Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy Cargo Transport. Filmed in UltraHD / 4K

[dominicm]

Another stunning scratch built RC airplane from my recent visit to Middle Wallop for the BMFA Electric Fly-In. A faithful scale reproduction of an iconic British aircraft. Not only does it look super scale but it also has opening / closing cargo doors and automated deployment of its cargo. Fantastic!

 

 

 

[Deskpilot]

This aircraft, the Argosy, replaced the Blackburn Beverley, also known as the flying Dutch Barn. I believe the Argosy was not as successful as had been hoped and became known as the Whistling TIT due to its turbine engines and nipple like radome.

 

I saw the very first one delivered to RAF Abingdon, 53 Sqdn if memory serves me well. I was but a rookie in the RAF at the time and served with 47Sqdn.

 

 

[derekliston]

As an apprentice at Ferranti at Edinburgh Turnhouse airport many years ago I had the opportunity to look through a RAF Argosy and an early C130 and two things stick in my memory, the first was that every hydraulic union in the Argosy was lockwired whilst none were in the C130 and the second thing was how much roomier and better equipped the C130 was with a larger cockpit, galley and even a bed, the Argosy was cramped by comparison.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Hey DL, whilst stationed at Leuchas I had occasion to visit Ferranti's factory. I can't remember as to why now but I did have the opportunity to question one of their designers re A.I.23/B attack radar fitted to Lightnings. My question was, 'In the equation relating to all inputs to the analogue computer, there are elements a and b. What do they refer to and where do they come from?' (or something like that). His reply was, 'We don't know, they're just there. ' Well, whatever they were, the radar worked very well, especially when you know that there wasn't a single soldered joint in it.

 

 

[derekliston]

Getting way off track for the moment but I was a mechanical apprentice back then but with the training regime they had back then I worked in what was known as Lab 18 on the radar for the TSR2 and one which, if my memory serves me right, was called Blue Parrot. Mainly though I was building gyros for the gyroscopic gunsights (probably all solid state nowadays) Sorry for getting off the subject!

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Hey, no one else on this thread so no worries. I remember Blue Parrot, a bomber tail radar I think. My only dealings with gyro gun sights was the one designed by a woman and used air-knife technology. Used in the early V-bombers very successfully. A marvelous piece of equipment. I can't remember who made the double ganged gyros for the Lightning nav equipment, probably Sperry.

 

 

[derekliston]

Off track again! I used to go to the Battle of Britain air show at Leuchars every year. One year caught a special train from Edinburgh Waverley pulled by the streamlined steam locomotive ' Commonwealth of Australia' also remember watching from home in Edinburgh as two Lightnings would intercept the Soviet 'Bear' Tu22?? Reconnaissance bombers. Used to have photos on front page of Scottish Daily Express of Russian pilots or tail gunners waving to the Lightning pilots.

 

 

[derekliston]

Off track again! I used to go to the Battle of Britain air show at Leuchars every year. One year caught a special train from Edinburgh Waverley pulled by the streamlined steam locomotive ' Commonwealth of Australia' also remember watching from home in Edinburgh as two Lightnings would intercept the Soviet 'Bear' Tu22?? Reconnaissance bombers. Used to have photos on front page of Scottish Daily Express of Russian pilots or tail gunners waving to the Lightning pilots.

Wrong number, TU95 apparently!

 

 

[Deskpilot]

We often got shown the intercept films. Just a fun game for pilots of both sides.