The fuselage of a Bristol Type 170
Freighter Mk.31M, NZ5911 arrived at Filton
air eld on January 4 – the site where it was
designed and built 64 years ago.It was taken to the giant Aerospace
Bristol Brabazon Hangar after an 11,
mile (17,703km) sea voyage from Auckland,
New Zealand. The 170’s journey wasvia Singapore, where it changed ships,
and through the Suez Canal to the
Mediterranean, arriving in Bristol’s Portbury
Docks on December 28.
The wings were taken to Filton on
January 5. The engines, tailplanes, tail n
and undercarriage had been sent ahead
and were waiting in the hangar to be
reunited with the airframe.
Filton built 13 Bristol Freighters for
the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and
NZ5911was delivered in April 1954. It has
been parked at Ardmore, Auckland since
1978.
The Freighter is one of only 11 survivors
worldwide and now becomes the sole
example in Europe.
The Bristol Aero Collection Trust, which
runs the Aerospace Bristol museum,
is appealing for funds to support its
Freighter project. Go to the website
aerospacebristol.org for more details.
Adrian M BalchBritish Ab Initio Pilots Fly F-
The UK’s rst ab initio pilots have own the
F-35B, the Ministry of Defence announced
on January 25. The two airmen, one from
the Royal Air Force and the other from
the Royal Navy, proceeded straight f rom
ying training in the Hawk T2 to piloting
the Lightning II at MCAS Beaufort, South
Carolina.
Speaking after his ight, the RAF pilot
said: “It was a sensational experience and,
as the culmination of many years training,
was certainly the highlight of my time in the
RAF so far. I was astonished at the jet’s
performance and at how well the simulatorhad prepared me for taking the Lightning
ying.”
The Royal Navy pilot added: “The
computer systems, helmet display and
sensors are at the cutting edge of what is
currently possible and I’m extremely excited
to work on exploiting this potential, as well as
being part of its integration with HMS Queen
Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales over the
coming years.”
Previous UK Lightning aircrew all
transitioned from other aircraft. Both new
Lightning pilots were accompanied on their
rst ights by an instructor in a second jet.Emirates Lifeline
for A
A memorandum of understanding (MOU)
for up to 36 Airbus A380s has been signed
by Emirates, providing a major lifeline
for the European manufacturer’s agship
programme.
The MOU came just days after John
Leahy, Airbus’ Chief Operating Officer
Customers, admitted production of the
superjumbo could stop should a deal with
Emirates not be forthcoming.
The agreement, consisting of 20 rm
orders and options for 16 more, was
signed at the airline’s Dubai headquarters
on January 18.The Lynx helicopter has been retired
from British military service. The last two
AH9As, operated by 657 Sqn, Army Air
Corps (AAC), were delivered on January
26 to AAC Middle Wallop, Hampshire,
from nearby RAF Odiham to await
disposal.The aircraft were ZG917, still adorned
with a special scheme to mark the type’s
retirement, and ZG885. When ZG
landed, it signalled the end of more
than 40 years of UK military service for
the various marks of the Westland Lynx
helicopter.On January 16, four Lynx performed a
tour, starting and nishing at RAF Odiham,
taking in some of the places most
associated with the helicopter – among
them Middle Wallop, Upavon, Yeovil and
Wattisham. The ‘victory lap’ also involved
ying along the River Thames in London.Lynx AH9A ZG917 wearing the
special farewell scheme at RAF
Odiham on January 16. Peter FosterUK Lynx Era Ends
4HEADLINES
Bristol Freighter Arrives Home
The fuselage of the Bristol Freighter arriving at Aerospace Bristol. Adrian M BalchAviation News incorporating Jets March 201804-05_headline_newsDC.mfDCDC.mf.indd 4 05/02/2018 16: