Blackburn Beverly
(RAF Photo)
Blackburn Beverly C Mk. 1, RAF (Serial No. XB260), and (Serial No. XB262), transport aircraft were flown by RCAF personnel testing aircraft at the Canadian Experimental and Proving Establishment (CE&PE) at Namao, Alberta. XB262 was nicknamed “Mayflower III“, also known as “The Ark“. It wore the CE&PE badge on the forward fuselage. A fire started in a covered engine stand surrounding engine No. 4 on 19 Feb 1956 at RCAF Station Namao, Alberta. The fire damaged the engine and the propeller. The aircraft was subsequently repaired.
The Beverly was a British four-engine heavy transport cargo high-wing cantilever aircraft with a fixed undercarriage. A Beverley was flown by RCAF personnel testing aircraft at the Canadian Experimental and Proving Establishment (CE & PE) at Namao, Alberta. The Beverly’s large fuselage had a tail boom fitted with a tailplane with twin fins. The tailboom allowed access to the rear ofthe fuselage through removable clamshell doors. A 36ft main fuselage space was supplemented by passenger accommodation in the tailboom. The main cargo hold could accommodate 94 troops with another 36 in the tail-boom. The aircraft was designed for carrying large bulk loads and landing them on rough or imperfect runways, or mere dirt strips. Only one Beverley has survived (Serial No.XB259), at Fort Paull, near Hull in the UK. (Wikipedia)