A RARE post-war passenger plane is set to return home to South Gloucestershire this week, having travelled all the way from New Zealand.

The Bristol Type 170, one of only 11 left in the world, was designed in Filton by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and a passenger airliner, with 214 being built and delivered to airlines and air forces across the world between 1945 and 1958.

The innovatively-designed Freighter had a 108ft wingspan and featured distinctive clamshell doors that allowed cargo – including vehicles and large animals - to be loaded via its nose.

Having been shipped all the way across the world, and arriving at Bristol Portbury Docks on Thursday, December 28, the freighter is set to return to Filton on Thursday to join other examples of the area’s incredible engineering history at the Aerospace Bristol museum.

Leaving at 2pm, the freighter will travel up the M5, turning off at junction 16, onto the A38, before travelling through the Airbus site to the Brabazon Hangar – a move expected to take around an hour.

Lloyd Burnell, executive director of Aerospace Bristol, said “Everyone at Aerospace Bristol is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Freighter and we would like to sincerely thank all those who have kindly supported the project so far. Our appeal to fund the Freighter’s journey, as well as the wider project, will continue into 2018 and we are hugely grateful to anyone who wishes to play their part in bringing her home.”

To follow the Freighter’s progress, including a map of the aircraft’s current location and photos of her journey, visit www.aerospacebristol.org/freighter.

An appeal has been launched by the Bristol Aero Collection Trust, the registered charity behind the museum, for donations to support the freighter and can be found through the same link.