Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
Airbus developed the A310 to serve a market below the larger A300. The first prototype flew in 1982, and the type entered airline service the following year. Its broad fuselage and two underwing engines retain the family resemblance, but it brought a new wing and a shorter cabin. The A310-300 extended the design's range and used fuel in the horizontal stabilizer for trim management.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗Helping create a new weightless laboratory
Delesalle helped develop the A310 Zero G's special parabolic-flight display and carried out many of its tests. In DLR's interview, his attachment to the aircraft is clear: the programme combined developing a new tool with the demanding manual flying he already enjoyed on the A300. Development-simulator work helped the team design the display and introduce pilots to it, followed by training flights in the actual aircraft.
DLR brochure, August 2015 imprint; PDF pp.11–12 / printed pp.20–23. Modified A310 Zero G; complete interview read.
German Aerospace Center (DLR) · Read more ↗A pre-sidestick Airbus flight deck
The A310 guide covers hydraulic-system checks, pitch trim and yaw-damper activation in the context of inertial-reference alignment. It also documents rudder trim. These separate controls are part of the aircraft's older Airbus cockpit architecture, distinct from the automatic-trim sidestick family that followed.
A310-300 · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024 / MSFS 2020
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Air-Clips.com · 4 min ·
German Air Force Crew at Work! Airbus A310-300 Takeoff from Cologne [AirClips]
A German Air Force crew departs Cologne in an A310-300.
Real aircraft · Airbus A310-300
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Airbus A310-300
Airbus developed the A310 to serve a market below the larger A300. The first prototype flew in 1982, and the type entered airline service the following year. Its broad fuselage and two underwing engines retain the family resemblance, but it brought a new wing and a shorter cabin.
The A310-300 extended the design's range and used fuel in the horizontal stabilizer for trim management. Electronic displays and flight management sit alongside controls that predate the A320's sidestick fly-by-wire family.
Airbus A310-300
Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Development milestones
First flight: 3 April 1982 ( 1982-04-03 )
Developed from: Airbus A300
Wikipedia contributors · Airbus A310 ↗Airbus A310 · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1369233900
Pilot accounts
Helping create a new weightless laboratory
Delesalle helped develop the A310 Zero G's special parabolic-flight display and carried out many of its tests. In DLR's interview, his attachment to the aircraft is clear: the programme combined developing a new tool with the demanding manual flying he already enjoyed on the A300. Development-simulator work helped the team design the display and introduce pilots to it, followed by training flights in the actual aircraft.
Comparing the two research aircraft, he preferred the A310's newer navigation equipment and more comfortable operation, while their shared systems architecture made the conversion familiar. He also found the shorter aircraft easier to fly. Thousands of parabolas had not removed the challenge. He describes the concentration and accuracy the manoeuvres require, and the satisfaction of hearing that the scientists obtained good results. The campaign's close contact between flight crew and researchers was part of its appeal.
DLR brochure, August 2015 imprint; PDF pp.11–12 / printed pp.20–23. Modified A310 Zero G; complete interview read.
Read the full account · German Aerospace Center (DLR) ↗Learning the Airbus as East Germany changed
Hakansson recalls being selected for A310 first-officer duties in 1988 after years alternating between navigator and pilot work on Interflug's Tu-134s. Airbus conversion training took him to Toulouse in autumn 1989. He remembers following the political changes at home on television in France while learning the new aircraft. The A310 subsequently carried him to destinations including Havana, Beijing, Bangkok and Dubai.
His memories connect that long-haul opportunity with the circumstances of being an East German airline pilot. Permission to fly outside socialist countries had previously been restricted and withdrawn, then restored before the change of government. Flying brought access to places and people many of his compatriots could not visit, but long absences were difficult for his family when international calls were expensive. In this 2018 career interview, the Airbus marks a personal and historical transition; he does not offer a detailed handling assessment.
Ted Wende interview, Austrian Wings, 8 April 2018. Retrospective A310 conversion and Interflug career account; full interview read.
Read the full account · Austrian Wings ↗A remembered approach into Kathmandu
Asked about the happiest moments in her flying career, Pflaum returns to Kathmandu in the A310. The rotation ran from Frankfurt through Karachi, where the crew stayed overnight, before continuing to Nepal and returning by the same route. She remembers the daylight view and the demanding arrival into the high-elevation airport with particular enthusiasm. That specific trip stands out within a much longer career across several Airbus and McDonnell Douglas types.
