Researched 2026-10-11 from the sources listed below. Airframes move between hangars, workshops and loans: check with Aerospace Bristol before travelling to see this one.
The airframe in brief
| Serial / registration | XF785 |
|---|---|
| Type | Bristol Type 173 Mk 1 |
| First flew | Hover 3 January 1952; first forward flight 24 August 1952 |
| Registrations | G-ALBN; RAF serial XF785 |
| Trials | RAF evaluation and Royal Navy sea trials on HMS Eagle, 1953 |
| Modifications | Four-bladed rotors; tailplane from the crashed Mk 2 fitted after September 1956 |
| Stored | RAF Museum, Cosford, until 2002 |
| Previously displayed | Bristol Aero Collection, Kemble, 2002–2012 |
| Status | On display |
| Where | Aerospace Bristol, Bristol |
The story of XF785
XF785 began life as G-ALBN, the first Bristol Type 173 Mk 1. The 173 was a twin-engined tandem-rotor helicopter designed for airline use. G-ALBN made its first hover on 3 January 1952. It tended to drift backwards, and later showed ground resonance. After modifications it first flew out of the hover on 24 August 1952.
Although designed for civil use, the 173 drew military interest. In 1953 the RAF evaluated it under the serial XF785. That year it also made sea trials for the Royal Navy aboard the carrier HMS Eagle. Four-bladed rotors were later fitted to cure resonance in the fuselage. In September 1956 the Mk 2 prototype crashed at Filton. Its tailplane was salvaged and fitted to XF785 for stability tests.
No production 173 followed, but the design led to the Belvedere, which served the RAF from 1961 to 1969. XF785 passed to the RAF Museum and was stored at Cosford until 2002. It then went on show with the Bristol Aero Collection at Kemble. When that site closed in May 2012, the helicopter moved to the new Aerospace Bristol museum at Filton.
Seeing XF785 today
Part of the Aerospace Bristol collection at Filton; check with the museum whether it is on the exhibition floor before visiting.
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace BristolBristol, Gloucestershire | £20 | 14 | Concorde G-BOAF, the last Concorde ever built and the last ever to fly (26 November 2003, into Filton, forever). You can board her.… |
Also known as: G-ALBN · Bristol 173 · Bristol Type 173 · Bristol 173 Mk 1