Hi aeromuseum – welcome to the forum.

I would go along with MH in going in with an established museum. Your proposal is a bit specialised and unless, as Mondariz suggests, you are somewhere where bored tourists will visit (but that is seasonal and you would have to ‘survive’ through the closed season) you may have difficulty getting enough people through the door to make it viable.

Presumably you are located in S.Wales – why not approach the Carew Control Tower Group at Cheriton, Pembroke? Other alternative to try not to far away is the Helicopter Museum at Weston-Super-Mare (well there are aerobatic helicopters nowadays 🙂 )

Roger Smith.

To be absolutely clear topspeed is talking about a World Aircraft Speed Record, is that propeller driven or specifically with a piston engine?

What is the current record and held by who/what?

Roger Smith.

David, the AW.650 Argosy was initially designed for the civilian marhet with the large swing doors – one at the front and one at the rear. This was to enable “roll on, roll off” ie loading cargo at one end whilst unloading at the other – to minimise time on the ground.

The second Argosy (G-APRL – now preserved at the Midland A.M.) was used to test the “beaver tail” for the RAF (to enable para-dropping loads) and on those built for the RAF the front swing door was omitted. After tests were concluded ‘PRL was converted back to normal civil configuration.

Incidentally it is only a few weeks since the 50th anniversary of the maiden flight of the first Argosy – 8th January, 1959 at Bitteswell, Leicestershire.

Roger Smith.

Thanks Bravoalpha

Roger Smith.

You are, presumably, talking of the AW.650/660 Argosy and not the 1920’s airliner.

Have you tried the museums that have preserved examples – Midland A.M. or East Midlands Aeropark (and, of course, RAFM Cosford). Midland A.M.will have a great deal of Argosy info.

Roger Smith.

It looks to be based on the Bleriot – as seemed to be a lot of designs at that time! The tail looks different – is it a biplane tail?

I wonder if Bleriot ever tried to sue anyone for copying his designs?

Roger Smith.