<b>Airbus A300B-2 - Aircraft; photo wallpapers:</b> The Airbus A300 is a short to medium range widebody aircraft. Launched in 1972, it was the first twin-engined widebody in the world, and the first aircraft created by the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, which is now fully owned by EADS. The A300 (along with the A310) will cease production in July 2007. Freighter sales are to be fulfilled by a new A330-200F derivative. By the end of June 2006 a total of 561 A300 had been ordered and 552 delivered. The mission requirements were given by Frank Kolk, an American Airlines executive, in 1966, for a Boeing 727 replacement on busy short to medium range routes such as US transcontinental flights. His brief included a passenger capacity of 250 to 300 seated in a twin-aisle configuration and fitted with two engines, with the capability of carrying full passengers without penalty from high altitude airports like Denver. American manufacturers responded with widebody trijets, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, as twinjets were banned from many routes by the FAA.Country of origin: International _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Engines: two General Electric CF6-50C turbofans of 23,133 kg (51,000lb) thrust each _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Wingspan: 44.84 m (147ft 1in) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lenght: 53.75 m (176ft 4 in) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Height: 16.53 m (54ft 3in) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Weight loaded: 157,000 kg (346,125lb) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cruising speed: 917 km/h (570mph) at 9145 m (30,000ft) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Service celling: 10,675 m (35,020ft) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Range: 4818 km (2993 miles) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Passengers + crew: 269 + 3 _________________________________________________________________________________________________
