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The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a three-engine
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
airliner An airliner is a type of airplane for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. The modern and most common variant of the airliner is a long, tube shaped, and jet powered aircraft. The largest ...
designed and produced by the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
aircraft manufacturer
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company, or Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, was a British list of aircraft manufacturers, aircraft manufacturer. History Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was established as the Aerial Department of the Armstrong ...
. It was the company's first airliner. The Argosy was developed during the early-to-mid 1920s in response to a statement by
Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was an early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...
that new multi-engined airliners were being sought to replace its single-engined counterparts then in use. Armstrong Whitworth proposed a relatively large biplane airliner, powered by three
Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar The Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar is an aircraft engine developed by Armstrong Siddeley. The Jaguar was a petrol-fuelled air-cooled 14-cylinder two-row radial engine design. The Jaguar III was first used in 1923, followed in 1925 by the Jaguar IV ...
engines; its construction largely composed of
plywood Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboa ...
and fabric supported by
steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
tubing. Imperial Airways opted to initially order a pair of aircraft to serve its European routes, while the
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
ordered a single example as well. On 16 March 1926, the first Argosy, ''G-EBLF'', performed its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
. Following the delivery of the second aircraft to Imperial Airways, the Argosy performed its first passenger flight on 16 July 1926, flying from London to Paris. Using the type, Imperial Airways inaugurated the world's first named air service, the luxury 'Silver Wing' service, between these two cities. The type would be operated by the airline for nine years, during which time a total of three Argosies would be lost in accidents, although only one of these resulted in fatalities. During 1935, Imperial Airways opted to retire all remaining aircraft in favour of the next generation of airliners, which were larger and equipped with four engines instead. All operators had withdrawn the type by the end of 1936.


Design and development


Background

The origins of the ''A.W.154'' Argosy can be heavily attributed to the release of a specification by the British airline
Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was an early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...
in 1922. This specification sought a new airliner to serve on its
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
routes. Amongst the requirements listed was a range of , even when flown into a
headwind A tailwind is a wind that blows in the direction of travel of an object, while a headwind blows against the direction of travel. A tailwind increases the object's speed and reduces the time required to reach its destination, while a headwind has ...
of , as well as stipulating the use of multiple air-cooled engines; the airline would subsequently declare a policy for all its airliners to be multi-engine on the grounds of safety. In order to achieve this, Imperial Airways would need to procure replacement aircraft for much of its fleet, which largely consisted of aging single-engine
de Havilland The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited (pronounced , ) was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of North London. Operations were later moved to ...
-built aircraft which Imperial Airways had inherited from its constituent companies, such as
Daimler Airway Daimler Airway was an airline subsidiary of the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA)'s Daimler Company The Daimler Company Limited ( ), before 1910 known as the Daimler Motor Company Limited, was an independent British motor vehicle ma ...
. Although the company had no prior experience of designing airliners, Armstrong Whitworth decided that it would respond with its own proposal. It was a relatively large
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
, possessing an angular box-shaped fuselage that was paired with a biplane tail featuring three fins and
rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...
s. The aircraft was powered by three
Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar The Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar is an aircraft engine developed by Armstrong Siddeley. The Jaguar was a petrol-fuelled air-cooled 14-cylinder two-row radial engine design. The Jaguar III was first used in 1923, followed in 1925 by the Jaguar IV ...
engines, each capable of producing up to ; one engine was sited at the tip of the aircraft's nose while the other two were mounted between the two wings. All fuel was accommodated within two tanks at the center of the upper wing. The structure was composed of steel tubing, with most exterior surfaces being covered by fabric, including the walls and ceiling of the passenger compartment. This cabin featured a wooden floor, which also acted as bracing, and amenities such as openable windows and a toilet. Baggage was housed in a main hold at the rear, a secondary baggage compartment was located in the nose just forward of the cockpit.


Into production

Upon reviewing the submission, Imperial Airways decided that the proposed airliner would be suitable for its European routes, and promptly issued an initial order for two aircraft; an additional single aircraft was also ordered by the
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
. On 16 March 1926, the first Argosy, ''G-EBLF'', performed its
maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
, piloted by F. L. Barnard of Imperial Airways. On 18 June 1926, the second aircraft, ''G-ELBO'', made its first flight; one month later, it became the first Argosy to be delivered to Imperial Airways. The third aircraft, which had been ordered by the Air Ministry, was delivered during March 1927. During 1928, having operated their initial fleet with satisfactory results, Imperial Airways placed an order for a further three Argosies, which was later increased to four. These later aircraft were designated as ''Argosy Mk. II'' and were fitted with more powerful Jaguar IVA engines, an increased fuel capacity and the addition of automatic wingtip slots. The first Argosy Mk. II version was introduced to service during 1929.


