To faciliate transportation of A300B components from the various manufacturing points to the final assembly line at Toulouse, Airbus Industrie purchased a Super Guppy 201. Its capacity is shown by this picture of the A300B fatigue test airframe being loaded.
The General Electric CF6-50 engine pods for the A300B - shown here when first installed on the prototype in April 1972 - are made in the USA by Rohr and are identical with the underwing pods used on the McDonnell Douglas DC10 Srs 30.
The first A300B to enter the flight test programme is to the original B-1 standard, although it now appears that this version will not be produced, airlines preferring the somewhat longer B-2. Seen here in final assembly, the first A300B is expected to fly in November 1972.
Some of the stages in the evolution of the Airbus A300B: The Hawker Siddeley HS.132 which was derived from the Trident; the Nord 600 with "horizontal double bubble" fuselage; the Breguet Br 124 with "vertical double bubble" fuselage and the HS.134 which led to the HBN 100.
Sud joined Hawker Siddeley, together with the German Airbus group, to evolve the big A300 (upper). This was followed by the A300B (lower).
Derived from the work on horizontal double bubble layouts by Nord, the HBN 101 shown here was studied in some detail as alternative to the HBN 100, but was considered to require higher development costs.
The Hawker Siddeley/Breguet/Nord HBN 100.
The Sud Galion which was independent submission for an airbus-type aircraft.
A300B now stretched to A300B-2.
