Source : Paul McTaggart (News & Star)
A CARLISLE museum has been presented with the ‘highest’ accolade among the aviation heritage community for their work in rescuing and restoring the last remaining Blackburn Beverley XB259.
The Solway Aviation Museum was awarded the AHUK Robert Pleming Memorial Award at a ceremony held at the Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington on Saturday (October 26).
The award was presented to museum chairman Dougie Kerr by Martin Withers, an RAF pilot who led the first Black Buck mission during the Falklands War.
“It’s the highest award you can get within the aviation heritage UK fraternity, as it were,” Dougie said.
“It’s tremendous to be recognised,” he said.
‘Big Bev’ is the last surviving plane of its kind from an original fleet of 49.
First flown in 1955, the iconic RAF cargo plane has travelled to all corners of the globe, including the likes of Kenya and Vietnam.
However, after being decommissioned and stationed at Hull, the aircraft faced an uncertain future.
If it wasn’t for Big Bev, we wouldn’t have received the award. No one else took it on, and that’s why we have it now.
Dougie Kerr
Fearing it would have to be dismantled, the Solway Aviation Museum stepped in a “last-gasp rescue mission” that ultimately saved Big Bev from the scrapyard.
Over £80,000 has been raised to preserve and transport the aircraft to Carlisle.
“When I went to the meeting, I forgot about the awards. I was just going for a day out and all of a sudden my name was called,” Dougie said.
“If it wasn’t for Big Bev, we wouldn’t have received the award. No one else took it on, and that’s why we have it now.”
The museum is currently hard at work rebuilding the aircraft to add to its existing collection.
Volunteers are currently working on spray-painting the cockpit.
Next, they will focus on the two inner wing sections, each around 60 feet long and 19 feet wide. These sections, currently upside down, will have their undersides painted before being flipped over to paint the top.
Once both sides are painted, a crane from Lawsons Haulage will be used to reassemble the wings.