By Zac Yates

The sole surviving example of the Cold War-era Blackburn Beverley transport aircraft has been saved after an ambitious crowdfunding target was reached in just seven weeks. As reported by Vintage Aviation News, the Solway Aviation Museum (SAM) launched the campaign to raise £60,000 in February after Beverley XB259’s previous owner offered the unique aircraft for free to anyone who could remove the aircraft from its home of several decades at Fort Paull, near Hull.

A member of the SAM team shows his awe at the sheer size of the Beverley. [Screenshot from Bearded Bodger on YouTube]

SAM chairman Dougie Kerr said the team was amazed at the public’s response to the project.”Fundraising for the Blackburn Beverley XB259 has gone extremely well, I didn’t think that we would make £60k so quickly and the donation are still coming in,” Kerr said. “Thank you all that have donated to the project.”

A view from the rear of the crew compartment showing the navigator’s station and, through the bulkhead, the cockpit. [Screenshot from Bearded Bodger on YouTube]
Unfortunately birds have had free access to the very complete cockpit. [Screenshot from Bearded Bodger on YouTube]

A team from the SAM visited the Beverley on April 20th to examine the aircraft and plan its disassembly as shown in the video below. The first volunteer working party meeting was held at the museum on April 25th with 19 volunteers turning up to see how they can help.

Members of the team lend some scale to the rear fuselage of the Beverley. [Screenshot from Bearded Bodger on YouTube]

“Most of the volunteers are retired and cannot wait to get started,” Kerr said. “It will be like a holiday on the east coast and you get to play with an airplane.”

The Beverley fundraising pages will be live until August and donations can be made via PayPal and JustGiving. For more information on the Solway Aviation Museum or to offer help visit their website at https://www.solway-aviation-museum.co.uk. and their Facebook page.