Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy CAT.NO.144-014 SCALE 1:144
(200 series) British transport aircraft
Ïåðøèé Argosy ï³äíÿëè â ïîâ³òðÿ 8 ñ³÷íÿ 1959, à äî ê³íöÿ 1959 ðîêó äî íüîãî ïðèºäíàëèñÿ ùå ï'ÿòü ë³òàê³â. Ïåðø³ ÷îòèðè ìàøèíè áóëè çàä³ÿí³ â ñåðòèô³êàö³éíèõ âèïðîáóâàííÿõ - îáìåæåíèé ñåðòèô³êàò ëüîòíî¿ ïðèäàòíîñò³ òèï îòðèìàâ â òðàâí³ 1959 ðîêó, à ïîâí³ ñåðòèô³êàòè òèïó â Âåëèêîáðèòàí³¿ ³ ÑØÀ áóëè îòðèìàí³ â ãðóäí³ 1960 ðîêó. ×åòâåðòèé ïîáóäîâàíèé ë³òàê ñòàâ ïåðøèì Argosy, ïîêàçàíèì øèðîêîìó çàãàëó íà Ïàðèçüêîìó àâ³àñàëîí³ 1959 ðîêó. Ó æîâòí³ 1959 ðîêó â³äáóëîñÿ äåìîíñòðàö³éíå òóðíå ïî ªâðîï³ - ë³òàê âèêëèêàâ âåëèêèé ³íòåðåñ. Ïåðøèì çàìîâíèêîì ñòàëà êîìïàí³ÿ "Riddle Airlines" (Ìàéàì³, ÑØÀ), ÿêà çàêóïèëà ÷îòèðè ìàøèíè ëþòîìó 1959 ðîêè äëÿ âàíòàæíèõ ïåðåâåçåíü ïî êîíòðàêòàì ç ÂÂÑ ÑØÀ. ϳçí³øå âîíà ïðèäáàëà ùå òðè ìàøèíè. Âñ³ ñ³ì Argosy êîìïàí³¿ "Riddle Airlines" òàêîæ åêñïëóàòóâàëèñÿ â ÑØÀ àâ³àêîìïàí³ÿìè "Capitol Airlines" ³ "Zantop Air Transport". "British European Airways, îòðèìàëà ïåðøèé ç òðüîõ çàìîâëåíèõ Argosy 102 â 1961 ðîö³ ³ ïî÷àëà éîãî åêñïëóàòàö³þ â ãðóäí³, çàì³íèâøè ë³òàêè Douglas DC-3 ³ Avro York. Áóëî ïîáóäîâàíî 10 ë³òàê³â Argosy Series 100 ³ âñ³ âîíè, çà âèíÿòêîì òðåòüî¿ ìàøèíó, áóëè ïîñòàâëåí³ â ÑØÀ (íå ìåíøå ÷îòèðüîõ ë³òàê³â ï³çí³øå ïîâåðíóëèñÿ äî Âåëèêîáðèòàí³¿). Îñòàíí³ì âàð³àíòîì ë³òàêà ñòàâ Argosy ñå𳿠200/222 - ïåðøèé ë³òàê 200-¿ ñåð³¿. ³í ï³äíÿâñÿ â íåáî â êâ³òí³ 1964 ðîêó, ³íø³ ø³ñòü ìàøèí äîáóäîâóâàëè ÿê 222-þ ñåð³þ.  ïîäîâæåíîìó ôþçåëÿæ³ ë³òàêà ñòàëî ìîæëèâèì ðîçì³ùåííÿ øåñòè ñòàíäàðòíèõ âàíòàæíèõ ï³ääîí³â äîâæèíîþ ïî 2,74 ì. Äîîïðàöþâàííÿ êðèëà äîçâîëèëà çìåíøèòè ìàñó íà 180 êã, áóëà çá³ëüøåíà äàëüí³ñòü ïîëüîòó. Àâ³àêîìïàí³ÿ ÂÅÀ çàêóïèëà ï'ÿòü ë³òàê³â íîâî¿ ñåð³¿, àëå êàòàñòðîôà îäíîãî ë³òàêà â ̳ëàí³ â ÷åðâí³ 1965 ðîêó ñïîíóêàëà êåð³âíèöòâî ÂÅÀ â³äìîâèòèñÿ â³ä çàêóï³âë³ îñòàííüîãî ç ñåìè ñåð³éíèõ ë³òàê³â; öÿ ìàøèíà çàëèøèëàñÿ ó âèðîáíèêà ³ âèêîðèñòîâóâàëàñÿ äî ëèñòîïàäà 1965 ðîêó. Ó ãðóäí³ 1967 ðîêó ï³ä ÷àñ ïîæåæ³ íà àåðîäðîì³ çãîð³â ùå îäèí Argosy àâ³àêîìïàí³¿ ÂÅÀ. Åêñïëóàòàö³ÿ ë³òàê³â Argosy àâ³àêîìïàí³ºþ ÂÅÀ âèÿâèëàñÿ åêîíîì³÷íî íåâèã³äíîþ, ³ äî êâ³òíÿ 1970 ðîêó ¿õ çíÿëè ç åêñïëóàòàö³¿. Óö³ë³ë³ ÷îòèðè ìàøèíè ïðîäàëè êîìïàí³¿ "Transair", äâ³ ç íèõ ï³çí³øå ïîòðàïèëè â àâñòðàë³éñüêó âàíòàæíó àâ³àêîìïàí³þ IPEC, à äâ³ ³íøèõ - â íîâîçåëàíäñüêó "Safe Air.
The AW650 was designed by Armstrong-Whitworth to meet a 1955 British Air Ministry specification for a freight/passenger aircraft suitable for civil and miltary use. Initially known as the Freightliner, construction started as a private venture in early 1957. This was the manufacturer's last project as in 1958 the company was subsumed by the Hawker-Siddeley group, and the aircraft project was designated the HS.650 Argosy. The prototype Series 100 freighter (c/n 6651 G-AOZZ) was first flown on January 8, 1959. Type certification was achieved in December 1959, by which time six had been completed. The aircraft was displayed in Paris in July, 1959 and Farnborough in 1960 where it attracted interest but few orders. The project was not successful in the commercial sector as only ten were built. Riddle Airlines of Miami, Florida ordered four aircraft, later increasing that to seven for a contract with the USAF. The three remaining Series 100 aircraft were sold to BEA. Apart from G-APRM (c/n 6653) all the series 100 aircraft were at some point operated in the USA, but many eventually returned to the UK. One (c/n 6656 VH-IPD) went on to work in Australia. All but two of the Series 100 Argosies had been scrapped by 1990, with the others surviving in UK museums.