Save The Last Beverley

[adrian mole]

The very last Beverley Transport aircraft XB259 is now seriously under threat of disposal as it languishes at the site of the now bankrupt Army Museum of Transport in North Yorks. For those of you who don't remember the RAF Museum Hendon possessed a Beverley but then cut it up into scrap - what kind of Museum does that?

The Yorkshire Air Museum (YAM) at Elvington are willing to exhibit the Bev but would need £100k to move it which they don't have.

Shouldn't the RAF Museum with all its resources redeem itself from it's previous vandalism and rescue the very last aircraft of this type and the British forerunner of the C130 Hercules?

[Jackonicko]

The RAF Museum (or rather the MoD's Historic Aircraft Committee) should certainly step in and save this aircraft, certainly before saving Polish MiG-15s, Spanish Do 24s, and assorted aircraft in USAAF markings, all of which have taken valuable space at Hendon.

The RAF Museum's track record in failing to save important historic aircraft is lamentable. The Beverley allowed to rot until it could (supposedly) only be scrapped, the Canberra B(I)8 (the RAF's last Canberra bomber) given to New Zealand, the Victor B1 at Cosford, various Vulcan B1s, etc. etc.

[RubiC Cube]

Do the Kiwis have a Beverley in their museum? I seem to remember seeing something big there many years ago.

[noisy]

The reason for the scrapping of the Hendon Beverley was that it was suffering from serious corrosion. The Hendon branch of the Museum now has a policy of not storing a/c outside although they have recently put an Omani Hunter FR 10 on display outside the Milestones building. (?)

Without wanting to insult the memories of the 8th AF personnel who served in Britain during WW2, is the Royal Air Force Museum the right place to display a B-17 fire bomber? Particularly in light of recent moves at Duxford?

The situation at Cosford is lamentable, particularly with respect to the Victor. Flat tyres are no way to present an aircraft. (Moves have apparently been made to conserve the Vulcan) In the end of the day it's going to be a question of money.

We don't even have a DC-3! :{

[Jackonicko]

I don't necessarily have a problem with displaying the B-17, B-25 and P-51 at Hendon, but let's do what the Yanks would with a Spit or a Mossie and display these aircraft in British markings.

[noisy]

I'd go wih that, but the B-17 is huge! It takes up so much space.

[Echo 5]

Gentlemen,

We start to digress already. The title of the thread is " Save the last Beverley"

Adrian,

Do you know if the Beverley Association has got involved ? They may well have got the ball rolling but it will be difficult to raise £100K I should imagine.

[noisy]

Does anyone know who is organising the fund?

[adrian mole]

Noisy

I believe the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington are attempting to initiate a fund. You can get further news from their website www.yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk where they state HRH The Prince of Wales has been contacted and replied and has also informed the Army School of Flying as he is Colonel-in-Chief.

Rubic

I think you'll discover that the big aircraft in the Kiwi Museum is a Bristol Freighter.

[InFinRetirement]

Is this the same Beverly that was at the Southend Museum? If not what happened to it???

[814man]

In the past couple of months, since the Army Transport Museum announced it was to close and was looking to dispose of the Beverly, there have been 2 quite long running threads in the Aviation History and Nostalgia section of PPRuNe about this subject. For detailed information about particular airframes you might want to look there, as I’m sure these questions were raised and discussed.

[Gainesy]

Exactly where is this Army Museum anybody?

[Echo 5]

Gainesy,

The Army Transport Museum is/was in York just round the corner from the Minster as I recall.

E5

[814man]

It’s in Beverley!!
No really.

[European Crash]

I can confirm that the RNZAF Museum at Wigram, Christchurch, does not have a Beverly. I don't think that one ever made it to NZ. Perhaps the earlier correspondent may have confused it with the BF170 - Bristol Freighter.

[Gainesy]

Thanks.
So to move this a/c 20 odd miles to Elvington = £100,000?!!!
Suggest get another quote.

[Echo 5]

814man,

I stand corrected, it is in Beverley.I wondered why it took so long to get there. I'm starting to lose it I think.
For anyone interested phone number is 01482-860445
E5

[I_stood_in_the_door]

the museum in beverley, housing the last beverley, is in fact near beverley minster/church.

shame to see it go, there used to be another one in east yorkshire at a plce called paull (if my memory serves me correct!) but long since gone.

interesting fact: to carryout aerial resupply msp stylie,they had to fly with the rear cargo doors taken off.

brrrrr! a bit chilly for the alm!

isitd

:ok:

[Gainesy]

Nope, the loadie was kept warm and busy stopping birds getting in to nest.

[pr00ne]

I stood in the door,

The Beverley at Beverley IS the Berverley that was the Beverley at Paull.

[Echo 5]

isitd,

I knew there was a large church nearby.Shame I got the place wrong.

Re the cargo doors. They were as I recall known as Clam Shell doors. I flew on many sorties in the Middle East with the doors off and it was most refreshing after the heat and humidity at gound level.
Funnily enough I think it was probably a lot quieter than Albert with the ramp open.
The ramps on the Bev were enormous things (or so it seemed) and it took about four guys to manhandle them.

E5

[I_stood_in_the_door]

prOOne,

many thanks for update. saw the oneat paull years ago when a small child and helped tidy up the same one at beverley in '89.

was only there last year and the oldt hing was looking a bit tired. lets hope something is sorted out to rehouse the beverley@beverley!

rgds

isitd

:ok:

[RVR800]

The Beverley aircraft is indeed round the corner from Beverley Minster not York Minster. The aircraft was moved from Paull
(an airfield that used to be the home of Hull Aero Club) to the town of Beverley by Francis Daley who bought it and moved it to its present location. It's never been displayed to its full potential and always seemed slighly incongrous in a museum of army transport..Mind you most of these museums are liitle more than a dumping ground for old aircraft and are more for the entertainment of the old buffers that run the museums - the punters are not allowed on them in most cases...

[matspart3]

InFin
It's not the Southend Beverley, which was scrapped in the late eighties. The cockpit section is preserved at Duxford

[Echo 5]

Just heard from a work colleague that the airframe was cut into four pieces and has been transported to Fort Paull.
Story and pictures in August edition of Fly Past magazine.

E5.