144-020 ARMSTRONG-WHITWORTH ARGOSY

The Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy was a British medium- to long-range, metal-structure, high-wing, double-bar transport aircraft. The drive was provided by 4 turboprop engines Rolls-Royce Dart 526 2,100 hp each. The prototype flight took place in 1959. 74 copies of this aircraft were built. Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was created in response to the demand from the British Ministry of Aviation for a new cargo plane. The machine was created by redesigning the Armstrong Whitworth AW.66 aircraft and adding two additional engines to it. The machine was characterized by a very unusual design of the tail section consisting of two beams. However, thanks to it, it was possible to install the door both in the front and rear part of the fuselage, which significantly accelerated loading and unloading. The Argosy was also highly reliable in design and simple in construction, which earned it considerable recognition among both RAF pilots and civilian users. The RAF withdrew its planes from the line by the end of the 1970s, while in civil aviation machines of this type were used until the 1990s!