Play World of Warships here: wo.ws/3W1uxPZ Thank you World of Warships for sponsoring this video. During registration use the code BRAVO to get for free: 500 doubloons, 1.5 million credits, 7 Days of Premium Account time, and a free ship after you complete 15 battles! Applicable to new users only.
I remember an Argosy painted bright yellow (IPEC freighters) that flew over my house in Melbourne, Australia in the 1970s. The classic, evocative whistling of the RR Darts was a sound that was heard all over the world on Viscounts, Friendships, Avro 748s and others, a sound all but forgotten today.
Rolls Royce had an Argosy at Filton Bristol when I was an apprentice there back in 1969-1975. When I did my stint in the flight hanger one job I did was to paint the front part of the engine cowling black with special paint in very small tubes with a very small brush. Took ages. I think they used it to ferry stuff back and fore to SNECMA in France.
A couple of my uncles worked in the flight shed at Filton, I've got some very early memories of sitting in the cockpit of the Argosy on a visit with one of them.
I was well aware of the Argosy, as my dad was an AID inspector at AWA. I served at RAF Benson on the Argosy during 1963-65 with both 114 and 267 Squadrons and also on secondment there in '67. Flew extensively in them in Europe, NEAF and FEAF. They were somewhat underpowered, but a nice aircraft and quite tough. We had a USAF exchange pilot slap one very hard onto Luqa's runway one night, to the point we had to do an extensive check of the airframe and gear. The aircraft was ok though and continued onto El Adem the next day.
In the 1960's I was in a British Army para unit and after jumps from the piston engined Hastings and Beverly the Argosy was certainly different for three reason to my memory: 1) On say a three hour air flight the Argosy would reduce the flight to say two hours. 2) It had a higher jump speed so rigging line twists on exiting seemed to be the norm for me. 3) In flight the engine noise was a deal quieter. The Bev was noisy! But all were happy days!
I was part of 215 Squadron ground-crew based in Singapore from 1965 and yes, it was known as what the folks above have called it. As I recall, the performance in the tropics left something to be desired and an engine water injection system was fitted to improve it, although I seem to remember that it was not used as it caused unacceptable issues with engine life.
I remember the Argosy flying into, or making multiple approaches into, RAF Waddington on a fairly regular basis in the 1970’s. I believe they were ILS calibration flights, sometimes landing to refuel. Yep, we called it “The Whistling Tit”.
Lots of pictures and footage of the SAFE Air Argosy's in NZ, but no mention of the fact that Safe Air operated these until the early 1990s on air freight between the North and south islands, and also from the NZ Mainland to the Chatham Islands with a unique Passenger Pod that allowed an airframe to go from all cargo to mixed freight & passenger in under 20 minutes.
When the RAF scrapped the Argosy, they were sent to RAF Kemble, I went there with two other BBMF ground crew to visit a Spitfire on a major servicing. Both guys were ex Argosy men, we went over to see them, There were still several there. They had opened the back end and retracted the undercarriage, they looked wrecked by we had a good look around, Both guys remembered individual aircraft they had worked on.
I grew up close to A&AEE Boscombe Down and their Argosy was flying most days in the 70s. I seem to remember it having the checker pattern on the rear cargo doors, but it was a long time ago now, so I might be mistaken. My Aunt was a flight engineer with the ETPS so she spent quite a few hours in it.
Believe it or not, I once saw one flying over the Chicago area headed in a southwestern direction at about 25,000 feet. I guess it was a commercial flight and not an RAF craft. It was quite a thrill for this veteran plane spotter. I'm curious how it compares to the C130 Hercules (but I guess you rather answered that question). Once again it seems like the British aerospace industry snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. If you could just keep the Downing Street geeks out of the whole affair. How sad.
Somewhere out their in the film archives there (hopefully) exists a documentary film of the last RAF Argosy flight down the line to Salalah and back. Should you ever find it let me know please. For the record I will be one of the inflight catering team - in cooks tropical whites - waving at you from the dispersal pan at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as the aircraft leaves. Funny foot note but this aircraft flew the Cyprus to Malta leg with out any in flight rations due to the fact the camera team were so busy lining everyone up for the big wave off from the rear ramp - we forgot to put the rations on board. So if anyone on that flight reads this - ooops sorry…😂 ahh the memories
Somewhere I have a picture of me checking the engine oil level on Canada’s last Argosy in YFB before it leaving the country on its way to a new owner in the early 70’s.
Interesting video, thank you. I spent a week with 115 Squadron some years ago. RAF squadrons with 3 digits are pronounced for example, One One Five Squadron, not One Fifteen squadron. Apologies, but I'm a stickler for tradition.
Above 100 (one hundred) Squadron pronunciation gets complicated and sometimes all three digits are pronounced and sometimes they are not. I served at RAF Lyneham where 216 Squadron flying Comets was Two-sixteen and at RAF Gutersloh where 230 Squadron flying Pumas was Two-thirty. However, to this day, if anyone refers to 617 Squadron as anything other than Six One Seven they will be in big trouble! But, if memory serves, 115 Squadron was One One Five.
