Source : Paul McTaggart (News & Star)
PARTS of the Blackburn Beverley XB259, the last remaining RAF aircraft of its kind, will be landing in Cumbria this weekend.
It is being transported piece by piece to the Solway Aviation Museum near Carlisle’s Airport, following successful fundraising efforts that have so far amassed over £70,000.
The aircraft, which has been stationed at Hull’s Fort Paull, is the last of the original 49 that were built.
Previously, concerns loomed over the possibility of failing to secure a buyer, leading to the potential dismantling of the cargo plane, boasting a remarkable 162ft wingspan, for scrap.
Following continuous donations, the veteran aircraft will now join several other significant exhibits at the museum, including the Avro Vulcan XJ823.
However, moving an aircraft that first took flight in 1955 will not be easy.
Taking hundreds of rivets out of aircraft panels is hard work but needs doing to move the Beverley.
Dougie Kerr
It will entail disassembling the Beverley XB259, transporting its parts, shifting it up the country, and reassembling them at the museum.
All of this will be managed by a dedicated team of museum volunteers.
Solway Aviation Museum’s chairman Dougie Kerr said: “Taking hundreds of rivets out of aircraft panels is hard work but needs doing to move the Beverley.
“Today we were loaned a forklift for free to move around the smaller parts of the aircraft so we can work on them to reduce the size to fit onto normal wagons.
“The first of the Beverley parts are going back to the museum this weekend and then they will be shortly followed by some of the other parts.”
The success of this endeavour inspires hope for similar future projects for the museum.
“We’re thinking if we can do this, we can do other things going ahead,” Dougie said.
The fundraising campaign is still ongoing for anyone who wishes to support the project and contribute to preserving a piece of aviation history.
You can donate to the museum’s Blackburn Beverley XB259 JustGiving donation page.
