A Bristol aircraft museum has begun restoring a rare Bristol Type 170 Freighter, nearly 50 years after its last flight. The project will make the museum home to Europe's only surviving example of the piston-engined freighter, reports UK's Aerospace Global News.

Out of 214 Bristol Type 170 Freighters built between 1945 and 1958, only 12 remain worldwide. The aircraft chosen for restoration is a former New Zealand Air Force machine, tail number NZ5911, which was announced for full restoration on 21 May by Aerospace Bristol.

The Bristol Type 170 was designed in the late 1940s as a post-war utility transport. With its raised cockpit, clam-shell nose doors, and 32-metre wingspan, it carried vehicles, cargo, and passengers. The type served in both civil and military roles until 2004, when the last airworthy example was retired.

The aircraft became a workhorse for short over-water flights and military transport. Variants included the Wayfarer passenger version and the Mark 32 'Super Freighter,' which carried cars and passengers across the Channel for Silver City Airways. In total, 214 were produced before production ended in 1958.

The freighter saw service with airlines in New Zealand and Australia, and with air forces in Argentina, Canada, Pakistan, and others. Its versatility included carrying palletized cargo, vehicles, livestock, and passengers. The restoration of NZ5911 will ensure the unusual aircraft remains accessible to future generations.