Post by flyboy on Jul 4, 2018 20:39:16 GMT
The Blackburn Beverley:
General Aircraft initially designed and built the GAL.60 Universal Freighter at their Feltham, Middlesex factory but had to transport it by road to Brough in Yorkshire for it's maiden flight in June 1950. This was followed by the GAL.65 which was a much modified model being larger than the GAL.60 with clamshell opening rear doors and additional seating for 36 passengers in the tail boom. It was also fitted with Bristol Centaurus engines with reverse pitch propellers which not only gave it a very short take-off run of only 790 yards but meant that it's landing run with reverse thrust was only 310 yards, plus it was possible to reverse this large aircraft under it's own power.
An order for 20 Beverley C.Mk.1 (Beverley, Cargo Mark.1) aircraft was placed by the RAF on October 1st 1952. Further orders followed: 30th July 1954 for 9 aircraft, 2nd January 1956 for 8 aircraft and a final order for a further 10 aircraft on September 24th 1956, a total of 49 altogether including prototypes and all but the initial GAL.60 being built at Brough in Yorkshire.
The aircraft was a high wing cantilever monoplane with a fixed undercarriage. The large 36ft (11m) fuselage space had a large area for either a substantial load or accommodation for 94 troops, with an additional 36 in the higher tail boom. This figure would be slightly less if para troops were carried due to their bulky equipment.
The aircraft was also fitted with toilets at the end of the tail boom just behind the exit hatch used by para troops. After a fatality when someone used the toilet while on the ground and fell through the hatch, which had been opened without his knowledge, modifications were put in place to ensure this could not happen in the future.
The clam shell doors could be removed if required to facilitate dropping of heavy loads. Often described as "ungainly looking" the Beverley was a very versatile aircraft which could easily be operated from short unprepared strips or used as a para-dropping platform, for carriage of personnel, vehicles or supplies. Para-troops could either jump through side fuselage doors or through a hatch in the boom just forward of, and between the twin tail fins.
The last aircraft was manufactured in 1958 and the type was finally retired from RAF service in 1967.
Nine aircraft were lost during RAF service.
Sample Loads:
16x 1 ton containers for auto drop.
8x manually deployable platforms.
4x 8,000lb Boscombe platforms (ssps) of general supplies.
2x Medium stressed platforms with Guns or Vehicles.
1x Heavy stressed platform - grader or small tank.
Variants:
GAL.60 Universal Freighter Mk.1 Designation for first prototype WZ320/G-AMUX. First flight 20.6.1950
GAL.65 Universal Freighter Mk.2 Second prototype WZ889, Blackburn designation B-100.First Flight June 1953.
Beverley C. Mk.1 Medium range tactical transport for the RAF Blackburn designation B-101.
Blackburn B-107 projected Stage 2 development of B-101 in 1956. Did not progress beyond planning stage.
Blackburn B-107A projected stage 3 development of B101 in 1959. Did not progress past planning stage.
Specification:
Crew 6
Capacity Up to 130 troops (figures vary)
Payload 44,000lb (20,000kg) for 200mi (322km)
Length 99ft 5in (30.3m)
Wingspan 162ft (49.4m)
Height 38ft 9in (11.8m)
Wing Area 2,916sq ft (270.9sq m)
Weight Empty 79,234lb (35,950kg)
Weight Loaded 82,100lb (37,240kg)
Max Take Off Weight 135,000lb (61,235kg)
Powerplants 4x Bristol Centaurus 173 18-cylinder radials, 850hp (2,130kW) each
Speed Max 238mph (208kn,383km/h)
Cruise speed 173mph (150kn,278km/h) at 8,000ft (2,400m)
Range 1,300mi (1,130nmi,2,092km) with standard 29,000lb (13,154kg ) payload
Service Ceiling 16,000ft (4,900m)
Rate of Climb 760ft min (3.9m/s)
Take-off Roll 1,340ft (410m)
Landing Roll 990ft (300m)
Visitors Noted:
Reg Type c/n Operator Squadron / code Date Noted
XB259 C.1 1002 RAF/RAE ---------------------- 8.6.59 (Later at RAE Farnborough).
XB262 --..-- 1005 --..-- ---------------------- 9.11.57
XB263 --..-- 1006 --..-- -----------------K---- 11.7.59,12.7.59 from Coventry.
XB264 ] --..-- 1007 --..-- ---------------- C---- [21.8.57>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- ---------------------- [27.1.59>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- ----53 Sqn C---- [16.7.59.
XB265} --..-- 1008 --..-- ---------------------- {15,5,57,1.11.57,30.1.59.>
--..-- } --..-- --..-- --..-- ---------------- A---- {10.4.59>
--..-- } --..-- --..-- --..-- ---------------------- {22.4.59.
XB267] --..-- 1010 --..-- ---------------------- [10.5.57>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- ----47 Sqn B---- [17.5.57,15.7.59.
XB268 --..-- 1011 --..-- ----47 sqn D---- 21.7.59.
XB269 --..-- 1012 --..-- ----------------------- 15.5.57.
XB282} --..-- 1013 --..-- ----------------------- {4.4.57.>
--..-- } --..-- --..-- --..-- ------------------F---- {8.11.57.
XB283] --..-- ? --..-- ------------------G---- [00.2.47>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- ----------------------- [12.4.57-13.4.57>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- ----47 Sqn G---- [9.4.58>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- ----------------------- [11.2.60,15.2.60,2.4.60.
XB284} --..-- 1014 --..-- ----47 Sqn H---- {23.5.57,19.7.57>
--..-- } --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- {2.9.57-3.9.57,14.7.59.
XB285 --..-- 1015 --..-- ----------------------- 12.9.57,22.4.59.
XB287 --..-- 1017 --..-- ----------------------- 15.4.57,19.4.57,30.1.59.
XB288] --..-- 1018 --..-- ----53 Sqn U---- [00.2.49,4.4.57,6.4.57>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- --..-- [17.4.57,13.2.58.
XB289} --..-- 1019 --..-- ----------------------- {23.4.59,21.5.59>
--..-- } --..-- --..-- --..-- ----53 Sqn V---- {8.5.59,21.4.60,4.5.60.
XB290 --..-- 1020 --..-- ----53 Sqn W---- 31.5.57,7.6.57,1.10.57,8.5.59.
XB291] --..-- 1021 --..-- ---------------------- [00.3.54,17.2.58,13.5.59>
--..-- ] --..-- --..-- --..-- -----------------X---- [1.6.58.