Cargo conversions of the Airbus A310 ...aircraft modification and avionics modification.

Airbus Industrie was disappointed at the lack of airline interest in the cargo and combi versions of the A310, with Martinair Holland taking delivery of the only A310-2000 convertible aircraft with a large forward maindeck cargo door on the left side on 29 November 1984. But the market was being flooded with second-hand Boeing 747s and earlier generation jet aircraft, and Airbus had also been a victim of its own success.

The A310's cargo carrying capacity in the passenger model usually proved sufficient on the short routes operated by the airlines, and gave it an edge over competing aircraft. Its two underfloor cargo compartments were designed to accommodate a combined 14 standard LD3 or seven LD6 containers, or a combination of containers and pallets. Additionally, a bulk cargo hold at the rear had a volume of 610 cubic ft.(17.3m cubed).
In the early 1990s, as mid-life A300s and A310s were coming onto the second-hand market and world cargo traffic grew by more than 8 percent per annum.

Deutsche Aerospace Airbus (Dasa) developed passenger-to-freighter conversion kits for both Airbus models. This has proved extremely popular for the older A300s, but also found a large customer for the A310 in small package specialist Federal Express (FedEx), which placed an order for the cargo conversions of 41 aircraft, all early A310-200s taken out of mainline service by such airlines as Lufthansa, KLM and Swissair. The 41 converted aircraft were delivered to FedEx between July 1994 and April 1998. The kit is also available for conversion of the A310-300, but no orders have yet been placed by commercial operators.

Externally visible structural changes in the A310-200F from the passenger aircraft include the addition of a large 141 x 101in (3.58 x 2.57m) main deck cargo door on the port side (as fitted to the convertible C model), and the replacement of the passenger window panes by fire resistant metal plates. Passenger doors are de-activated and permanently blocked. The main deck floor is reinforced to increase running loads, including the addition of new stronger floor panels and new seat tracks.

The main deck also has Class E fire protection and sniffer system for smoke detection, a 9g strap-type safety barrier net and smoke curtain. Systems adaptation/simplifications for the freighter role is also standard, and includes removal of all passenger related systems such as air-conditioning, passenger service system, and passenger interior, and adaptation of protective lining, instruments, warning systems and others.

Optional packages include manual or semi-automatic, electrically-powered cargo loading systems on both decks if required, providing either single row, side-by-side or integrated (combined single row and side-by-side) loading, and AMA container loading provisions, making it possible to position five AMA containers on the A310F. Typical capacity is up to 16 main deck 88 x 125in (2.25 x 3.175m) pallets, four pallets underfloor and 11 LD3s, or a total of 23 LD3 unit load devices (ULDs). An optional crew galley module can be installed just aft of the cockpit and forward of the safety barrier, on the right hand side.

The galley has three rearward-facing seats, overhead and side stowage, lighting, oxygen, communication, life vests and other safety equipment. Enhanced payload capability, revised interior linings and weight saving proposals are also available. Cargo conversions on the A310 have been carried out under the Dasa supplemental type certificate (STC) by Dasa company Elbe Flugzeugwerke in Dresden and by Aerospatiale Group member Sogerma at Bordeaux and Toulouse but any qualified aircraft modification centres can undertake this work if requested by the customer. Aircraft conversions typically take two 25 man teams a total of 10 weeks to complete.

Avionics modification

Avionics modification to ‘glass’ flight decks with EFIS electronic flight instrument systems, are also a feature of CAMO approval for "continuing airworthiness management organisations", to provide global air traffic compliance into the next decade.