1. Development

2. Operational history

3. Variants

4. Operators

5. Imperial Airways Argosy fleet 1926-1935

6. Specifications (Argosy II)

7. See also

8. References

9. External links

For the 1950s transport, see Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy

The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a British three-engine biplane airliner built by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, and operated by Imperial Airways from 1926 to 1935.

Development

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.154 Argosy stemmed from a declaration by Imperial Airways that all its aircraft would be multi-engine designs, on the grounds of safety.^[1] They were intended to replace the older single-engine de Havilland aircraft that Imperial Airways had inherited from its constituent companies, mainly Daimler Airway. The first example (G-EBLF) flew in March 1926,^[2] following an initial order for three Argosys from Imperial Airways. An improved Mk. II version was introduced in 1929.

Operational history

The Argosy was initially used on European routes (later operating on services to South Africa), with the fleet named after cities. The first passenger flight was from London to Paris on 16 July 1926. Argosies implemented the world's first named air service, the luxury 'Silver Wing' service from London to Paris,^[3] using Argosy City of Birmingham (G-EBLO). Two seats were removed and replaced with a bar, and a steward was in attendance. In April 1931 Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother Prince George flew home from Paris–Le Bourget Airport in City of Glasgow (G-EBLF), which landed specially in Windsor Great Park.^[4][5]

Three Argosys were lost during service with Imperial Airways, one being written off in a forced landing near Aswan, and one during a training accident, both in 1931, with no injuries in either accident. On 28 March 1933, however, the City of Liverpool caught fire over Belgium, causing a crash in which all three crew and twelve passengers were killed.^[2]

Argosys continued in service with Imperial Airways until 1935, with the last example, City of Manchester (G-AACJ), being used for joy-riding by United Airways Ltd of Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool), which later was merged into British Airways Ltd. It continued in use with British Airways until December 1936.

Variants

• Argosy Mk I :Three-engined airliner. Powered by three 385 hp (287 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IIIA radial piston engines. Later fitted with Jaguar IVA engines. Three constructed.
• Argosy Mk II :Three-engined airliner. Powered by three 420 hp (313 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVA radial piston engines. Four constructed.

Operators

{{UK}}

• British Airways Ltd
• Imperial Airways
• United Airways Ltd

Imperial Airways Argosy fleet 1926-1935

Specifications (Argosy II)

|genhide=
|crew=2^[1]
|capacity=20 passengers^[1]
|length m=
|length ft=64
|length in=6
|span m=
|span ft=90
|span in=0
|height m=
|height ft=19
|height in=0
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=1890
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=12090
|gross weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=19200
|fuel capacity=

|eng1 number=3
|eng1 name=Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVA
|eng1 type=14-cylinder radial engines
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=420
|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=

|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=110
|max speed kts=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=90
|cruise speed kts=
|range km=
|range miles=405
|range nmi=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|time to altitude=4.5 min to {{convert|3000|ft|m|abbr=on}}^[7]
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}

See also

• Handley Page H.P.42

• Armstrong Whitworth Atalanta
• Armstrong Whitworth Ensign
• de Havilland DH.34
• de Havilland Hercules
• de Havilland Albatross
• Vickers Vulcan

• Civil air transport

References

Notes

Bibliography

• {{Cite book |editor-last=Donald |editor-first=David |year=1997 |title=The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft |location= |publisher=Aerospace Publishing |isbn=1-85605-375-X |ref=harv}}
• {{Cite book |last=Jackson |first=A.J |year=1973 |title=British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1 |location= |publisher=Putnam & Co |edition=2nd |isbn=0-370-10006-9 |ref=harv}}
• {{Cite book |editor-last=Mondey |editor-first=David |year=1978 |title=The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Aircraft: Military and Civil Aviation From the Beginnings to the Present Day |location=Secaucus, NJ |publisher=Chartwell Books Inc |isbn=0-89009-771-2 |ref=harv}}
• {{cite book|last=Tapper|first=Oliver|title=Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft since 1913|year=1988|publisher=Putnam|location=London|isbn=0-85177-826-7|ref=harv}}
• {{Cite book |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=M J H |year=1980 |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aircraft |location= |publisher=Jane's Publishing Company |isbn= |ref=harv}}

External links

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jku2AE91LHU&feature=rec-exp_fresh+div-1r-3-HM Newsreel footage of Armstrong Whitworth Argosy in flight]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=T9gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA726#v=onepage&q&f=true Armstrong Whitworth Argosy Mk. I illustration] in May 1927 Popular Mechanics article

• Grounding transformer
• Grounding – Die letzten Tage der Swissair
• Ground investigation
• Ground leakage circuit breaker
• Ground line
• Groundling (disambiguation)
• Ground meat
• Ground-Mobile Command Center
• Ground Mobility Vehicle
• Ground Moving Target Indicator
• Groundnut Leafroller
• Groundnut leafroller
• Ground nut oil
• Groundnut stew
• Ground oats
• Ground Operation Command (South Korea)
• Ground Operations Command (South Korea)
• Ground parenchyma
• Groundpig
• Ground plane antenna
• Groundplasm
• Groundplum
• Ground plum
• Groundplum milkvetch
• Ground pounder (disambiguation)