Blackburn Beverley C.1, No. 84 Squadron, Royal Air Force, RAF Khormaksar, Aden (Yemen) ca. 1960

---

The Blackburn Beverley might look to be the kind of aircraft that would make a "put-put" sound in a Hayao Miyazaki movie with its comically large, boxy fuselage and proportionally small empennage and flying surfaces, but I can assure you, it is not.

Powered by four Bristol Centaurus radial engines, the Beverley was one of the most versatile, heavy-lift freighters in the Royal Air Force service from the mid 1950s until the introduction of C-130 Hercules in late 1960s. Its history could be traced to World War two era General Aircraft Limited GAL.49 "Hamilcar" transport glider which, in a manner similar to the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Me-323 "Gigant", was converted into a fully self-propelled freighter.

GAL.58 Hamilcar Mark X

The first powered glider build by General Aircraft Ltd. was the 1943 GAL.58, otherwise known as the Hamilcar Mark X. the aircraft was designed to meet specification X.4/44 in an attempt to allow Hamilcars to be used in the tropical climate of the Pacific, where high temperatures and the high altitudes of many airfields reduced the efficiency of piston-engined tow aircrafts.

The first prototype was converted from a Hamilcar Mark I. Two Bristol Mercury radial piston engines, capable of producing 965 hp (720 kW) each were added to the wings of the glider. However, the engines were not powerful enough to keep the aircraft at height when fully loaded and it was decided to reduce the amount of cargo it could carry under its own power.

Unfortunately, due to a lax development schedule the first production models were not available until the early months of 1945, just before the end of the war.

GAL.60 Universal Freighter Mark 1

In 1946, the Air Ministry issued Specification C.3/46, which sought a medium-range tactical transport aircraft that would, amongst other criteria, have a payload capacity of 25,000lb, a service ceiling of 18,000ft, and able to use small, rough airfields. Drawn upon their experiences building the GAL.58, General Aircraft promptly began development of the GAL.60 Universal Freighter in response.

Construction of the first prototype was undertaken at General Aircraft's Feltham, Middlesex factory. However, General Aircraft realized it did not have the room or capacity to produce the aircraft in quantity, and approached Blackburn Aircraft Ltd, that was looking for work to keep its factory at Brough Aerodrome, Yorkshire, busy. On 1 January 1949, the two companies merged to form the Blackburn and General Aircraft Ltd. and the first GAL.60 prototype was transported by road from Hanworth to Brough.

The GAL.60 made its first flight from Brough on 20th June 1950. Subsequent flight testing went well the aircraft was first exhibited to the public at the Farnborough Airshow in September 1950, where an order for a second, improved, prototype was announced.

GAL.65 / B-100 Universal Freighter Mark 2

The second prototype, designated GAL.65, flew in June 1953. it incorporated a clamshell-type rear cargo door and an enlarged tail boom with seating for up to 36 passengers. Most importantly, The Bristol Hercules radial engines of the first prototype were replaced with the newer and more powerful 2,850 hp (2,130 kW) Bristol Centaurus engines, which were furnished with reversible-pitch propellers to allow short landing distance as well as the ability to reverse under its own power.

In October 1952, an initial order for 20 production aircraft were placed under the new designation Beverley C. Mark 1. The first production machine rolled off production line and took to the air on 29 January 1955.

B-101 Beverley C.1

A sum of 47 production Beverleys were constructed in Blackburn's Brough facility from 1952 to 1956, though much of its subassemblies were manufactured in Dumbarton, Scotland. At the time, the type was the largest aircraft operated by the RAF and Britain's second largest landplane after the Bristol Brabazon.

The Beverley entered service with No. 47 Squadron in March 1956, where it served from RAF Abingdon as regular freight service to RAF Wildenrath in Germany. The squadron was merged in June 1963 with No. 53 Squadron, another Beverley squadron based on Abingdon. They were disbanded for a short time in October 1967 before being reformed in 1968 as a Hercules squadron.

During 1958, No. 84 Squadron became the sixth squadron to fly the Beverley. Based at RAF Khormaksar, Aden, the type was active during the Aden Emergency, providing airlifts and supply drops to British and Saudi Arabian forces stationed in the region. No. 84 Squadron and the Beverley alike provided crucial logistical support during the Brunei revolt of 1962. By July 1963, the squadron's Beverleys had reportedly flown almost two million miles while conveying over 20,000 tons of freight and 60,000 passengers. During August 1967, No. 84 Squadron exchanged its remaining Beverleys for the newer but smaller Hawker Siddeley Andover.

In all, No. 30, 34, 47, 53, and 84 Squadrons, as well as No. 242 OCU operated the Beverley with distinction, ferrying troops, cargo and supplies to the remnants of the crumbling British empire in Aden, Brunei, Kenya, Malaysia, and Zanzibar.