The Blackburn Beverley

RAF Military transport aircraft.

[@markbartlett6287]

It's amazing how quickly aviation technology changed in those days. The C-130 Hercules arrived just four years after the Beverley, sporting turboprop engines and far more speed. The last of the Beverley's was decommissioned in 1967 and only one avoided the scrap heap. The C-130 is still in heavy service and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. The Beverley was a very innovative aircraft though.

[@silverjohn6037]

C-130 is a bit like the DC-3. They didn't really know what they were doing so, instead of building them to be 'just' good enough, they overbuilt them and they've survived so long because of that.

[@thunberbolttwo3953]

What killed the Beverly was lack of range.

[@andygass9096]

Did my first parachute drop from a Beverley, pilot was a mad pole who then beat up the airfield at very very low level , terrifying!

[@mhoppy6639]

I had a walk around that last remaining Blackburn at Fort Paull some years back. It is an extraordinary looking machine. Like a flying box. You can see from a cursory look why it was so slow, even as a total aviation non-expert like me! But I hope it continues to survive, it’s a wonderful piece of history and it’s good to see the memories of people associated with this wonderful aircraft

[@barrytaylor6565]

As an Air Cadet in the 70's I remember going to 8 A.E.F at RAF Shawbury for flights in Chipmunks, of course due to British weather sometimes fog would roll in and stop the flights, On the other side of the rumway were Beverleys and Hastings all waiting to be scrapped, we were given permission to go over to have a look at them, they seemed massive to us, and of course being nosey we found a way inside ! the hold of the Beverleys were so big, I found my way up a ladder into the boom where the Paras were in the film, opened the floor hatch and something fell out to the ground, I scrambled down and found a No Smoking sign which would have been lite for take offs and landings, I still have that sign now.40 odd years later! good memories of a different time.

[@johngoodfellow168]

We used to go upcountry in Malaya in these from R.A.F. Seletar. In Bangkok when we landed there on the way to north east Thailand, the Americans were amazed to see the pilot stick it in reverse and back up on the pan, without assistance. R.A.F. pilots were amazing, landing on runways which, from the air, looked like little patches of red ash in the jungle.

[@andreinarangel6227]

Americans WERE NOT amazed. They were being polite. Anything you guys do, we can do....better and with better gear. So we're not impressed one bit. Go back to the pub and brag there about things nobody cares about.

[@johngoodfellow168]

@@andreinarangel6227 I have nothing to brag about, I was a mere passenger, and impressing someone with no manners is the last thing I need to do.

[@jimrichmond4734]

There is no such thing as an American American, unless you are an American Indian. All the rest are descended from immigrants.

[@melvyncox3361]

Remember seeing one at RAF Finningley aishow as a kid in the '60s.Large aircraft!

[@markfryer9880]

Looks like it was designed for a staring part in a Thunderbirds episode. Take a good look and try to argue that I am wrong.

[@andrewhrichardson]

Won’t be taking you up on that.

[@josephlambe2796]

I’d give up the weed my man..looks nothing like any thunderbird especially thunderbird 2

[@josephlambe2796]

Also looks like a big Armstrong Whitworth Argosy..ie the flying wheelbarrow

[@veryhappychappy12]

Second aircraft I left at 800 feet when doing my training at RAF Abingdon the first being the Hastings. Loved the Beverley, difficult to get an exit wrong as it was going so slow .... unlike the C130 where even with the baffles out twists were a regular occurrence.

[@andygass9096]

Dropping at Weston on the Green! My first drop too 1966 if memory serves.

[@desertmandan123]

There are the remains of one of these in Iraq at a former RAF base in Habbanyah...in quite amazing condition considering the time its spent there. There is also an old De Haviland Vampire, minus it's engine and painted in Iraqi Air force colours....used as a gate guardian...

[@mikewright7407]

I wonder if the Solway Aviation Museum is aware of this? could be some decent spare parts to repair the old Fort Paull Beverley?