The wider interview explains why the experience stayed with her: curiosity about places and a continuing enjoyment of aircraft remained central to the job. By the 2024 interview, she was also an instructor who emphasised constructive feedback, teamwork and decision-making. Her Kathmandu recollection is an airline pilot's personal memory, accompanied by that later professional perspective; the article supplies no detailed account of the A310's approach procedure or handling.
aeroTELEGRAPH interview, 14 April 2024. A310 Kathmandu recollection within a mixed-fleet career interview; full text read.
Read the full account · aeroTELEGRAPH ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2024A310-300
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
A310-300
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
MSFS 2020A310-300
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
A310-300
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
X-Plane 12Airbus A310-304
CremonaSoft · Released
Airbus A310-304
CremonaSoft · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 46.66 m (153 ft 1 in) |
| Wingspan | 43.90 m (144 ft 0.3 in) |
| Height | 15.867 m (52 ft 0.7 in) at operating empty weight |
| Wing area | 219.00 m² (2,357.3 sq ft) |
| Empty weight | 79,166 kg (174,528 lb) |
| Max takeoff weight | 164,000 kg (361,557 lb) |
| Powerplant | 2 × Pratt & Whitney PW4156A high bypass turbofan , 249.08 kN (56,000 lbf) thrust each |
| Maximum speed | Mach 0.84 |
| Range | 9,540 km (5,930 mi, 5,150 nmi) |
| Service ceiling | 12,530 m (41,100 ft) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
A pre-sidestick Airbus flight deckA310-300 · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024 / MSFS 2020
The A310 guide covers hydraulic-system checks, pitch trim and yaw-damper activation in the context of inertial-reference alignment. It also documents rudder trim. These separate controls are part of the aircraft's older Airbus cockpit architecture, distinct from the automatic-trim sidestick family that followed.
Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.16-19; after-start preparation
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗Pilot account
Helping create a new weightless laboratoryDLR brochure, August 2015 imprint; PDF pp.11–12 / printed pp.20–23. Modified A310 Zero G; complete interview read.
Delesalle helped develop the A310 Zero G's special parabolic-flight display and carried out many of its tests. In DLR's interview, his attachment to the aircraft is clear: the programme combined developing a new tool with the demanding manual flying he already enjoyed on the A300. Development-simulator work helped the team design the display and introduce pilots to it, followed by training flights in the actual aircraft.
Eric Delesalle
German Aerospace Center (DLR) · Read the source ↗Learning the Airbus as East Germany changedTed Wende interview, Austrian Wings, 8 April 2018. Retrospective A310 conversion and Interflug career account; full interview read.
Hakansson recalls being selected for A310 first-officer duties in 1988 after years alternating between navigator and pilot work on Interflug's Tu-134s. Airbus conversion training took him to Toulouse in autumn 1989. He remembers following the political changes at home on television in France while learning the new aircraft. The A310 subsequently carried him to destinations including Havana, Beijing, Bangkok and Dubai.
Wolfgang Hakansson
Austrian Wings · Read the source ↗Developer documentation
Airbus A310-304 — product listingAirbus A310-304 · X-Plane 12
Product listing captured 2026-09-23; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue
store.x-plane.org · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
A310_MSFS_Manual v2Microsoft / aircraft developers Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developersAircraft background
Airbus A310Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1369233900 · retrieved 2026-09-12Resource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoft MSFS 2020 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoftType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Product
Airbus A310-304-CremonaSoft-A310store.x-plane.org · Product listing captured 2026-09-23; edition scope from the reviewed catalogueBuilt-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 3 profile choices
CremonaSoft Airbus A310-304
CremonaSoft · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
CremonaSoft Airbus A310-304: A conventional powered-control starting law supplies yoke resistance; the A310's autoflight state does not define an external servo position.
CremonaSoft Airbus A310-304 MRTT
CremonaSoft · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
CremonaSoft Airbus A310-304 MRTT: A conventional powered-control starting law supplies yoke resistance; the A310's autoflight state does not define an external servo position.
Airbus A310-300
Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Partial review
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020
Airbus A310-300: A conventional powered-control starting law supplies yoke resistance; the A310's autoflight state does not define an external servo position.
Airbus A310-300
Airbus A310-300: A conventional powered-control starting law supplies yoke resistance; the A310's autoflight state does not define an external servo position.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- Airbus A310-300 · MSFS 2024 · family starting point
- Airbus A310-300 · MSFS 2020 · family starting point
Microsoft/iniBuilds A310 MSFS manual, preserved February 2023; other A310 implementations require separate interface review. · Selected choice: Airbus A310-300. Documentary scope does not establish every variant, add-on revision or simulator binding.
