340, respectively.
During its industrial life, the A300 was constantly improved to enhance its competitiveness. Among the various key improvements introduced, at least two deserve a special mention. The first was the development of a new flight deck that allowed the aircraft to be flown by a two-person crew - the famous Forward Facing Crew Cockpit, which was used for the first time on the initial A300 for Indonesian airline Garuda in 1979-1980. This cockpit configuration became standard on the A310 variant, and was further evolved with electronic flight instrument displays - another standard for the industry. The second was the progressive introduction of composite parts, initially in secondary structures, and then in primary structures - especially on the A310.
The A300B development aircraft made its first flight on 28 October, 1972, and the type certificate was obtained in March 1974. This enabled Air France to start operations with its first A300B2 on the Paris-London route in May 1974. Meanwhile, the first A300B4 - an increased gross weight variant of the B2 - was preparing for its first flight, which took place on 26 December, 1974. The introduction of this new Airbus model two years after the original version was the clear demonstration that Airbus did not intend to be a niche player, but had plans to offer a wide range of products on the international market.
In March 1978, an Airbus commercial brochure proudly summed up the qualities of the A300, using the tagline: "A300 spells profit." This brochure noted that the world's first widebody twin-jet brought a new generation of operational capabilities to medium-haul routes, including low fuel consumption, low operating costs, low external noise levels, Category III instrument landings, widebody comfort and containerised cargo. And, very significantly, the brochure's last two pages were devoted to the “development pattern” for future Airbus variants, including the A300B10, B9 and B11 - which later gave birth to the A310 and the A330/340, respectively.
During its industrial life, the A300 was constantly improved to enhance its competitiveness. Among the various key improvements introduced, at least two deserve a special mention. The first was the development of a new flight deck that allowed the aircraft to be flown by a two-person crew - the famous Forward Facing Crew Cockpit, which was used for the first time on the initial A300 for Indonesian airline Garuda in 1979-1980. This cockpit configuration became standard on the A310 variant, and was further evolved with electronic flight instrument displays - another standard for the industry. The second was the progressive introduction of composite parts, initially in secondary structures, and then in primary structures - especially on the A310.
All the new technologies introduced progressively on the A300B and on A310 were included on the latest version of this pioneering aircraft family: the A300-600, of which the last jetliner - a freighter version - was delivered to Federal Express on 12 July, 2007.
Out of the 822 A300/A310s produced, some 600 are still operated by more than 80 airlines around the world. This fleet consists of approximately 100 A300B2/B4s, about 200 A310s, and approximately 300 A300-600s. Of the total, 50 per cent are freighters, thanks to the appropriate choice of the cross section when the A300 concept was originally created.
“The last A300 probably will be a freighter in the U.S., and it should be flying until 2050,” predicts Erick van Aelst, the Head of A300/310 Programme Management and chief engineer. “In 10 years time, there will still be 300 to 400 aircraft in operation around the world, but the concentration will progressively shift to the United States, where some 200 freighters are flying. These aircraft are used less than others, and have been the latest aircraft to be delivered, so they will last longer.”
The mission of Airbus' A300/A310 programme management organisation today is to support the operating fleet until the last aircraft's retirement. The task of this dedicated group is to design affordable retrofit solutions to cope with new regulations (such as fuel tank inerting rules), and to update the operational capabilities of these aircraft as requested by customers and required by their operations (examples include the introduction of Required Navigation Performance for flight routes and flightpaths, and increasing the design service goal). In addition, the organisation ensures the continued airworthiness of the aircraft. In parallel, all issues related to obsolescence have to be taken care of. The Airbus team also has to secure the availability of spare parts supplies up to the year 2050, and these new parts must be in compliance with the most recent health, safety and environmental regulations. This could lead to changes in the materials used for some parts. It is also clear that supplying computer chips to maintain aircraft systems over the next four decades is a challenge, and may require change of design or adaptations.
