BRITANNIA AIRCRAFT PRESERVATION TRUST

G-ANCF - Charlie Fox

Type: Bristol 175 Britannia Series 308F
Construction no.: 12922
Current status: In sections, under restoration
Built: Short Brothers and Harland Ltd., Belfast, 1958
Powerplant: four 4,440hp Bristol Proteus 765 turboprops
First Flight: 19 November 1958
Last Flight: 30 October 1980
Total Time: 37074 Hours

This aircraft first flew from Belfast in November 1958 as G-ANCF, although it wasn't delivered to its first operator until December 1959. When construction started in Belfast, it was a Series 300 aircraft for BOAC, but was modified to the longer range Series 305 during assembly. BOAC then cancelled their order in favour of Series 310's, and Capital Airlines expressed interest in the remaining 305's, although an order was never placed. Northwest Airlines then ordered the aircraft, but this was also frustrated due to credit problems.

She was eventually delivered to Argentine airline Transcontinental on 16th December 1959, with delivery registration LV-PPJ, and was registered LV-GJB on entering service. She returned to the UK in 1964 as G-ANCF with British Eagle International Airlines, and was converted to carry freight, with the installation of a port-side cargo door, becoming a Series 308F. In 1968 she was bought by Monarch Airlines, and in 1976 was leased to African Cargo Airlines as 5Y-AZP. Invicta Airlines sub-leased her later that year, and eventually bought her in January 1977, when she reverted to G-ANCF.

Charlie Fox was part way through an overhaul at Manston when Invicta Airlines ceased operations. With so few operators requiring such an elderly lady, it was deemed to be un-economic to finish the job. She was placed in storage at Manston, where several Britannias have met their fate. In October 1983 she was acquired by Merchant Air of New Zealand, as a source of spares for their Britannia G-AOVF, which was being made airworthy at Southend. This venture failed the following year, and while G-AOVF was flown to Cosford for preservation, Charlie Fox was less fortunate, as she was moved on to the Manston fire dump. Fortunately by mid 1985 she had been saved, acquired by Roger Hargreaves of Proteus Aero Services for preservation.

She was carefully dismantled in to roadable sections, and moved to the Brooklands Museum in April 1988, until a permanent home could be found. The centre section and wings later moved to Quedgley in Gloucestershire, and the forward and rear fuselage sections moved to the Bristol Aero Collections home Banwell in Somerset. When the Bristol Aero Collection found a new home at Kemble the sections at Banwell move here, along with the parts at Quedgley. It had been hoped that Charlie Fox would eventually be rebuilt and placed on display in a future aviation museum at Filton, but with little progress in this area, and the downsizing of the BAC in early 2006, the loan was terminated. The aircraft sections were stored on Kemble airfield until a new home was found.

In January 2007 it was announced that the Jestream Club at Liverpools John Lennon Airport were to be the new custodians of Charlie Fox. The aircraft will be restored and parked on the apron outside the former Art Deco terminal, now the Marriott Hotel. She will be repainted in the colours of British Eagle, as carried by Charlie Fox from 1964 to 1968. This location is highly appropriate, as Liverpool Speke Airport was one of British Eagles bases, and it performed maintenance on the Britannia fleet here.

Operational history: