The last surviving
BOAC Argonaut,
G-ALHJ, is seen here
in March 1970 being
used to demonstrate
the ‘Hovermove Air
Cushion’ method of
aircraft recovery. The
system of airbags was
designed to quickly
mo e an aircraft
from uneven ground
without further
damage
to the airframe.
KEY C Aden Airways’
Argonaut VR-AAT,
formerly G-ALHV,
was one of threeA •
G-ALHH Attica was
severely damaged in
a landing accident at
Tokyo Haneda and
was out of service for
more than a year.
BA H C attempts at landing had been aborted due to high winds and
poor visibility. On the fourth approach the aircraft descended
below its correct flight path, striking trees and hitting the ground
short of the runway. Two of the seven crew and 13 of the 40
passengers were killed in the crash.
On Sunday, June 24, 1956 G-ALHE Argo was operating the
Lagos–Kano–Tripoli–London run. Departing Kano into the
heavy rain of a close-by thunder storm, the aircraft reached 240ft
(73m) when the airspeed suddenly dropped and it began to
lose altitude. Despite the quick reactions of the crew, increasing
power and lowering the nose to regain speed, the aircraft
descended rapidly, the port wing striking a tree 1½ miles (2.4km)
beyond the runway, detaching the outer wing and severing fuel
lines, starting a fire. Three of the seven crew and 29 of the 38
passengers died in what is thought to be one of the earliest cases
of an airliner being brought down by a microburst.
Earlier in the type’s history Argonaut G-ALHH Attica was
severely damaged in a landing accident at Tokyo Haneda on
January 29, 1952. Landing at night in drizzle and poor visibility
the aircraft swung to the left after touch down. The corrective
action caused the nosewheel to skid and a loss of steering
control. Attica ran off the runway on to the grass where the port
undercarriage struck an underground transformer, causing it to
collapse. The aircraft came to a stop with major damage to the
port wing and both port engines, but fortunately without injury.Retirement
Initially ordered as a short-term stopgap during a period of
transition from obsolete wartime aircraft to a modern, efficient
fleet, from 1949 until its retirement on April 8, 1960 BOAC’s
Argonaut fleet accumulated approximately 510,000 flying hours
and almost 107 million miles while carrying 870,000 passengers.
While generally unloved by passengers, the Argonaut was
ideally suited to the lighter loads and shorter sectors of BOAC’s
many multi-stop routings, greatly enhancing the corporation’s
profitability. The type also came to the rescue when the Hermes
proved unsatisfactory and the Comet was grounded. It only
yielded when the Douglas DC-7C (another stopgap) joined the
fleet ahead of delayed Britannia deliveries.The author would like to express his thanks to Jim Davies, Howell
Green and Keith Haywood of the British Airways Heritage
Centre for their assistance in preparing this article.Captain E Leslie
Gosling and crew
pose with G-ALHK
Atalanta –f lying the
Brazilian f lag and
the Civil Air Ensign- in Rio de Janeiro,
April 19, 1952.
BA H C
48 AIRLINER Classics 2018
BOAC’S Argonaut f leet
accumulated almost 107 million
miles