Blackburn Beverley May End Up Being Chopped Up And Scrapped

If more support is not forthcoming, the Blackburn Beverley, the world’s last survivor, could be scrapped.

It was bought at auction by Condor Aviation owner Martyn Wiseman in September 2020, with the help of philanthropist Georg Von der Muehll, a Swiss banker.

It was originally intended to be dismantled and taken to an airfield near Selby, before reassembling the giant plane.

While some work has taken place with the tail, rudders, wings, propellers and engines all removed the project has hit a stumbling block.

Mr Wiseman says that there is no point in continuing the project as there is currently no money to put the Blackburn Beverley back together.

He said they have enough to get it shifted but they will then need a lot more to reassemble and put it back together.

Mr Wiseman is reported as saying;

“If we don’t get some funding we will have to cut it up and sell it for scrap.”

“If we got £5,000 that’s probably being generous. We have had no support from any charity, museum, the RAF, nobody.”

“Everybody has an opinion, but if you are not prepared to help financially you have no right to pass comment.”

“If we don’t get the funding there are two options, to chop it up or leave it where it is. It’s a shame, I think it’s fantastic, such a monster.”

Blackburn Beverley A Monster Of The Skies

The Blackburn Beverley first took to the skies in 1950. It went into operational duty in 1955 before being retired by the RAF in 1967. 

This is not the first time this plane has needed the support of the public in order for it to survive. When it first arrived in Beverley the Army Transport Museum volunteers raised money to help preserve this bit of aviation history.

Large bulk loads could be hauled on the aircraft, and it could land on dirt strips or uneven or imperfect runways.

Its design of it was similar to that of the GAL49 Hamilcar glider from World War II. Upon entering service, it was the largest aircraft in the Royal Air Force with approximately 6,000 ft3 (170 m3) of cargo space available.

Just in front of the leading edge of the tailplane, parachutists in the upper passenger area jumped through a hatch in the boom’s base. In the cargo hold, paratroopers exited through side doors.