Blackburn Beverley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blackburn Beverley | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Blackburn Beverley photographed in 1964. | |
| Type | Military transport aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aircraft |
| Designed by | General Aircraft |
| Maiden flight | 1950-06-20 |
| Introduced | 1955 |
| Retired | 1967 |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Produced | 1950-1958 |
| Number built | 49 |
The Blackburn Beverley was a heavy cantilever monoplane transport aircraft built by the Blackburn and General Aircraft corporation in the 1940s.
Originally designed and built by General Aircraft as the GAL.60 Universal Freighter, the first aircraft was dismantled at the Feltham, Middlesex factory and transported to Brough in Yorkshire to have its maiden flight on 1950-06-20. This was followed by a second, the GAL.65 Universal Freighter Mk 2, which was modified from the original. Clamshell doors replaced a combination of a door and ramp, and the tailplane boom received seating for 36 passengers. The Bristol Hercules engines became Bristol Centaurus with reverse pitch propellors a feature that gave it a short landing length. The RAF placed an order in 1952 as the Beverley C.1 (Beverley, Cargo Mark 1). All Beverleys would be built at Brough.
The aircraft was designed for, and indeed was quite proficient at, carrying large bulk loads and landing them on rough or imperfect runways, or mere dirt strips. It could trace its design back to the GAL49 Hamilcar glider of the Second World War. At the time of its entry into service it was the largest aircraft in the Royal Air Force (RAF). It had an enormous interior cargo area split into two levels which amounted to around 170 cubic meters of space. Paratroopers in the upper passenger area jumped through a hatch in the base of the boom just before the leading edge of the tailplane.
In total, 49 of the aircraft were produced, with the last one being manufactured in 1958 and the final retirement from RAF service in 1967. To this date, only one of the original Beverleys has survived scrapping and was on display at the Beverley Museum of Army Transport, which has now closed. This last Beverley is now on display at Fort Paull just east of Hull.
Contents |
[edit] Operators
[edit] Units using the Beverley
- No. 30 Squadron RAF: 1957-1967
- No. 47 Squadron RAF: 1956-1967
- No. 53 Squadron RAF: 1957- 1963
- No. 84 Squadron RAF: 1958-1967
- No. 34 Squadron RAF: 1962-1967
- No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit: 1957-1967
Nine aircraft were lost in service with the RAF. Two of these were write-offs after explosive damage (1 landmine, 1 bomb).
[edit] Specifications (B-101)
Data from Aeroflight[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 6(2 pilots, flight engineer, navigator, signaller, loadmaster)
- Capacity:
- 80 troops
- 70 paratroopers
- Payload: 44,000 lb (20,000 kg) for 200 mi (320 km)
- Length: 99 ft 5 in (30.3 m)
- Wingspan: 162 ft (49.4 m)
- Height: 38 ft 9 in (11.8 m)
- Wing area: 2,916 sq ft (270.9 m²)
- Empty weight: 79,234 lb (35,950 kg)
- Loaded weight: 82,100 lb (37,240 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 135,000 lb (61,235 kg)
- Powerplant: 4× Bristol Centaurus 173 18-cylinder radial engines, 2,850 hp (2,130 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 238 mph (208 knots, 383 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 173 mph (150 knots, 278 km/h) at 8,000 ft (2,400 m)
- Range: 200 mi (170 nm, 320 km) with standard payload
- Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,900 m
- Takeoff roll: 1,340 ft (410 m)
- Landing roll: 990 ft (300 m)
- Rate of climb: 760 ft/min (3.9 m/s)
- Wing loading: 28.2 lb/ft² (137 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.138 hp/lb (228 W/kg)
[edit] References
- Overton, Bill. Blackburn Beverley. Midland Counties. ISBN 0-904597-62-8.
[edit] External links
[edit] Related content
Comparable aircraft
- Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
- Breguet Sahara
- Nord Noratlas
- C-119 Flying Boxcar
Designation sequence
Related lists
- List of aircraft of the RAF
- List of miltary transport aircraft
Timeline of aviation
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Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft
