Source : Paul McTaggart (News & Star)
Truckloads of the last surviving largest RAF transport plane have now arrived at a museum in Carlisle.
The parts, belonging to the Blackburn Beverley XB259, have been coming from Hull’s Fort Paull to Carlisle’s Solway Aviation Museum following an impressive fundraising campaign that raised over £70,000.
The plane itself, which is the last of the original 49 that were built, has a 162ft wingspan and weighs 36 tonnes.
According to the Beverley Association, the transport plane first flew in 1955 travelling to various corners of the globe including Vietnam and Kenya.
Long after it was stationed in Hull in 1974, concerns loomed over the possibility of failing to secure a buyer that the cargo plane may have to be dismantled until the Solway Aviation Museum stepped in a “last-gasp rescue mission” to preserve the iconic aircraft.
Volunteers have since spent weeks dismantling the aircraft for the move, as well as laying the groundwork for the plane in its new home.
On social media, a spokesperson for the museum said: “Little museum, big things.”
“Three of us were on site today (June 27) to greet Clive Wilson with his delivery of elevators, vertical stabilisers, and ailerons from Fort Paull Battery Heritage site.”
“It was blowing a gale, but we got everything offloaded safely.”
“The spare Beverley tires are being put to good use as buffers and as ballast to keep everything fixed to the floor,” they said.
Local farmer Andrew Vaughan lent a telescopic handler to help unload the Beverley engines.
A local firm, Ryehill Building Supplies Ltd, near Fort Paull graciously donated five bags of sand to support the rear of the Beverley during its dismantling.
The museum is now seeking the use of a telescopic handler for when the rebuilding begins.
The plane will now join the museum’s vast collection of historic aircraft – including the enormous Avro Vulcan XJ823.
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.
