I've driven one !
At Easter 1966, while still at school, I went on a week's 'careers course' at BOAC, being introduced to the various bits of the company. One of the highlights was a visit to the engineering apprentices' Argonaut whicfh was just by the crossing at Hatton Cross. They managed to get a couple of the engines started and we all took turns to sit in the LH seat and advance the throttles until the thing threatened to shake itself to bits.
As a Newcastle spotter, we had a Canadian-registered one as a fixture for a long time, it was on the grass just by the viewing area and you could shelter under it when it rained. I'd seen it before at Coventry in the company of three others, remember seeing some Kenyan ones at Redhill too.
I used to know someone in BMI (now retired) who used to tell me exciting stories of take-offs from the Burnaston grass in the rain. They couldn't carry commercial pax out of Burnaston but it was OK for staff.