Forty years after its launch, the A300 remains an exceptional aircraft because of its remarkable design that brought together new levels of operational flexibility with twin-engine efficiency. The choices made by Airbus visionaries has enabled the company's cornerstone aircraft to evolve during their operational lifetime toward even more efficiency, safety, comfort and versatility - benefitting from an approach of cooperative development involving varied concepts, cultures and ideas. Thanks to the different points of view of the Airbus partners, “most of the time I had to decide between several good alternatives instead of facing one single option,” recalled Béteille.
Today, Airbus is still learning from the A300/310 operations. Every week, Erick van Aelst and all Airbus chief engineers in charge of the different aircraft programmes meet to share their experience. During these meetings, the past and the future meet to set new standards together.
While the aircraft itself has been a revolution for the industry, the A300 programme also was a rallying point for successful European cooperation in civil aviation. Without the willingness of the European partners and the strong political support of their nations to share investments, experience, risks and opportunities, the European aircraft industry would have been forced out of the market forever. In 1969, giving the go-ahead for Airbus was a bold strategic decision - and was a decision that paid off: Airbus has developed into a market leader in terms of orders and deliveries, and today offers airlines a diversified product line that is modern, comprehensive and highly competitive. Airbus is a truly unique European success story.
Out of the 822 A300/A310s produced, some 600 are still operated by more than 80 airlines around the world. This fleet consists of approximately 100 A300B2/B4s, about 200 A310s, and approximately 300 A300-600s. Of the total, 50 per cent are freighters, thanks to the appropriate choice of the cross section when the A300 concept was originally created.
“The last A300 probably will be a freighter in the U.S., and it should be flying until 2050,” predicts Erick van Aelst, the Head of A300/310 Programme Management and chief engineer. “In 10 years time, there will still be 300 to 400 aircraft in operation around the world, but the concentration will progressively shift to the United States, where some 200 freighters are flying. These aircraft are used less than others, and have been the latest aircraft to be delivered, so they will last longer.”
The mission of Airbus' A300/A310 programme management organisation today is to support the operating fleet until the last aircraft's retirement. The task of this dedicated group is to design affordable retrofit solutions to cope with new regulations (such as fuel tank inerting rules), and to update the operational capabilities of these aircraft as requested by customers and required by their operations (examples include the introduction of Required Navigation Performance for flight routes and flightpaths, and increasing the design service goal). In addition, the organisation ensures the continued airworthiness of the aircraft. In parallel, all issues related to obsolescence have to be taken care of. The Airbus team also has to secure the availability of spare parts supplies up to the year 2050, and these new parts must be in compliance with the most recent health, safety and environmental regulations. This could lead to changes in the materials used for some parts. It is also clear that supplying computer chips to maintain aircraft systems over the next four decades is a challenge, and may require change of design or adaptations.
Forty years after its launch, the A300 remains an exceptional aircraft because of its remarkable design that brought together new levels of operational flexibility with twin-engine efficiency. The choices made by Airbus visionaries has enabled the company's cornerstone aircraft to evolve during their operational lifetime toward even more efficiency, safety, comfort and versatility - benefitting from an approach of cooperative development involving varied concepts, cultures and ideas. Thanks to the different points of view of the Airbus partners, “most of the time I had to decide between several good alternatives instead of facing one single option,” recalled Béteille.
Today, Airbus is still learning from the A300/310 operations. Every week, Erick van Aelst and all Airbus chief engineers in charge of the different aircraft programmes meet to share their experience. During these meetings, the past and the future meet to set new standards together.
While the aircraft itself has been a revolution for the industry, the A300 programme also was a rallying point for successful European cooperation in civil aviation. Without the willingness of the European partners and the strong political support of their nations to share investments, experience, risks and opportunities, the European aircraft industry would have been forced out of the market forever. In 1969, giving the go-ahead for Airbus was a bold strategic decision - and was a decision that paid off: Airbus has developed into a market leader in terms of orders and deliveries, and today offers airlines a diversified product line that is modern, comprehensive and highly competitive. Airbus is a truly unique European success story.
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