TheChitterneFlyer:
I'm sorry old son but you are talking through a hole in your head. The Argosy was never ever equipped with reverse thrust. In flight, the propellers were allowed to fine off back to the Flight Fine Pitch Stop (FFPS). During the landing run with the throttles closed we had to manually move a lever on the centre pedestal which allowed the propellers to fine off even more to the Ground Fine Pitch Stop (GFPS).
If this was forgotten, then all four engines melted down very quickly when the throttles were opened to taxi in. It happened twice; once at Luqa and again (I think) at Thorney Island.
When the props went into Ground Fine, the discing effect of the propeller created a lot of drag but no reverse thrust. This drag was exactly the same whether you were doing a normal landing or a tactical landing and was purely a function of at which speed you were doing when ground fine was selected.
The Andover C.Mk.1 was equipped with Da12 engines and reversing propellers.
The Argosy did not. It was not possible to reverse an Argosy. Which reminds me of a funny story.
I arrived at Lyneham one morning and they tried to park me in one of the old wartime dumbell parking spaces. I stopped on the taxiway and got the ALM to go out through the nose hatch to explain that if I went in there, I would not be able to get out again. Fairly rapidly I had an irate wingless wonder Sqn Ldr on my flight deck telling me that all I had to do was reverse out. "Can't be done Sir", said I, "we don't have reverse thrust". "Yes you do, don't argue with me, I have read the books", said he.
"Fine", said I and taxiied into the dumbell and shut down. "Now you get it out, Sir", said I.
Needless to say they didn't have an Argosy towbar and one had to be flown over from Benson.
You simply cannot reverse an Argosy old son.