the wangaratta one is now at the moorabin museum
Absolutely correct, report as follows, good news!
VH-ADL “Tasmanian Devil” is a Bristol 170 Freighter, quite a unique aircraft!
In 1955 the aircraft was registered as G-18-185 (for whom?) and soon after it was acquired by the Pakistani Air Force and serialed as S4438. Not long thereafter it was re-registered as AP-AMD.
In 1961 it moved to Australia, having been purchased by Pacific Aviation and registered as VH-ADL; the Captain of the ferry flight was Arthur McLachlan, Managing Director of Pacific Aviation. However, during the 1960s VH-ADL was sold to Air Express; it was involved in an accident (details?) but was repaired. The 1960s also saw a lease to IPEC (period?).
During July/August 1986 VH-ADL moved from Essendon to Deniliquin Museum (?).
On 17Aug1979 VH-ADL was retired. At some point it was placed on display at Drage Airworld, Wangaratta,VIC. (Later “Drage” was dropped from the museum’s name). In 2002 however, Airworld closed down.
On 25Oct02 this Bristol Freighter was sold to Roger Hargreaves in the UK. It had been earmarked for preservation in the UK, but sadly the cost of transportation seems to have spoiled the acquisition and it remained Down Under.
In 2004 it was delivered to the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin Airport. The 170 survives semi-dismantled, but the way things went it could have been sold for scrap, but fortunately the museum came to the rescue. There are no Bristol 170s in Europe.
Sources:
http://bristolaircraft.blogspot.com/
Clyde North Aeronautical Preservation Group
John McCulloch wrote me in July 2006 with news that the Bristol Freighter had been fully assembled, except for the propellor spinners. He also sent me the link for the masterplan concerning the airport and the surrounding area.
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