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HMS ARGUS AIRCRAFT CARRIER

HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier that served in the Royal Navy from 1918 to 1944. She was converted from an ocean liner that was under construction when the First World War began and became the first aircraft carrier with a full-length flight deck that allowed wheeled aircraft to take off and land.

HMS Argus represented the future – the first aircraft carrier with a fully uninterrupted flight deck. She provided a floating aerodrome on which wheeled aircraft could land and take off, without the complications involved in dropping and retrieving floatplanes.

HMS Argus

The 15,000-ton, 565- foot long HMS Argus was built on the hull of a passenger liner under construction in Britain for an Italian company. She was acquired by the Navy in an incomplete state and reconfigured as a carrier. The bridge extended across the ship beneath the flight deck but the view was unavoidably impaired. Therefore, a small retractable pilot house was provided to facilitate more precise maneuvering when entering or leaving harbor.

Argus became fully operational too late to participate actively in World War 1. She spent most of her service life training pilots in deck landings, creating pilots and aircrew. She proved a valuable asset to the Royal Navy in the 1920s and 1930s, supporting development of operational procedures and tactical use of air power.

By 1942, the Royal Navy was very short of aircraft carriers and HMS Argus was pressed into front-line service despite her lack of speed and armament. In June, she participated in Operation Harpoon, providing air cover for the Malta-bound convoy. In November, she provided air cover during Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa and was slightly damaged by a bomb. After returning to the UK for repairs, Argus was used again for deck-landing practice until late September 1944. In December, she became an accommodation ship and was listed for disposal in mid-1946. Argus was sold in late 1946 and scrapped the following year.

Argus aircraft carrier

This primarily wood HMS ARGUS aircraft carrier model is 34" long  (1/200 scale)$3,590 Shipping and insurance in the contiguous USA included. Other places: $300 flat rate. 

This model has three airplane types: Sopwith Cuckoo torpedo bombers, Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters, and Sopwith Pups.

We can build a larger ARGUS aircraft carrier for you. Let us know if you want a 1/144 or 1/100 scales (68" long.)

HMS Argus model
 

Learn more about the HMS Argus here: Argus aircraft carrier.