Operational history

The Argosy was initially used on European routes with each aircraft named after a city. Later services to South Africa were added. The first passenger flight was from
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
on 16 July 1926. Imperial Airways were keen to demonstrate the capabilities and potential uses for their new airliner with its interior being considerably more spacious than any of its rivals. The introduction of the Argosy led to a rapid expansion in passenger numbers being carried by the airline that started within weeks. Imperial Airways used the Argosy to launch the world's first named air service, the luxury 'Silver Wing' service, which was operated between London and Paris. Aircraft assigned to this service would have two of their seats removed, the space being used to accommodate an onboard bar and a steward was in attendance. During April 1931, Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother Prince George flew home from
Paris–Le Bourget Airport Paris–Le Bourget Airport () is an airport located within portions of the communes of Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, Dugny and Gonesse, north-northeast of Paris, France. Once Paris's principal airport, it is now used only for general a ...
in ''City of Glasgow'' (G-EBLF), which landed specially in
Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of to the south of the town of Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, Windsor, Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park ...
. Starting in 1929, the timing having been largely due to protracted international negotiations, the Argosy was one of the aircraft used on the first air mail route of the
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
, spanning from London to
Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. Following the arrival of the Argosy Mk IIs during 1929, Imperial Airways opted to have the three Mk Is reengined with the same powerplants to boost their performance. On 28 February 1931, two of these reengined Argosies were used to launch the air mail route through to
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
; this route proved to be particularly troublesome for the type with low reliability levels being achieved, and left the European routes somewhat underequipped in the process. Three Argosies were lost during service with Imperial Airways, one being written off in a forced landing near
Aswan Aswan (, also ; ) is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate. Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract. The modern city ha ...
, and one during a training accident, both in 1931, with no injuries in either accident. On 28 March 1933, the ''City of Liverpool'' caught fire over
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, causing a crash in which all three crew and twelve passengers were killed. Argosies 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 United Airways Ltd was a British airline operating in 1935, ending as part of British Airways Ltd. History Whitehall Securities Corporation was a wealthy investment company run by Bernard Clive Pearson. He was interested in aviation, and inv ...
of
Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool) Stanley Park Aerodrome was an airfield located in the Stanley Park area of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It was also known as Blackpool Municipal Airport, and was in use for civil and military flying from 1929 until closure of the airfield in ...
, which later was merged into
British Airways Ltd British Airways Ltd. was a British airline company operating in Europe in the period 1935–1939. It was formed in 1935 by the merger of Spartan Air Lines Ltd, United Airways Ltd (no relation to the US carrier United Airlines), and Hillman' ...
. It continued in use with British Airways until December 1936.


Variants

* Argosy Mk I : Powered by three 385 hp (287 kW)
Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar The Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar is an aircraft engine developed by Armstrong Siddeley. The Jaguar was a petrol-fuelled air-cooled 14-cylinder two-row radial engine design. The Jaguar III was first used in 1923, followed in 1925 by the Jaguar IV ...
IIIA radial piston engines. Later fitted with Jaguar IVA engines. Three constructed. * Argosy Mk II : Powered by three 420 hp (313 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVA radial piston engines. Four constructed.


Operators

; *
British Airways Ltd British Airways Ltd. was a British airline company operating in Europe in the period 1935–1939. It was formed in 1935 by the merger of Spartan Air Lines Ltd, United Airways Ltd (no relation to the US carrier United Airlines), and Hillman' ...
*
Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was an early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...
*
United Airways Ltd United Airways Ltd was a British airline operating in 1935, ending as part of British Airways Ltd. History Whitehall Securities Corporation was a wealthy investment company run by Bernard Clive Pearson. He was interested in aviation, and inv ...


Imperial Airways Argosy fleet 1926–1935


Specifications (Argosy II)


See also


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * *


External links


Newsreel footage of Armstrong Whitworth Argosy in flight

Armstrong Whitworth Argosy Mk. I illustration
in May 1927
Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (often abbreviated as ''PM'' or ''PopMech'') is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do it yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation an ...
article {{Armstrong Whitworth aircraft Argosy 1920s British airliners Trimotors Biplanes Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Aircraft first flown in 1926