WAKE TURB; B727 BEHIND A300-600.

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ARRIVING PHX FROM THE W. CLRED VISUAL TO RWY 8L. APPROX 15 DME W; GIVEN A VECTOR FOR DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 26L. WE WERE CLRED TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS (XWIND) AFTER IDENTING OTHER INBOUND TFC. AFTER TURN TO BASE; HE CLRED US VISUAL BEHIND A 300-600. WE ROLLED OUT ON FINAL WITH PWR BACK TO SLOW AND CONFIGURE AND FOUND OURSELVES IN SEVERE WAKE TURB AND TOO CLOSE TO THE A300. IT REQUIRED MAX PWR AND A TURN BACK TO DOWNWIND TO RECOVER. THE A300 MUST HAVE BEEN MUCH SLOWER THAN US. WE ADVISED TWR OF OUR INTENTIONS AND THEY RESPONDED 'YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.' WE CONTINUED TO A DOWNWIND AND WERE RECLRED TO LAND. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON FINAL; IT WAS NOTED THAT THE A300 WAS JUST LNDG. THE SPACING HAD BEEN MUCH TO CLOSE. CTLR HAD A THIRD ACFT THAT HE LANDED ON RWY 26R. I THINK THAT THE CTLR MISJUDGED OUR SPD AND THE SPD OF THE A300 TFC AND JUST SET US UP TOO CLOSE. SINCE IT WAS NIGHT; IT WAS DIFFICULT FROM OUR POS TO JUDGE OTHER ACFT'S SPD AND DISTANCE. THIS EVENT OCCURRED VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING PRIOR TO SUNRISE AND DURING A VERY SLOW PERIOD FOR TFC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 288729: SURFACE WINDS FAVORED LNDG ON RWY 26L&R BUT WERE LIGHT ENOUGH THAT RWY 8R WOULD BE WITHIN OUR 727-200 PERFORMANCE LIMITS. WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD THE COMPANY AIRBUS (A300-600F) IN SIGHT. WE WERE GIVEN A TURN WHICH POINTED US RIGHT AT THE AIRBUS. WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WAKE TURB. WE WERE AS SLOW AS WE COULD GO AND WOULD HAVE TO BREAK OFF THE APCH. THE A300 WAS APPROX 3 MI AHEAD. I ASKED THE TWR IF WE COULD MAKE A 360 DEG TURN AND COME BACK TO LAND AND WAS TOLD 'YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!' HE LET US DO IT ANYWAY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH ACFT. WE COULD EASILY HAVE LANDED ON RWY 8R AND CLRED BEFORE THE A300.