Could be the Swedish AF Viggen that is outside a factory near Bridgend. I believe the company manufacture something that is used by the Swedish Air Force, and they donated a Viggen on its retirement.
Andy

It is several months IIRC since the last thread about the possible return of a Bristol Freighter to the UK.

It had been reported in April that Graham Kilsby had secured an example in Canada. Then a few weeks later the aircraft appeared for sale on ebay only to be withdrawn.

Would be great to see one of these ugly beasts back in Blighty – anyone have anything more recent?

Roger Smith.

Roger,
The deal for the Canadian Freighter fell through, even though it was at an advanced stage, due in part to a) the hike in the cost of fuel (and oil) for the 52 hour flight from western Canada to Bristol and b) Graham was unable to get a permit to fly from the Canadian authorities. As far as I know it is still at the museum and for sale via Hawkairs administrators. We are still aiming to get a Bristol Freighter preserved in Bristol though.
Andy

I was always led to believe that there was only one surviving RAF Britannia and three surviving Short Belfast aircraft, but after scanning the brilliant website: http://www.demobbed.org.uk, it appears there are in fact three surviving Britannia aircraft (check out: http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=270) and four Belfast (checkout: http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=219).

Apparently there is even an additional Bristol Belvedere in Singapore (check out: http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=227).

Does anyone know about these additional airframes?

There is only one surviving ex RAF Britannia. As far as I know CU-T121 and 9Q-CHY were scrapped some time ago, although some sections may survive. Belvedere XG448 was an instructional airframe at Changi up to the 1960’s, but I thought it had been scrapped soon after. It was certainly stripped for parts, now used in the Belvedere restoration at Weston-super-Mare. If its preserved at Changi as the website says then I wouldn’t mind seeing a photo.

Was it red? I happened across the same film in a hotel room in Rome some years ago, but never found out the name of it. I believe the Brisfit used in the film is one of the replicas built for the film “The High Road to China”, although none were actually used for that movie. As far as I recall, four of the six were completed, but I don’t know if all four flew. One of these is hanging from the roof at the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, and another is at their outpost at Valle, Arizona. The remaining replicas are stored, presumably dismantled and probably just components. The Brisfits were registered as N29HC, N34HC, N36HC, N47HC, N65HC and N75HC. Now I have a name I have to look out for the movie myself. There is a bit more on my website, but it is embarassingly out of date at the moment, as I have been working on a new version and its taking longer than expected.
cheers,
Andy A.
Filton Airfield Enthusiasts Website
Bristol Aircraft Worldwide Survey
http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk

The Bristol Aero Collection will also be open for the first time this year in its new home, hangar E2 on the Southern edge of Kemble airfield. Admission will be free, and donation boxes will be around the hangar to help make up some of the lost income from being closed during the summer! This was a result of various H&S problems, flooding etc. As a bonus the cockpit of Bolingbroke RCAF 9048 has just been moved up from Filton, and no work has started on it yet. The rest of the aircraft is in storage at Filton pending restoration.

Andy A.

I am surprised that Old Sarum makes that claim, as I would have thought there were several earlier contenders. The first flight at Filton was in early 1911, when test pilot Tabuteau landed a Boxkite on the lawn behind the factory where it was built (all test flights were made at Larkhill). The earliest dated flight was on 10th June 1911, when a Boxkite took off from Filton. The actual RFC air base was built in 1915, down the hill from the factory, on the site of the current airfield, but many training flights were made at the factory before then. Filton is still very much active, has been continually active, and it certainly pre-dates Old Sarum.

Andy

Does anyone have any updates on the possible plan to repatriate one from a Canadian museum? Or did that fall by the wayside due to lack of funding?

There were a couple of problems with getting the Canadian one over to the UK. Firstly, Transport Canada did not want to give it a permit to fly, and secondly the recent increase in the cost of fuel for the 51-hour flight from western Canada would have been exorbitant, as there was no major sponsor involved.
The prospect of getting another Freighter to Bristol is being examined though.

Andy