Active on its last commercial contract, supporting firefighting operations for the Alaska Bureau of Land Management, operated by Duncan Aviation. Parked on the fire fighters' ramp at Fort Wainwright, still carrying elements of its previous Universal Airlines scheme. This is the prototype Argosy built in 1958. First for BEA - British European Airways in 1961 as G-AOZZ. Sold to Detroit-based Universal in 1968 as N896U. Joined Duncan Aviation in 1971. Retired to the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run, Michigan in 1991. Broken up in 2013.

Photographer Gianni Siccardi

Delivered to Riddle Airlines as N6502R on 05 Jan 1961. To Capitol Airways 1 Jul 1962 and Zantop Air Transport 1 Sep 1965. Reregistered N895U with Universal Airlines on 21 Sep 1966 and sold to Sagittair 28 Feb 1972. Bought by Fields Aircraft Services 28 Mar 1977 and registered G-BEOZ. Sold to Air Bridge Carriers Aug 1979. WFU at EMA Mar 1986 and now preserved at East Midlands Aeropark.

Seen on the ramp in the evening before departing for Shannon. Delivered to Riddle Airlines as N6502R on 05 Jan 1961. To Capitol Airways 1 Jul 1962 and Zantop Air Transport 1 Sep 1965. Reregistered N895U with Universal Airlines on 21 Sep 1966 and sold to Sagittair 28 Feb 1972. Bought by Fields Aircraft Services 28 Mar 1977 and registered G-BEOZ. Sold to Air Bridge Carriers Aug 1979. WFU at EMA Mar 1986 and now preserved at East Midlands Aeropark.

Owned by Air Bridge Carriers and seen WFU without titles in former Air Anglia colours. Delivered new to Riddle Airlines as N6507R on 24 Aug 1961. Later to Zantop on N602Z and Universal Airlines as N890U. Back to the UK as G-APRL on 11 Nov 1973 and operated by Air Bridge Carriers, Air Anglia, Air Bridge again, OTRAG Range Air Services and Elan Air. WFU and preserved at the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Baginton Feb 1987.

Air Bridge's G-BEOZ now freshly repainted into Elan colours. Newly repainted into Elan Air colours, operated by Air Bridge Carriers. Delivered to Riddle Airlines as N6502R on 5 Jan 1961. To Capitol Airways 1 Jul 1962 and Zantop Air Transport 1 Sep 1965. Reregistered N895U with Universal Airlines on 21 Sep 1966 and sold to Sagittair 28 Feb 1972. Bought by Fields Aircraft Services 28 Mar 1977 and registered G-BEOZ. Sold to Air Bridge Carriers Aug 1979. WFU at EMA Mar 1986 and now preserved at East Midlands Aeropark.

Our company Argosy looking in need of a good repaint which it eventually did into Elan colours. This plane did the overnight Shannon service. I got a jump seat flight on it. We had to climb up a ladder to get on the flight deck. On the way to Shannon we had St Elmo's Fire on the wind screen. Delivered to Riddle Airlines as N6502R on 5 Jan 1961. To Capitol Airways 1 Jul 1962 and Zantop Air Transport 1 Sep 1965. To N895U with Universal Airlines on 21 Sep 1966. Sold to Sagittair 28 Feb 1972. Bought by Fields Aircraft Services 28 Mar 1977 as G-BEOZ. To ABC Aug 1979. WFU at EMA Mar 1986 and preserved at EMA Aeropark.

slide taken by Norbert Kröpfl. - Argosy c/n 6660, built in 1960, was retired by its last operator Elan Air after 26 service years. It has been on display at East Midlands since 1987, still current at the time of upload.

slide scan from the NK collection. - Argosy G-APRL was leased by Air Anglia for a few months only, nevertheless titles and yellow Air Anglia colours were applied. After termination of the lease, Air Bridge Carriers kept this colour-scheme for many years.

slide scan from the NK collection. - G-AZHN was still wearing the basic colours of Sagittair.

First Flown as G-APRL in 1959, To Riddle Airlines as N6507R in 1961 then to Zantop as N602R in 1964 and Universal Airlines as N890U in 1966. To Field Aircraft Services as G-APRL in 1974 then to Air Bridge Carriers in 1976 and Elan Air Cargo in 1985. Preserved at the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport from 1987.

Several of Universal's Argosy aircraft were parked at Willow Run

Sadly this aircraft was scrapped in situ in March 2013.

Basic Air Anglia colours

AW image D0947. CAHS/Heather Zucal collection

AW image D0394. CAHS/Heather Zucal collection

Brand new and here on delivery ferry. On 14 October 1965, when flying with Zantop, it crashed near Pique/OH after running out of fuel and attempting a forced landing on a highway. LOGAIR was (quote): The U.S. Air Force contracted commercial air carrier system which provided daily delivery of reparable and consumable items to all major USAF installations in the continental U.S.