Can’t get any more British than this charming heavy cargo aircraft. Not a thing of classic beauty, these fixed undercarriage aircraft were nevertheless very dependable and also possessed very handy short take-off & landing performances. They also were the largest aircraft in RAF service. The around 50 built more than earned their keep during their operational service (1958-68). All that said it’s so regrettable to know the only one remaining Beverley (XB259) at Fort Paull Museum is now in danger: shortly to be put up for auction after the museum closure. Let’s cross fingers.
Happier times in this neat Imperial War Museum photo. Some RAF Parachute Brigade members using the peculiar “paratroop hatch” on the Beverley tailboom, Exercise Red Banner, Oct, 1959. Clumsy, but a cool aircraft in its own particular way.
Aviation Rapture 
An ugly aircraft, of not very good performance, just the Bristol Sleeve-Valve engines make it deserve all preservation efforts. Salut +
There are many preserved Bristol Sleeve-Valve engines, but only this Beverley remains….
I’m looking for 6 or 7 (as spare) Bristol SSV Cylinders, pistons, junk heads and so on, to try building a flat-six engine aimed at a truck or bus. Any hint? The Beverley deserves ‘pollice preso’. Thanks. Salut +
No idea. Good luck….. Interested in this Beverley’s Centaurus engines?
Yeah! ‘As long as the price is right’, song by Doc Feelgood. Thanks. Salut +
Jaja… Bon cap de setmana!
Ugly? Perhaps, but it was a superb supply dropper and it had lavatories!
Good remark!
Did the Hercules kill the Beverley, and both a similar 4 turboprop machine under design in early 70s in Spain?
During my training period for conscription army, other airforce men asked angrily the colonel in charge of unit about the cancellation of that CASA project. No idea
The Hercules was a game changer. The Beverley was a dinosaur; it didn’t have a change. The aircraft project you talk about was the C-401. Smaller and less powerful than the Hercules, it didn’t have a chance either.
The way of soldiers to access Beverley is pretty comical.
… and dangerous. The lavatories were placed beyond that hatch. A serviceman died after using the facilities when exiting the toilet, unaware the hatch had been left open. The toilet doors were later modified to remain shut when the hatch was open.
Thanks. I’m not that sure that two airplanes, one, the C-130 Hercules, twice in size and load capacity to the other, C-401, can’t share market, that for sure is not same. About the needs of customers, I’m not in the potential purchasers list. I like the straight leading edge in Hercules wing, which may best for low speed operation. Wikipedia points to a hurry from Carrero Blanco in having transports ready for an eventual conflict in Sahara in the decision for Hercules, Franco had declared: ‘Sahara well deserves a war’, he never was told about the ‘Green March’. In the series of transport airplanes, the Noratlas is my preferred one, it’s not only beautiful, but the simplicity of Bristol Slleve-Valve engines, produced under license by Snecma, sold also to Casa Azor, give the image of flying without needing power. Salut +
Not a question of the same market: the Hercules was available, affordable and more than proven; the C-401 was a gamble, a very expensive one with no clearly defined commercial future.
The Noratlas was all that.
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