Storm Eowyn damaged the last Blackburn Beverley (Image: Solway Aviation Museum)
Devastating Storm Eowyn was so powerful it made the last surviving 1950s RAF Blackburn Beverley plane take flight – for the first time since 1974.
Despite precautions after Met Office red wind warnings last weekend, 80mph gusts still caused mayhem at the Solway Aviation Museum, in Cumbria.
And museum bosses have revealed how their iconic civil and military heavy transporter plane – the only surviving Blackburn B-101 Beverley of the 49 manufactured – made its restored sections briefly take to the air.
The RAF plane nicknamed ‘Big Bev’, currently under restoration by volunteers, sustained damage to its wing parts, cockpit section, and main fuselage during the storm.
Museum chairman Dougie Kerr said: “A couple of the wings that were laying down took flight, I suppose they are designed to do that.
“They moved to another part of the compound, we’ve had to move it back! There’s slight damage to the wing and the fuselage so there’s more to do but we’ll cope with it.”
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Damage to the historic Blackburn Beverley plane by Storm Eowyn (Image: Solway Aviation Museum)
Long after it was stationed in Hull in 1974, concerns loomed over the possibility of failing to secure a buyer that the cargo plane may have to be dismantled until the museum stepped in a “last-gasp rescue mission” to preserve the iconic aircraft.
The 36-tonne aircraft with a wingspan of 162 feet has been undergoing a two-year restoration project after a £80,000 fundraising effort helped the museum acquire the cargo plane.
The damage is an added challenge for the team, who are already working hard to preserve this last surviving example of the near 50 Beverleys ever built.
Dougie added: “It was always a two-year project. There’s still a lot to do and the storm damage is a little bit of a setback but it is something we will overcome.
“We’re getting on well with it. A lot is being done at the moment on the inside, panels, treated, repaired and painted.”
Storm Eowyn caused serious damage to plane’s wing (Image: Solway Aviation Museum)
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Storm Eowyn damage will add to volunteers’ ongoing restoration work (Image: Solway Aviation Museum)
While the museum remains closed for the winter period, visitors will have a chance to visit the site during a special half-term opening on February 15th, 16th, 21st, and 22nd. A full reopening is planned for March.
Since rescuing the ‘Big Bev,’ the museum has gone from strength to strength. In October, it received the prestigious AHUK Robert Pleming Memorial Award, the ‘highest accolade’ within the aviation heritage community.
The museum team has thanked everyone for past donations and is encouraging further support which will ultimately help to cover storm repairs.
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