AN AVIATION museum has raised thousands to help save a historic plane.

The Solway Aviation Museum has so far raised over £20,000 in efforts to keep an RAF aircraft, which is one of the last of its kind in existence. 

The museum aims to raise £60,000 to dismantle and transport the Blackburn Beverley XB259 located at Fort Paul, as it is the last complete example of this type of aircraft in the world. 

It is said that this is the last of only 49 that were ever built and was used for troop and cargo transport by the Royal Air Force until 1967. 

If the proposal goes ahead, the plane will be dismantled and transported from its current location in Hull where it will be reassembled at Carlisle Airport and used as part of The Solway Aviation Museum's collection. 

Also, a part of the museum's collection is the 'enormous' Avro Vulcan XJ823.

A spokesperson said: "The work to re-assemble and restore the Beverley will be carried out by the highly experienced team of museum volunteers.

"The appeal has been launched to help fund the lifting and transport costs for the huge sections of aircraft, as well as ground preparation of the new site."

Museum Chairman, Dougie Kerr, continued: "This is a last-gasp rescue mission for the Beverley, and once it is here it will form an important part of our collection of iconic British-made aircraft.

"Blackburn Beverley XP259 has faced an uncertain future since the closure of the small museum at Fort Paull in 2020.

"It was saved from the scrapman by a private individual, but the road towards finding it a new permanent home has proved difficult.

"With uncertainties continuing, the intervention by Solway Aviation Museum has at last provided an opportunity to see the Beverley saved as part of Britain’s heritage."

More details on how to donate can be found on the Just Giving page.