You failed, as previously mentioned, to talk about Safe Air use of the Argosy for decades. The HS748 military version, the Andover, also had kneeling undercarriage. I flew from Wellington to the Chathams and back in an Andover when our Engineer Squadron went there to carry out maintenance on the lagoon bridge that it had built a decade prior and also work on Pitt Island where I was sent. The engine noise did not bother me. P.S. The Argosy used a Shackleton wing, if I recall correctly. P.P.S. Arado built the first twin tail boom transport aircraft BUT because it used the same engine as the F190 they had to replace the original twin engine setup with four smaller engines, thereby losing considerable development time and increasing the complexity of manufacture/maintenance.
I was stationed at RAF Benson in 1966, with The Queen’s Flight. Yes, a number of Argosy aircraft were based there. I remember the very sad story of a Benson Argosy, which was on detachment to El Adam. Upon competing a deployment to an up country airfield, the crew decided to do a low pass over the airfield. On banking, one wing hit a water tower. The aircraft cartwheeled and crashed. There were no survivors. ….
Play World of Warships here: wo.ws/3W1uxPZ
Thank you World of Warships for sponsoring this video.
During registration use the code BRAVO to get for free: 500 doubloons, 1.5 million credits, 7 Days of Premium Account time, and a free ship after you complete 15 battles!
Applicable to new users only.
Not the prettiest cargo truck. But beasts aren't known for their beauty.
Thorough and informative! Thanks for the video, Dwayne!
I read "breasts aren't known for their beauty".
I need sleep.
@@theothertonydutch Being a heterosexual male, I agree, 'dutch. Have a good nap.
I remember an Argosy painted bright yellow (IPEC freighters) that flew over my house in Melbourne, Australia in the 1970s. The classic, evocative whistling of the RR Darts was a sound that was heard all over the world on Viscounts, Friendships, Avro 748s and others, a sound all but forgotten today.
I used to fly them with IPEC.
IPEC had four Argosy, based at Essendon.
They sounded different to the Viscount when flying over, even though they had the same engines.
@@evaluateanalysis7974 Agreed; that's largely due to airframe harmonics
It was known as The Screaming Tit in the R A F, and as my memory serves me it was noisier and more uncomfortable (Para seats only) than the C 130
The C130 only has para seats!
It was good enough until the Lockheed's took over , certainly better than the Hastings !
Rolls Royce had an Argosy at Filton Bristol when I was an apprentice there back in 1969-1975. When I did my stint in the flight hanger one job I did was to paint the front part of the engine cowling black with special paint in very small tubes with a very small brush. Took ages. I think they used it to ferry stuff back and fore to SNECMA in France.
A couple of my uncles worked in the flight shed at Filton, I've got some very early memories of sitting in the cockpit of the Argosy on a visit with one of them.
I was well aware of the Argosy, as my dad was an AID inspector at AWA. I served at RAF Benson on the Argosy during 1963-65 with both 114 and 267 Squadrons and also on secondment there in '67. Flew extensively in them in Europe, NEAF and FEAF. They were somewhat underpowered, but a nice aircraft and quite tough. We had a USAF exchange pilot slap one very hard onto Luqa's runway one night, to the point we had to do an extensive check of the airframe and gear. The aircraft was ok though and continued onto El Adem the next day.
I had a bit to do with these unique a/c when Operated in Australia by IPEC freight wonderful bit of kit
In the 1960's I was in a British Army para unit and after jumps from the piston engined Hastings and Beverly the Argosy was certainly different for three reason to my memory: 1) On say a three hour air flight the Argosy would reduce the flight to say two hours. 2) It had a higher jump speed so rigging line twists on exiting seemed to be the norm for me. 3) In flight the engine noise was a deal quieter. The Bev was noisy! But all were happy days!
I was part of 215 Squadron ground-crew based in Singapore from 1965 and yes, it was known as what the folks above have called it. As I recall, the performance in the tropics left something to be desired and an engine water injection system was fitted to improve it, although I seem to remember that it was not used as it caused unacceptable issues with engine life.
I remember the Argosy flying into, or making multiple approaches into, RAF Waddington on a fairly regular basis in the 1970’s. I believe they were ILS calibration flights, sometimes landing to refuel. Yep, we called it “The Whistling Tit”.
Is my memory right. Many years ago an Air Bridge Carriers Argosy, based at castle donnington?
Whistling T it actually.
As were all aircraft fitted with the RR Dart engine 🙉
My dad worked on this aircraft when I was a kid , when he was with A.W. Bagington .
When I was in the RAF we called it the flying TIT
Whistling Tit
Lots of pictures and footage of the SAFE Air Argosy's in NZ, but no mention of the fact that Safe Air operated these until the early 1990s on air freight between the North and south islands, and also from the NZ Mainland to the Chatham Islands with a unique Passenger Pod that allowed an airframe to go from all cargo to mixed freight & passenger in under 20 minutes.
Did my final trade training as a Direct Entrant Air Radar Tech on the Argosy at RAF Cosford. (Early 1982)
When the RAF scrapped the Argosy, they were sent to RAF Kemble, I went there with two other BBMF ground crew to visit a Spitfire on a major servicing. Both guys were ex Argosy men, we went over to see them, There were still several there. They had opened the back end and retracted the undercarriage, they looked wrecked by we had a good look around, Both guys remembered individual aircraft they had worked on.
