The Airbus CC-150 Polaris is the designation for the civilian Airbus A310-300s which have been converted into multi-purpose, long-range jet aircraft for passenger, freight or medical transport and mid-air refueling for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Airbus CC-150 Polaris
CC-150 Polaris 15004 refuelling two CF-18 Hornets (2009)
CC-150 Polaris No. 01 in its 2013 unique VIP-service livery (2014)
The Airbus A310 is a wide-body aircraft, designed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie, then a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers.
Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the A300, the first twin-jet wide-body. On 7 July 1978, the A310 was launched with orders from Swissair and Lufthansa. On 3 April 1982, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight, and the A310 received its type certificate on 11 March 1983.
Airbus A310
The A310 (background) is a shrunken version of the Airbus A300 (foreground)
The A310-200 prototype, featuring the liveries of Swissair (left) and Lufthansa (right), the first customers.
In 1988, an A310 was delivered to Interflug: the first Airbus for an Eastern-bloc airline.