Bye Bye Argosy…

Knew someone would be interested!! Maybe from your alternate location, you could start a thread or continue an old thread about some interesting wrecks in Paphos? 😉

And the reference for G-159’s……………..

http://g159hrm.com/

Many thanks for posting that link Newforest – nice to see that a couple that I used to ‘play with’ are still around – even found a picture of myself on there !!

Sorry to see the Argosy get the chop but one Dart is still whistling happily away all on its own in the front of the recently restored Breguet Alize. http://lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr/archive/2013/05/20/breguet-alize.html

Richard

And the reference for G-159’s……………..

http://g159hrm.com/

[QUOTE=HP111;2055819] However, I have a supplementary question, are there any RR Darts still flying?. QUOTE]

You might find some old Andovers or F-27’s kicking around somewhere, but one type that’s still flying with them in almost substantial numbers is the Gulfstream 1, which co-incidentally celebrated the 55th anniversary of it’s first flight 5 days ago. See here http://pilotnewsmag.com/gulfsteam-commemorates-55th-anniversary-of-first-gulfstream-i-flight/

I’m fairly sure it’s ‘preserved at cafe’]

Correct.

Apparently they had no pressing reason to preserve some ‘boring’ old propellor aircraft (not military, WWII etc). However, I have a supplementary question, are there any RR Darts still flying?. I once read somewhere that Viscount operators used to buy up withdrawn Viscounts in order to transfer the engines and use the remaining hours. It seems it was cheaper to do that than get Darts overhauled. In this current case the Darts seem to have been torn from the aircraft suggesting there was no market for them, at least not for Argosies. Practical issues aside, I would happily have put one in my garage.

The engines were removed and sold when they first acquired the aircraft. I think what was in it when it was scrapped were just hulks to hang the prop’s on.

The Darts fitted to the civil Argosy’s could be converted quite easily for other applications.

Edited to add there are still a few 748’s and F27’s still flying.

Apparently they had no pressing reason to preserve some ‘boring’ old propellor aircraft (not military, WWII etc). However, I have a supplementary question, are there any RR Darts still flying?. I once read somewhere that Viscount operators used to buy up withdrawn Viscounts in order to transfer the engines and use the remaining hours. It seems it was cheaper to do that than get Darts overhauled. In this current case the Darts seem to have been torn from the aircraft suggesting there was no market for them, at least not for Argosies. Practical issues aside, I would happily have put one in my garage.

And now they have been given a retired DC8.. hmm couldn’t manage an Argosy and DC6 to look after but now DC8??

Flew back to RAF Lyneham from Wildenrath Germany in one of these. 1970. Had if I remember 6 Landover’s on board, had to remove the batteries, captain refused to take off with them on board had to leave behind. Meant me hanging upside down through the roof of the vehicle to take the batteries out. Delayed us about an hour. Customs held aircraft at Lyneham. Pilot desperate to return to Germany. Don’t know how long the hold up was.

Admittedly it’s not a complete airframe, but it is perhaps worthwhile noting that the cockpit of Argosy C1 XN819 survives undercover at Newark and is configured as a procedures trainer.

As an additional aside, following extensive upgrades / safety modifications I also understand that it was operated in this role on several occasions last week by one of the museum’s cockpit-openers; and that several visitors really enjoyed their ‘flights’!

Update: an ‘illuminated’ photograph taken inside the cockpit has been added in here!

Hi All

Sad news indeed.
This article explains the reasons.
http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-news/yankee-air-museum-tough-decisions.html

Most answers to questions here.

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?122503-Prototype-Argosy-To-Be-Scrapped&highlight=Prototype+Argosy

What makes the loss of this Argosy even more tragic is that this airframe was the prototype, formerly G-AOZZ. It’s very sad that this aeroplane is no more.

Chris

Errrr……..No

Serial c/n Owner and notes
ZK-SAE 6802 Preserved as cafe at Blenheim-Woodburn, New Zealand.
http://www.oldprops.ukhome.net/Argosy%20Photographs.htm

I’m fairly sure it’s ‘preserved at cafe’, rather than having tables set up inside (I drove past a few times at Easter, but had a list of vineyards to visit when I managed to tear myself away from arrivals and warm-ups at Omaka).
http://www.argosyrestaurant.co.nz/

Where oh where did this butchery happen? Looks like it could be part or near to some museum.

I wouldn’t rely on the Oldprops census too much ! The West Freugh example (XN817) was scrapped totally a couple of years ago! As to why it was scrapped -I cannot believe it was excessively corroded-I would bet on simply they didn’t view it as within their collecting policy.

Do we know why it was scrapped?

Corrosion I assume.

Moggy

Does this just leave one example left?

Errrr……..No

Serial c/n Owner and notes
G-APRL 6652 Preserved by Midland Air Musem, Coventry, UK.
G-BEOZ 6660 Preserved at East Midlands Airport, UK.
G-BFVT 6768 Mid America Air Museum, Sioux City, Iowa, USA.
XN817 6746 On fire dump at West Freugh, UK.
XP411 6766 Preserved by Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, UK.
N896U 6651 Preserved by Yankee Air Museum, Willow Run, Detroit, Michigan, USA. (NOW SCRAPPED !)
N1430Z 6779 Preserved by Museum of Flying at Lancaster Fox Field, Lancaster, California, USA.
ZK-SAE 6802 Preserved as cafe at Blenheim-Woodburn, New Zealand.
ZK-SAF 6801 Fuselage on farm near Blenheim-Woodburn, New Zealand.

Thank you, Old Props

http://www.oldprops.ukhome.net/Argosy%20Photographs.htm

Peter,

Off the top of my head, 1 in New Zealand, 3 in UK (MAM, East Midlands and Cosford) and at least 1 more in the USA. Cosford’s example is the only one indoors.