[@bernie2108]

Flew in theses as a Air Cadet from Abingdon and Benson, blagged a flight to Filton, Bristol spent most of it in the nose blister. Later life when as a Pilot used to visit the one at Southend airport, Happy memories,

[@Peter-lm3ic]

I recall flying back to the UK from Denmark in a Beverly after a night para drop when one engine started to misfire and we made a landing at a small airport in Holland. We waited awhile and I walked across the airfield to a hanger where the Bev was and to my surprise RAF mechanics had a cylinder head off. I was previously aware that on board the Bev were RAF personal were on board, one with lots of stripes and patches presumably an artificer? . We eventually took off again, it was night time and suddenly there was a lot of misfiring and flames all along the port side windows. It stopped then started up again with more flames, suddenly it stopped the flames went out and we made an emergency landing at Schiphol. We stayed the night at a nice hotel. They said afterwards that all the fire extinguisher was used up just as the flames went out and we were very lucky! It was a nice aircraft for jumping out of being relatively slow and with a good exit, in a daylight jump it was common to see the full development of the 'chute. i.e the static lined pulling the bag away extending the 'chute to that beautiful development! Happy days!

[@flit-the-history]

The Beverley was prone to mechanical issues; more so than most other service aircraft.

[@Seminal_Ideas]

Iconic, innovative and rugged though it was, the Beverley was really a world war two era design. Evolved from the Blackburn Universal freighter at a glacial pace, it was obsolete when it entered service. Blackburn kept pushing for a version with Proteus turboprops but it never happened.

[@paulkerr782]

State of the art steam driven technology !!

[@raybede]

Brilliant, Thank you very much for uploading this film

[@markwilliamwestonwilson1503]

There was a Beverley At Southend Air Museum until it closed , no idea where it went after.

[@jadams3427]

'Grew up close to Thorney Island, and saw these flying in and out all the time.

[@bigdmac33]

An absolute cracker of an aircraft - unique, ungainly-looking but supremely functional and effective.

[@oldgysgt]

Yea, so "functional and effective" only a total of 49 were ever made, and the UK was the only nation to operate them.

[@bigdmac33]

@@oldgysgt So, you commanded one then?

[@oldgysgt]

@@bigdmac33; Officers command, Staff NCOs don't.

[@peterdickenson424]

did a good job regarding operation vantage @@oldgysgt

[@johnridout6205]

If you want to be a jumper this is what you go up on in the 60’s

[@terry9325]

I flew in one as a guard in Aden 1967 while serving in the RAF Regiment , it was delivering supplies up country to some Parra’s in the mountains ,

[@user-tl5fi9lz9z]

As I recall, the beverly and the C-130 first flew in the same year. Which one is still being produced?

[@andrewsteele7663]

I visited the Transport Museum in Beverly years ago and donated money to the restoration of the Beverly they had, just wondering what became of that, cheers

[@briancurran2988]

Museum closed, the aircraft was moved to a field, after that it seems to have dropped off the radar.

[@andrewsteele7663]

@@briancurran2988 Thanks Brian, that is a shame, excellent museum when I visited it. It was many years ago. Thanks again for filling the loop, cheers

[@royalexander7896]

The Beverley went from the museum to Fort Paull just outside Hull, unfortunately the Fort closed recently, not sure what happened to it its possible its still there waiting for a buyer. I was a tour guide and historian at the Fort for several years and was working there when the Beverley arrived, dismantled on a convoy of low loaders it was an impressive sight.

[@andrewsteele7663]

@@royalexander7896 Thanks Roy, really appreciate your reply. Very sad to hear about the museum, as I have spoken highly of it over the years. Cheers and thanks

[@royalexander7896]

Following my conversation with you, the Beverley is still at Fort Paull waiting for more funding to be raised. The owner was supposed to get £100,000 through croadfunding but only raised £1,000. The tail and wings have been dismantled and the engine. This was on the 'Yorkshire Post' site from 19th April 2022.

[@michaelkelly8003]

Flew on one of these as a kid from Mombasa to Nairobi when my dad was stationed in Kenya c1964. 🇰🇪

[@MrDino1953]

Love and laugh at the old BBC style of narration. He seems to pronounce "carry" as "caddy".🙂

[@Meisha-san]

"Pantechnicon", my word for this week 🙃

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

@@Meisha-san Keep on trucking dude.....

[@johnstevenson1709]

I think it's an old pathe film isn't it?

[@jamesedenbrow3232]

2 of these arrived at RAF El Adem April1963. 1 crashed on landing killing 2. I had the dubious honour of Flying to. Benghazi military cemetery in the other as a coffin bearer, both places in Libya

[@dougkennedy4906]

Men who know their job and do it well? They should do their job flawlessly it is an aircraft.

[@skipgetelman3418]

Cool old bird

[@900stx7]

Looks like the rear doors have to be removed for parachute operations.

[@pjp7316]

Huge

[@McRocket]

Pantechnicon?!? ☮

[@64mickh]

Large cargo vehicle

[@iancurtis1152]

Ah yes, the days of corny b/ground music🥴