Blackburn Beverley photos wanted

[Amos Keeto]

I am doing some research for a modeller's book on the Blackbun Beverley and whilst I have plenty of photos of Beverlies on the ground, I am looking for anyone that might have any official Blackburn or MoD air-to-air photos that might be willing to scan for this? In particular I need a photo of the prototype WZ889 and any interior & cockpit photos. Also there was a formation photo sortie in December 1967 to mark the type's retirement. Does anyone have copies of these?

Thanks for looking.

[Warmtoast]

Hi Amos

Knowing how fussy some of the aircraft modelling types can be the following might just whet their appetite.

I took these photos at RAF Gan in February 1958.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/GAN/Beverley1.jpg

14th February 1958. This 47 Sqn Abingdon-based Beverley, serial number XB263, pilot F/Lt Peter Dudley, flew in the advance contingent of Pakistani workers who were to do most of the construction work to convert Gan from a sleepy island with a short crushed-coral landing strip to a busy RAF staging post with an 8,694ft/2,650m long concrete runway.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/GAN/Beverley2.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/GAN/Beverley3.jpg

The interesting point is that the nose of the aircraft sports the arms of the town of Abingdon (where it was based) and above that the arms the ribbon of the GSM annotated underneath "Malaya". The sort of detail aircraft modellers like.

Below two Beverley photos taken one year later at RAF Abingdon.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/Abingdon-BeverlyLanding_1280x853-1.jpg


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Abingdon/Abingdon-BeverlyTake-off_1200x800-1.jpg

[cyflyer]

any official Blackburn or MoD air-to-air photos

Amos , check out ebay Uk right now, look at Item number: 280843243304.
It is a beautiful air to air by 'the' Charles Brown. They don't get any better than that. Let us know how you get on.
Also check out item 290681477732 which for some reason doesn't show up under the BB search, and infact appears to be the same aircraft 'K' shown above and probably at the same location.

[VX275]

I have a set of Provisonal Pilot's Notes for the Beverley dated March 1956, they contain the usual labeled photos of the cockpit and crew stations. I may also be able to dig out some photos of heavy drop trials.

[Rosevidney1]

And I have the set of the April 1960 PNs in the then new landscape format.
If you pm me with your e-mail address I can employ the snipping tool to best effect.

[Amos Keeto]

Thanks very much to all of you for your kind responses. Having taken colour slides myself since 1966, I managed to capture the last days of the Beverley in colour and only really need some of the official MoD air-to-air b/w photos and good cockit and interior shots of the main fuselage and tail boom.

Re the E.Bay prints, co-incidentally, someone kindly sent me a good scan from an original print taken on the same sortie, so I have no need to bid on that print.

If the PNs show cockpit layout, that would be useful, but any photos must be (1) top quality scans from original prints or slides and (b) of use to modellers showing position of squadron markings etc. I am trying to do this with as many colour photos as possible, so any colour slides would have priority.

[Proplinerman]

Click on this link for numerous photos of Beverleys on Airliners.net:

Photo Search Results | Airliners.net (http://tinyurl.com/6urpxh9)

[Cornish Jack]

Still have the Dishforth OCU course notes from the conversion course -'58. Will need notice to find them!!!:confused:

[Amos Keeto]

I photographed 84 Squadron Beverley, XH122, at Bicester in January 1968 on retirement and awaiting scrapping.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Amoskeeto/XH122-leftBeverleyC184SqnMEAFBicester27Jan1968.jpg
As I walked round the port side, I saw this map showing a '1936 New Zealand-England Air Race'. This has puzzled me ever since and I wonder if anyone knows what connection this has with an 84 squadron Beverley?
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/Amoskeeto/XH122BeverleyC1noseart84SqnMEAFBicester27Jan1968.jpg

[sycamore]

Could be it took them 1936 hours to get from NZ to UK,or around half the world in 80 days.....

[Cornish Jack]

Seeing that this thread is concerned with modelling the Bev, I'm attaching a photo of what was, probably, the first scratch-built model. It was presented to Guiness Breweries when we (53 Sqdn) were 'adopted' by the brewery in 1960. The superb model was the work of one of our AQMs (as they were then) 'Eddie' Edwards. He (if memory serves me well) is 3rd from the right hand end of the back row (as viewed).Why he wasn't at the forefront to recognise his workmanship seems ridiculous! although. depending on when, during the visit, the photo was taken, organisational skills may have been suffering from Guiness 'hospitality'! We were all presented witha Guiness/53 tie which had as its motif the Guiness Toucan with a Bev undercarriage - still tucked away somewhere!http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu193/CornishJack/GuinessBev1.jpg

[Amos Keeto]

Ah, Cornish Jack, I was rather hoping you might pop up on my thread with one of your Bev stories. Many thanks and what a magnificent job he made of the model.
I'm still looking for any photos taken air-to-air by MoD of the trio that flew a press photo sortie from Abingdon in December 1967. Also any undertaking parachute drops and any taken kicking up a dust storm while reversing thrust. Can you or anyone help?

[Cornish Jack]

Hi Amos
Can't help, I'm afraid. My only Bev photo's are a couple taken in Khormaksar but no details remembered. Don't recall taking any during my time on 30 or 53 and I went to pastures new (Bangkok) in '61 - well, someone has to do the hardship postings!!:p
As I mentioned previously, I have the course notes from Dishforth which may have some tech details of use but will need a little searching-for.