page_title: Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
section_title: Military use
hierarchical_section_title: Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy / Operational history / Military use
caption_attribution_description: Armstrong Whitworth Argosy C.1 XR106 114 Squadron RAFASC Le Bourget 1971
context_page_description: The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a British post-war transport/cargo aircraft; it was the final aircraft to be designed and produced by aviation company Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although given different internal design numbers, the AW.650 civil and AW.660 military models were, for most practical purposes, the same design, while both models also shared the "Argosy" name.
  Development of the Argosy originates in the AW.66, a proposed twin-engined military transport that was designed with British Air Ministry's Operational Requirement 323 in mind. While Armstrong Whitworth terminated work on the AW.66, it decided to go forward with a civilian-oriented derivative of the design, designated AW.65, as it was judged to be commercially viable. The AW.65 was redesigned to use four Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines, and thus was re-designated as the AW.650. On 8 January 1959, the first Argosy conducted the type's maiden flight. On December 1960, the type received Federal Aviation Administration type certification, enabling the initial civil version, referred to as the Series 100, to enter civil service across most parts of the world.
context_section_description: During the 1960s, the Argosy was procured for the Royal Air Force (RAF), the first of which entering service in March 1962. The service frequently made use of its capability to accommodate up to 69 troops, 48 stretcher cases or 29,000 lb (13,000 kg) of freight. Operationally, it could carry various items of military equipment, including combat vehicles such as the Saracen or Ferret armoured cars, or artillery such as the 105 mm (4.13 in) howitzer or Wombat. However, subsequent design changes to both the Saracen and the Argosy's mainspar (which ran throughout the top of its cargo bay) subsequently precluded the use of the Argosy as a Saracen transport.
  During 1962, the earliest deployment of the Argosy was recorded as being performed to 105 Squadron, which was stationed in the Middle East, along with 114 and 267 Squadrons, based in the UK at RAF Benson. The following year, 215 Squadron received its Argosies, which were stationed at RAF Changi, Singapore. However, this squadron was disbanded on New Year's Eve 1967, its aircraft being re-allocated to 70 Squadron, based at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. 70 Squadron would be the final squadron to operate the aircraft in the transport role, retiring its last Argosy during February 1975. During December 1970, the RAF had begun receiving American-built Lockheed Hercules transport planes, which progressively replaced the Argosy fleet in the transport role. Between 1968 and 1978, the E.1 variant of the Argosy, which was used in the calibration role, was flown by 115 Squadron, which was based at RAF Cottesmore for much of this time period.
caption: 114 Squadron Argosy wearing the camouflage of the RAF Air Support Command in 1971
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