Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
Armstrong Whitworth · United Kingdom · first flew 1961 · transport aircraft
The Argosy was a four-turboprop British freight and military transport, the last aircraft designed and built by Armstrong Whitworth.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Cargo doors at the rear of the fuselage, clear of the tail |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tailplane carried on twin booms running back from the inner engine nacelles
- Four Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops on a high wing
- Cargo doors at the rear of the fuselage, clear of the tail
Look for a high-winged four-engined freighter with a twin-boom tail, which allows straight-in loading through the rear fuselage.
Specifications
- The Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy has a length of 26.44 m (87 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 35.05 m (115 ft).
- Typical crew: 4.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The civil AW.650 first flew on 8 January 1959. The military AW.660 followed on 4 March 1961 with more range and a door arrangement suited to paratroop dropping.
Variants
The AW.650 civil freighter and the AW.660 military model were for practical purposes the same design. 74 were built in total.
Where you'll see it
The AW.660 served with the Royal Air Force until 1978. Civil Argosies flew with operators such as British European Airways and Zantop, the last retiring in 1991.
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