Source : Paul McTaggart (News & Star)
THE final pieces of a historic RAF plane are currently being transported to a Carlisle museum.
Stationed at Hull’s Fort Paull, The Blackburn Beverley XB259 parts have been hoisted over the fort’s wall by crane and are now en route to their new home at the Solway Aviation Museum.
This plane is a significant piece of history as it is the final remaining of the 49 original models.
The aircraft first took to the skies in 1955, venturing extensively around the globe to places 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.
An impressive fundraising campaign, bringing in over £70,000, has helped relocate the plane to the museum, which is already home to a vast collection of historic aircraft – including the enormous Avro Vulcan XJ823.
I can’t emphasise enough how small the core team is that’s been doing all this work at Solway Aviation Museum and across at Fort Paull Battery Heritage Site
Dougie Kerr
With a wingspan of 162ft and a weight of 36 tonnes, the transport task is no small feat, with haulage firm Lawsons Haulage Ltd currently transporting it piece by piece up the country.
Yesterday (July 16), the cockpit section left Fort Paull and travelled via the M62, M61, and M6.
The haulage contractor will continue moving sections almost daily.
All parts of the Beverley have been successfully hoisted over the fort’s wall, except for the main wheels.
At the Carlisle end, ahead of ‘Big Bevs’ landing, groundworks were completed at the end of June to create a hardstanding for the aircraft.
Speaking previously, museum chairman, Dougie Kerr, said: “I can’t emphasise enough how small the core team is that’s been doing all this work at Solway Aviation Museum and across at Fort Paull Battery Heritage Site, or how fantastic the support has been from individuals and businesses at both ends to make this happen.”
“We’re thinking if we can do this, we can do other things going ahead,” he said.
The fundraising campaign is ongoing for anyone who wishes to support the project and preserve a piece of aviation history. You can donate to the museum’s Blackburn Beverley XB259 JustGiving donation page.
