The Bristol 170 is a British aircraft that first flew on 2 December 1945. It was designed for the transport of cargo and passengers, featuring clamshell doors in the nose with the cockpit elevated above for ease of loading.
Powered by a pair of 1,670 hp sleeve valved Bristol Hercules 632 piston engines, the aircraft could fly up to 820 miles (1,320km). Services began in June 1946 with Channel Airways and eventually there were other operators in far flung places such as Canada, Argentina and Australia.
Bristol 170 Video
Following on from the last video about the Swedish Saab 340, this time we head over to the United Kingdom for a look at the Bristol 170. This colour presentation from 1961 runs for a shade under five minutes. Silver City Airways in the film started car ferry service on 7 July 1948 and it eventually became a very popular way to cross the channel.
A larger version of the aircraft, the Mark 32 Superfreighter, entered service in 1953. This could carry three cars and 12 passengers or two cars and 23 passengers for the airline. One was also used as a “Super Wayfarer” in 1958, with 60 passenger seats for the London to Paris air coach service. In case you were wondering, the airline itself was eventually folded into what became British United Airways.
Spanish airline Iberia operated the aircraft, with their website noting it could carry “48 passengers, or 30 passengers plus two or three cars, or four tonnes of freight.” In addition, the Argentine Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and many others used the 170.
Production of the aircraft ceased in 1958 after 214 examples rolled off the production line. There were 94 delivered to civilian operators and 116 to military operators, plus one test aircraft and three written off before delivery.
Overall Thoughts
The video of the Bristol 170 really shows a different era in air travel. Just look at that arrivals experience! One guy walking up to the Passport control agent, no hustle, no bustle and no crowds at all.
Pleasingly, the 170 saw quite a long life, with examples still flying into the 1990s. There is a comprehensive history of the aircraft online here, which is well worth a read as well.
Did you ever take your car across the channel in a Bristol 170 or other aircraft? What was it like? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by R.A. Woodcock.
So ugly it’s cute. Utility and function don’t always lead to aesthetically pleasing designs.
Haha have to agree with you there 🙂 I never knew it took passengers until I was looking into it. The things you learn…