Armstrong Whitworth Argosy

Description

The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a British three-engined biplane airliner built by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and operated by Imperial Airways from 1926 to 1935. Known popularly as a "flying railroad car", it was one of the earliest forms of passenger air transport. The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy stemmed from a declaration by Imperial Airways that all its aircraft would be multi-engined designs on the grounds of safety. They were intended to replace the older single-engined de Havilland aircraft that Imperial Airways had inherited from its constituent companies, mainly Daimler Airway. The first example (G-ELBF ) flew in March 1926 following an initial order for three Argosies from Imperial Airways. The Argosy was initially used on European routes (later operating on services to South Africa), with the fleet named after famous cities. Argosies implemented the world's first "named" air service, the luxury 'Silver Wing' service from London to Paris, in Argosy City of Birmingham (G-EBLO). Two seats were removed and replaced with a bar and a steward was in attendance. Three Argosies were lost during service with Imperial Airways, with one being written off in a forced landing near Aswan and one during a training accident, both in 1931, with no injuries in either accident. In March 1933, however, an Argosy caught fire over Belgium , causing a crash in which all 3 crew and 12 passengers were killed. Argosies continued in service with Imperial Airways until 1935, with the <b>...</b>

Keywords

Armstrong, Whitworth, Argosy, AW154, AW155, imperial, airways, aviation, history

Related videos ^Experimental