I flew on one.
They were very useful.
Transair in Canada operated the Argosy in the 70s.
I grew up close to A&AEE Boscombe Down and their Argosy was flying most days in the 70s. I seem to remember it having the checker pattern on the rear cargo doors, but it was a long time ago now, so I might be mistaken. My Aunt was a flight engineer with the ETPS so she spent quite a few hours in it.
Aer Turas used the Argosy to fly the race horses into Speke for the Grand National. Loved seeing them.
I flew from Beghazi to El adem in 1967. Boarded in the rear on the end of runway in a hurry.
We used to call it the fling Tit I've played 5 aside in one whilst stationed in EL.Adem north Africa 😊🛩️🛩️
A company out of Detroit called LogAir supported USAF SAC baes in MI, ND, &SD every day. Helped with priority parts delivery in the mid ‘60s.
Believe it or not, I once saw one flying over the Chicago area headed in a southwestern direction at about 25,000 feet. I guess it was a commercial flight and not an RAF craft. It was quite a thrill for this veteran plane spotter. I'm curious how it compares to the C130 Hercules (but I guess you rather answered that question). Once again it seems like the British aerospace industry snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. If you could just keep the Downing Street geeks out of the whole affair. How sad.
Amen... well that much less sold to the Ruskies...I guess.
Somewhere out their in the film archives there (hopefully) exists a documentary film of the last RAF Argosy flight down the line to Salalah and back. Should you ever find it let me know please. For the record I will be one of the inflight catering team - in cooks tropical whites - waving at you from the dispersal pan at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as the aircraft leaves. Funny foot note but this aircraft flew the Cyprus to Malta leg with out any in flight rations due to the fact the camera team were so busy lining everyone up for the big wave off from the rear ramp - we forgot to put the rations on board. So if anyone on that flight reads this - ooops sorry…😂 ahh the memories
Changi is pronounced Changi, not Sharjee. Flew on an Argosy from Changi to Kai Tak in 65, refuelling at Saigon.
Very good little video! 😮😮😮
Thanks for this fine AW 660 Argosy video my friend.....
Old F-4 Phantom ll pilot Shoe🇺🇸
I had my first flight in the RAF in a Argosy this was 1971 and i beleive it was from RAF Scampton .
Somewhere I have a picture of me checking the engine oil level on Canada’s last Argosy in YFB before it leaving the country on its way to a new owner in the early 70’s.
The whistling wheelbarrow? That's not what we called it.
Interesting video, thank you.
I spent a week with 115 Squadron some years ago.
RAF squadrons with 3 digits are pronounced for example, One One Five Squadron, not One Fifteen squadron.
Apologies, but I'm a stickler for tradition.
I’m ex RAF……II(AC) and 20 Squadrons……so what is 100 Squadron referred to……..one zero zero…… I rather think not mate…..Stickler? Nope!
Fair point, I'll give you that.
I don't believe we have met, so I'm not your mate.
@@rororp If I were you I'd accept him as a mate - with your attitude you won't have got many.
@@maurices5259 What are you on about?
Above 100 (one hundred) Squadron pronunciation gets complicated and sometimes all three digits are pronounced and sometimes they are not. I served at RAF Lyneham where 216 Squadron flying Comets was Two-sixteen and at RAF Gutersloh where 230 Squadron flying Pumas was Two-thirty. However, to this day, if anyone refers to 617 Squadron as anything other than Six One Seven they will be in big trouble!
But, if memory serves, 115 Squadron was One One Five.
they have one at the raf museum cosford.
You failed, as previously mentioned, to talk about Safe Air use of the Argosy for decades. The HS748 military version, the Andover, also had kneeling undercarriage. I flew from Wellington to the Chathams and back in an Andover when our Engineer Squadron went there to carry out maintenance on the lagoon bridge that it had built a decade prior and also work on Pitt Island where I was sent. The engine noise did not bother me.
P.S. The Argosy used a Shackleton wing, if I recall correctly.
P.P.S. Arado built the first twin tail boom transport aircraft BUT because it used the same engine as the F190 they had to replace the original twin engine setup with four smaller engines, thereby losing considerable development time and increasing the complexity of manufacture/maintenance.
Looks like a Budd Conestoga.
The Argosy was let down by lack of range. Great to jump from though.
Was always known disaffectionally as the whistling tit in the RAF as I remember.
Im off to join War Thunder, appreciate the suggestion.
If my memory serves me well tey did not serve long withe the RAF. 114 sqn at Benson also operated tem
I was stationed at RAF Benson in 1966, with The Queen’s Flight. Yes, a number of Argosy aircraft were based there. I remember the very sad story of a Benson Argosy, which was on detachment to El Adam. Upon competing a deployment to an up country airfield, the crew decided to do a low pass over the airfield. On banking, one wing hit a water tower. The aircraft cartwheeled and crashed. There were no survivors. ….
It was a British aeroplane, never an American airplain.
The RAF designation for it was whistling, tit!