[In my recent posts, I've explored (and illustrated) several heavy freighters (e.g., from Boeing and MD), the freighters being a subject-matter of interest to me since my earliest days of involvement in this hobby. Today, I explore this subject further by looking a bit into two Airbus Freighters. If you're not an Airbus "Pro", which I'm not either, I hope, you enjoy these pictures or/and the notes, below...]

First, the A300-600F (= A306F), is/was a classic (and a remarkably popular) freighter, that was derived from the base Airbus A300 model. Of course, the A300, itself, in its own right, is a classic too, the first ever Airbus, the one that not only gave Airbus its name (and the initial "A"), but also gave it the (model) designation digit string (3XX) that would carry on forward to this day... (analogous to the revered "7XX" no. for Boeing...). To put things in perspective, it's to be noted that the very first Airbus, the A300 (B1), the beginning point of the Airbus series, first flew in 1972 (exactly half-a-century ago), and by that time, in comparison, the Boeing "Jumbo" 747 (100) had already been introduced into service (in 1970) ...! The A300 went through serial evolutions (B1 -> B2 -> (There was no B3) -> B4 -> ...). The most successful of the A300 variants was "A300B4-200", with 136 units built, greater than all other A300B variants combined (108). Some of you might recall the "SimCheck A300" SIM, a classic and competent SIM, by its merit, that had simulated this "A300B4-200" model. I've included, below, pictures of the "A300B4-200" (shots #1/#2).

It was the A300, the first ever official Airbus a/c built, that put Airbus on the MAP, eventually, far exceeding the expectations of its inventors. Though the initial demand was weak, sales took off as the type proved itself in early service. It's to be noted, that, though being the first Airbus, it was not a small plane, by any means. Airbus was then not competing with the likes of B737 (at least not yet; the A320 would fly 15 years after A300's first flight). The A300 was specifically (and smartly) aimed at a niche (middle) segment, that would be matched "later" only by the B767-300. The intention of the A300 project was to produce a twin-engined aircraft that was smaller, lighter, and more economical than its three-engine American rivals, the DC-10 and the L-1011 TriStar. BTW, the "300" designation was chosen to target and reflect a pax capacity of "300" for this (first Airbus) entrant, though the original A300 actually carried about 250 passengers. To the layman eyes, mine included, A300-600F and B767-300F might look similar (e.g., their lengths were respectively ~177 ft. and ~180 ft, both types looking a bit (equally) stocky or stubby, as a few of us like to call these shapes, but, thereby, ideal for (medium-range) Cargo usage), where their freighter versions, the A306F (see shots #6-thru-#12) and the B763F (see shots #3/#4) would both excel, operational to this present day.   

A300 was the first jet a/c to accomplish several significant milestones such as:

1. It was the world's first twin-engine (twin-aisle) widebody commercial airliner.
2. In 1977, it became the first Extended Range Twin Operations (ETOPS) compliant aircraft for operations over water.
3. A300 series incorporated many advanced features such as the Forward-Facing Crew Cockpit (gone was the side-facing FE position), which enabled a two-pilot flight crew without the need for a flight engineer; this two-man cockpit concept was a first for a wide-body aircraft.
4. During the late 1970s, A300 enabled Airbus to adopt a so-called 'Silk Road' (marketing) strategy, targeting airlines in the Far East, finding particular favor with Asian airlines.
5.  A300 would feature the first use of composite materials, on the secondary, then primary structures, of any passenger aircraft.
6. A300 provided the basic fuselage framework for future evolution, which was later stretched (for A330 and A340) and shortened (for A310). 
7. A300 played a critical role in the testing and development for the A320 (e.g., FBW logic). Note though, in my [VC] shot of the A300-600 (shot #5), that there is a conventional yoke in the cockpit (no sidestick...yet, which would appear first in the A320, 15 years after A300 introduction).

The A300B4-600, a further advanced (and slightly stretched) version of the A300B4, came to be better known as the "A300-600". The freighter version (A300-600F) of it, is one of the (two) primary subjects in this post. For visual comparison, I've included, below, 2 pictures each of the (A300B4-200) Freighter (shots #1/#2), two pictures of B763 Freighter (shots #3/#4), and seven pictures of the A306 Freighter (shots #6-thru-#12). Consider this, A300-600 was introduced nearly 40 years ago, but, even today, the Cargo giant, FedEx, has 65 A300s (all 600Fs) in service in its fleet. In fact, it was FedEx, to whom, in July 2007, Airbus delivered its last A300 Freighter (N692FE), marking the end of the A300/A310 production line. Likewise, UPS, currently has 47 A300s (all 600Fs) in its operating fleet. Along with B757Fs and B767Fs etc., these A300Fs make up the backbone of the freight operations for those two cargo carriers. You can see an image of this A306F (Reg. N692FE) in my set below (shot #6). If you wish to see a video clip of this last (RW) A300-600F built, please search for "LAST A300 EVER BUILT! FedEx [N692FE] Airbus A300-600F (A306) in Montreal (YMX/CYMX)". Go the 4 min mark for the impressive takeoff sequence of this FedEx A306F freighter.

Compared to the A300-600F, the (more modern) A330-200F program had a modest total of forty-one orders from customers. Meanwhile, many operators are, instead, opting for the (3rd-party performed) A330 freighter-to-passenger conversion program (A330-200P2F; similar to the Boeing "BCF") for their A330 Freighter orders. I've shown below a set of pictures of 330-200F, in both RR and PW engine configurations (see the 2 two house-color 332Fs and the remaining 6 shots).

Hope you enjoy this collection of Airbus Freighter pictures, from my virtual world. 

Thanks for your interest...!!

Fine set, thanks for pointing them out !

cheers 😉

Great set of shots! 😉 

Grand collection of freight hauler's Sir . 🙂

Folks: Thanks much...!!