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Armstrong Whitworth AW. 650 Argosy T. 2 9Q-COA
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Armstrong Whitworth AW. 650 Argosy T. 2 9Q-COA
(ex Royal Air Force) Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 Argosy T.2 9Q-COA Jason (msn 6791, ex XR136), of O.R.A.S. (Otrag Range Air Services) at East Midlands Airport. XR136 was first flown on 5 April 1963 and delivered to the RAF on 18 July 1963. When the T.2 programme was cancelled the completed XR136 conversion was sold to O.R.A.S. which provided air transport for the OTRAG rocket range in Zaire, hence the Zaire registration. OTRAG (German: Orbital Transport und Raketen AG, or Orbital Transport and Rockets, Inc.), was a German company based in Stuttgart, which in the late 1970s and early 1980s planned to develop an alternative propulsion system for rockets. After intense international pressure OTRAG was forced to re-locate to Libya, but had closed down by 1987. 9Q-COA was scrapped at East Midlands on 10 June 1981. After the removal of the Argosy C.1 from the cargo-transport role, it was decided to modify 14 Argosies as Navigation Trainers for RAF Training Command, to replace the Vickers Varsity. Only two aircraft were fully modified to Argosy T.2, (XP447 and XR136), before the programme was cancelled in defence spending cuts. Date: circa 1978
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Media ID 21131379
© The Peter Butt Aviation Collection / Mary Evans
1963 1978 1981 1987 Airport Alternative Argosy Armstrong Based Cancelled Closed Command Completed Conversion Cuts Decided Defence Delivered Develop Flown Forced Fully Intense Jason Libya Midlands Modified Navigation Orbital Planned Pressure Programme Propulsion Provided Range Registration Removal Replace Rocket Rockets Role Scrapped Services Sold Spending Stuttgart System Trainers Varsity Vickers Whitworth Zaire Modify
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In this evocative photograph, the Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 Argosy T.2 9Q-COA, registered MSN 6791 and formerly known as XR136, is seen parked at East Midlands Airport. Originally delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 18 July 1963, this Argosy was one of the 14 aircraft earmarked for modification as Navigation Trainers for RAF Training Command, following the retirement of the Vickers Varsity from the cargo-transport role. However, only two Argosies were fully converted to the Argosy T.2 configuration before the programme was cancelled due to defence spending cuts. Prior to its RAF service, XR136 was the last Argosy T.2 built when the T.2 programme was cancelled. It was subsequently sold to O.R.A.S. (Otrag Range Air Services), which provided air transport for the OTRAG rocket range in Zaire. OTRAG, or Orbital Transport und Raketen AG, was a German company based in Stuttgart, which in the late 1970s and early 1980s aimed to develop an alternative propulsion system for rockets. Due to intense international pressure, OTRAG was forced to relocate to Libya but had closed down by 1987. The Argosy T.2 9Q-COA was eventually scrapped at East Midlands Airport on 10 June 1981. This photograph, taken circa 1978, captures a significant moment in the history of this versatile aircraft, which served various roles in the RAF and in the private sector.
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