JOHAN VISSCHEDIJK COLLECTION
No. 10692. Bristol 170 Freighter MK.32 (G-AMWD c/n 13131)
Photograph from Flight, taken over the British Channel, July 1958

Bristol 170 Freighter MK.32

06/30/2011. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The latest and best known variant of the Bristol 170 was the Mark 32, which was developed at the request of Silver City Airways to provide greater volumetric capacity for car-ferry operations. In this variant the fuselage nose was lengthened by 5 ft (1.52 m) and the fin and tail plane were increased in area; the Superfreighter, as it was called by Silver City, could accommodate three medium or two large motor cars together with 23 passengers in a comfortable cabin aft of the hold.

The first, G-AMWA c/n 13073, was delivered to Silver City on March 31, 1953, followed by thirteen more, Air Charter acquired six Mk. 32. Still needing more capacity, Air Charter converted two of their existing Mk. 31, G-AMLP and G-AMSA (c/n 13078 and 13124) to Mk. 32, bringing the total of flown Mk. 32 to 22.

G-AMWD was originally allocated as Mk.31E, and the registration G-AMPG was reserved, however, it was finished as a Mk. 32 and first flown under the registration G-AMWD in 1953. On May 29 of that year it was delivered to Silver City, named "City of Leicester" later renamed "City of Hereford". On June 24, 1961, the aircraft was leased to CAT (Cie Air Transport, also known as Compagnie Air Transport) of France, registered F-BKBD and named "Quatorze Julliet" (Fourteenth of July).

Silver City and Air Charter had merged into British United Air Ferries (BUAF) in October 1962, and when the aircraft returned on January 7, 1963, it was registered to BUAF, again as G-AMWD. In December 1965 the aircraft was withdrawn from use and scrapped in April 1967."


Created June 30, 2011