EL AL Fleet – Historic – Bristol 175 Britannias

4X-AGA at New York-Idlewild (JFK) Airport, about 1959, in EL AL’s first Britannia livery. (Mel Lawrence photo)

Series 310, Variant 313. MSN 13232/Production No 024. Registered as 4X-AGA, 18 Feb 57. First flown at Filton, England, 28 Jul 57. Officially delivered to EL AL 5 Sept 57. Flown Filton-Tel Aviv 12 Sep 57. Damaged rear fuselage during training flight at Tel Aviv and returned to Filton for repair 10 Nov 57. Returned to EL AL 1 Dec 57. Leased to British United Airways (‘BUA’) 17 Mar 63, canceled from Israeli register and registered as G-ASFV 19 Mar 63, for operation by BUA on behalf of EL AL during EL AL strike. Returned to EL AL as 4X-AGA 1 Apr 63. Sold to Globe-Air, Switzerland, 3 Apr 64. 

4X-AGB at Paris-Orly in second EL AL Britannia livery adopted 1965.
(Jean-Marie Magendie photo)

Series 310, Variant 313. MSN 13233/Production No 025. Registered as 4X-AGB, 18 Feb 57. First flown Filton, 2 Sep 57. Displayed at the SBAC Show, Farnborough, Sep 57. Handed over to EL AL at Filton 19 Oct 57. Flown Heathrow-Tel Aviv 20 Oct 57. Operated first EL AL Britannia service Tel Aviv-London-New York, 22 Dec 57. Leased to British United Airways (via Bristol Aircraft), registered as G-ARWZ and delivered Tel Aviv-Stansted 13 Feb 62, and canceled from Israeli registry 28 Feb 62. Returned to EL AL 26 Mar 65, and restored as 4X-AGB. Sold to Air Spain Feb 67; Israeli registration canceled 8 May 67. 

4X-AGC at New York-Idlewild (JFK). (EL AL Archive)

Series 310, Variant 313. MSN 13234/Production No 027. Originally intended as Series 250 (all-cargo) and registered G-ANGK to Bristol 23 Nov 53, but never built. Registered as 4X-AGC, 18 Feb 57. First flown at Filton 4 Oct 57. Handed over to EL AL at Filton 28 Nov 57. Flown Heathrow-Tel Aviv 29 Nov 57. On 18-19 Dec 57 set new speed and distance records on a proving flight between New York and Tel Aviv by flying the 9,270km (5,760mi) nonstop in 14hr 46min at an average speed of 645km/h (401mph). Leased to British United Airways (via Bristol Aircraft), registered as G-ARXA 12 Mar 62 and delivered Tel Aviv-Stansted 14 Mar 62, and canceled from Israeli registry 4 Jul 62. Returned to EL AL 27 Sep 64 and restored as 4X-AGC, 13 Oct 64. Registration canceled 19 Apr 66, sold to British Eagle International Airlines. 

4X-AGD at London-Heathrow, about 1959.
(Peter R. Keating photo via John Wegg)

Series 310, Variant 313 (modified during manufacture to nearly Series 320 standard). MSN13431/Production No 004. Registered as 4X-AGD, 3 Feb 59. First flown Filton 21 Feb 59. Delivered to EL AL at Filton 7 Mar 59 and flown Filton-Heathrow-Tel Aviv. Operated the flight that brought Nazi Adolf Eichmann from Buenos Aires to Israel 20-21 May 1960 to stand trial for war crimes. Canceled from Israeli registry 17 Mar 63, and registered G-ASFU to British United Airways 18 Mar 63, for operation by BUA on behalf of EL AL during EL AL strike. Returned to EL AL as 4X-AGD 8 Apr 63. Registration canceled 8 Mar 65, sold to Globe-Air, Switzerland. 

4X-AGE at London-Heathrow. (J M G Gradidge photo via John Wegg)

Series 300, Variant 306. MSN 12920/Production No 023. Originally ordered by BOAC but not taken up; option for Capital Airlines but not taken up. Intended for Northeast Airlines as N6595C, but order canceled. G-18-3, Bristol Aircraft Co G-ANCD. Repainted in EL AL colors 8 Jul 58, registered as 4X-AGE, 10 Jul 58. Leased to EL AL Jul 58 as Variant 306 pending delivery of fourth Variant 313. Canceled from Israeli registry and returned to Bristol Aircraft, 6 Mar 59.