air-cargo

Aerospace Bristol Begins Major Restoration of Rare Bristol Freighter Aircraft

Aerospace Bristol has launched conservation work on the Bristol Freighter Type 170, one of only 12 remaining examples and the last in Europe. The aircraft, serial number NZ5911, was manufactured in Bristol during the late 1940s and early 1950s by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Equipped with twin 2000 horsepower engines and a distinctive clamshell nose door, the freighter could transport vehicles and livestock. The aircraft served with New Zealand's Royal Air Force No. 41 Squadron from 1955, operating throughout Southeast Asia during Cold War operations. Recovered from New Zealand storage in 2018, the restoration involves 20 to 50 skilled volunteers, many former aerospace engineers. They will contribute over 10,000 hours of work to the project. The aircraft will be reassembled outdoors near its original manufacturing site. Once conservation concludes, viewing platforms and cockpit access will enable visitors to view the aircraft up close.