The simulator model and controls
Airbus developed the A310 to serve a market below the larger A300. The first prototype flew in 1982, and the type entered airline service the following year. Its broad fuselage and two underwing engines retain the family resemblance, but it brought a new wing and a shorter cabin.
This starting point selects Airbus A310-300. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
How this profile feels
Spring resistance builds with the selected airspeed response. A separate aerodynamic term adds speed-dependent control load.
Valid trim provides the configured pressure relief. Autopilot following is enabled for supported control references.
Controls and trim
The A310 manual identifies pitch and rudder trim, control-surface checks and separate AP1/AP2 engagement. Its cockpit predates the A320's sidestick controls. CremonaSoft's A310-304 and MRTT use the CF6-80C2 and their own hydraulic, electrical and autoflight systems; its version history records removal of CWS for further work. These are separate implementation details from the bundled iniBuilds guide.
About the values
The gains are normalized profile settings. They describe the chosen effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its output limits. IAS references are tuning values rather than operating limits. Physical acceptance of this revision remains pending.
What the documentation establishes
The A310 manual describes its cockpit trim controls and control-surface display checks.
Rudder-trim and pitch-trim setup are documented; numeric preset trim authority remains an estimate.
AP1 or AP2 engagement is documented; the manual does not establish generic servo-following telemetry.
The cockpit checks identify flight-control and trim equipment; equipment animations are not measured force cues.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
ReviewedThis starting point selects Airbus A310-300. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
Flight controls
Not yet reviewedThe A310 manual identifies pitch and rudder trim, control-surface checks and separate AP1/AP2 engagement. Its cockpit predates the A320's sidestick controls. CremonaSoft's A310-304 and MRTT use the CF6-80C2 and their own hydraulic, electrical and autoflight systems; its version history records removal of CWS for further work. These are separate implementation details from the bundled iniBuilds guide.
Trim
ReviewedPitch-trim setup is documented, but the profile's amount of trim-centre movement remains a selected approximation of powered-control feel. Pitch authority 0.3 relieves permitted loading; hydraulic centre movement is off. Roll authority is 0.09.
Autopilot and stability
ReviewedFollowing is on at 0.1 authority when a supported, valid autopilot control reference is available.
Equipment
ReviewedGear, flap and ground cues follow the selected settings and available simulator-reported states.
Speeds and limits
Not yet reviewedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
Not yet reviewedThe profile targets msfs2024, msfs2020. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
Not yet reviewedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.8 | What it controls and whyA conventional powered-control starting law supplies yoke resistance; the A310's autoflight state does not define an external servo position. The baseline spring is 0.8. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 90 KIAS. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.25 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.25 with an indicated-speed reference of 260 KIAS. The hydraulic-load factor of 0.35 scales that modeled term; it is a selected artificial-feel approximation. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value260.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value90 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.65 and 0.65, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyFollowing is on at 0.1 authority when a supported, valid autopilot control reference is available. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 44 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.8 | What it controls and whyA conventional powered-control starting law supplies yoke resistance; the A310's autoflight state does not define an external servo position. The baseline spring is 0.8. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 90 KIAS. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.035 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.25 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.25 with an indicated-speed reference of 260 KIAS. The hydraulic-load factor of 0.35 scales that modeled term; it is a selected artificial-feel approximation. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value20 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value90 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value260.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe high-speed spring-stiffening gain is 0. No additional speed-driven stiffening is added; this does not disable independent aerodynamic loading. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.65 and 0.65, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whyPitch-trim setup is documented, but the profile's amount of trim-centre movement remains a selected approximation of powered-control feel. Pitch authority 0.3 relieves permitted loading; hydraulic centre movement is off. Roll authority is 0.09. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0.09 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyFollowing is on at 0.1 authority when a supported, valid autopilot control reference is available. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.6 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0.22 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0.14 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value3 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.9 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.4 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0.32 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0.9 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.06 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- Yoke movement is checked against the system display, but this does not explain the physical force source or hydraulic feel mechanism.
- The cited autopilot procedure does not derive an indicated-speed force reference or complete overspeed/stall schedule.
- Displayed surface movement and autopilot engagement do not define external force-feedback axis ownership.
- The A310 display check does not calibrate artificial feel, force gain or pitch-to-roll scaling.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
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