BLACKBURN BEVERLEY 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 63Left
The Beverley was
adept at carrying
smaller aircraft and
helicopters over
long distances.
Here, an Auster
AOP.9 is swallowed
by ‘Bev’ XB282. The
transport carries the
predominantly silver
scheme worn by UK-
based examples.Below left
Beverleys received
Dark Earth and Middle
Stone camoufl age for
service in the Middle
East, exemplifi ed here
by XL149.also allowed access to the rear of the
fuselage, which could be fitted with
removable clamshell doors.
STOL CAPABILITIES
The 6,000 cubic foot (170m³)
cabin could house up to 22 tonnes
(22,351kg) of freight, yet the
aircraft could operate from rough/
unprepared airstrips, taking off in
just 320m (755ft) and landing in
741m (2,431ft).
The prototype, WZ889, performed
its maiden flight on June 17, 1953
and the first production airframe
followed it into the skies on January
29, 1955. Eventually, a total of 47
aircraft would be ordered by the RAF,Type: Four-crew medium-range, high-capacity transport aircraft
First fl ight: June 17, 1953; entered service March 1956
Powerplant: Four 2,850hp (2,125kW) Bristol Centaurus radials
Dimensions: Span 162ft (49.38m), length 99ft 5in (29.08m)
Weights: Empty 79,234lb (35,941kg), all-up 135,000lb (61,236kg)
Max speed: 238mph (383km/h) at 5,700ft (1,737m)
Range: 1,300 miles (2,092km)
Capacity: 94 troops, 70 paratroops or 45,000lb (20,412kg) of freight
Replaced: Handley Page Hastings
Taken on charge: 49
Replaced by: Lockheed Hercules, HS AndoverBLACKBURN BEVERLEY C MK.I
all built at Blackburn’s Brough factory
in Yorkshire by May 1958.
The ‘Bev’ debuted with 47
Squadron at RAF Abingdon in
March 1956. In service it would
be used for medium-range, high-
capacity freight missions, but
it could also be configured for
parachute operations and
casualty evacuation.
It was an ungainly aeroplane,
but crews soon grew to love its
capabilities and robustness. One of
the type’s first duties was carrying
Bristol Sycamore and Westland
Whirlwind helicopters to Cyprus
and, in October 1959, an aircraft
dropped a military load of 40,000lb
(18,144kg) beneath eight 66ft
(20.12m)-diameter parachutes... the
heaviest air drop made by an RAF
aircraft at the time.SCHEDULED SERVICE
Throughout the late 1950s the
Beverley force was employed on
daily routes between Great Britain
and bases in Germany, as well as
weekly trips to Aden. They also
operated in support of British forces
in Yemen in 1957 and the 1961
Kenyan relief operations.
The type replaced the Vickers
Valetta, with 84 Squadron in
Khormaksar, Aden from May
1958 and a year later it equipped
48 Squadron at RAF Changi in
Singapore. The Beverley also served
with 30 Squadron in Bahrain
and Kenya, and 35 Squadron at
Seletar, Singapore.
Although the majority of
Beverleys had been retired by the
end of 1967, a handful clung on
until December 6, 1968 when
a finale formation marked their
retirement at RAF Upavon.“It was an ungainly aeroplane, but crews
soon grew to love its capabilities and
robustness.”