POSSIBLE TRANSPORT PLANE FOR R.N.Z.A.F.

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28793, 14 January 1959, Page 9

POSSIBLE TRANSPORT PLANE FOR R.N.Z.A.F.

Production of the Armstrong i Whitworth Argosy freight air- J craft, which was due to have * made its first flight before the j end of last year had been so i smooth that all production re- < cords for an aircraft of its clasfe and complexity would be broken, 1 not only in Britain but, almost i certainly, anywhere in. the world, < the makers report. t The plane was last July re- 1 ported to be under examination i by the Royal New Zealand Air < Force as a possible replacement i for the Bristol Freighter and Hastings transports. 1

The makers claim that the new plane “will make it possible to reduce the over-all costs per unit load handled to the lowest levels yet reached in air transport.”

In February, 1956, the makers envisaged the plane as a multipurpose military • transport which could have civil applications; later the project became a predominantly civil one. There are two military versions of the Argosy—one with four engines, the other with two. This four-engine version would have particular technical appeal in New Zealand because the motors are turbo-

prop Darts, the same as those in National Airways yiaedunt passenger airliners. SinMjar engines would mean a big 'reduction in maintenance and overhaul equipment and costs compared with dissimilar engines. The military freighter version has a pressurised. fuselage for medium range Freight can be loaded at front and rea£ of the fuselage sidehinged doors which would, normally be power operated. Rear doors would incorporate a builtin loading ramp. The floor is unobstructed and has been designed to take a

variety of military vehicles and equipment. The hold is designed for supply dropping from the air —a notable feature in the light of New Zealand’s South-east Asia defence commitments which can include aerial support of ground troops operating in jungle country where no planes could land. A completely private venture, the Argosy is backed by the resources of the Hawker Siddeley Group to the extent, it is estimated,’ of about £lO million, the makers say in a supplied statement.

Full certification of the plane should be completed by mid-1960, and the aircraft is expected to

i, enter regular airline service later - Nhit year. Aircraft will be avails able to airlines for route proving i and crew familiarisation from - mid-1959 onwards. i Two specially-erected water tanks will allow a full programme i of tank testing to be carried out, r and by the time of the first flight t more than 1000 hours of wind £ tunnel running will have been - carried out at Armstrong Whit- - wprth, A. V. Roe, Armstrong r Siddeley Motors, and the National - Physical Laboratory. Recently wind tunnel testing has 1 taken place with a “power-on” a model incorporating airscrews

driven by electric motors in the fuselage. There has been also a ditching trials programme in the SaundersRoe tank, and in spite of its high wing the Argosy has been developed to exhibit satisfactory ditching characteristics. The final stage of structures testing is nearing completion with the destruction of a full fuselage specimen 'in a water tank at the company’s Whitley factory. The fuselage, together with a 10ft specimen tested a year ago, has revealed much valuable data and confirmed the calculated strength of the structure. In a second water tank a complete airframe fatigue test will be carried out within the next few months. The fuselage will be mounted on the tank base, and the remainder of the airframe—wings, tailbooms and tail unit—will be attached gutside the tank. Fatigue testing will go on for about 18 months.