Pioneering Places of British Aviation

Britain was at the forefront of powered flight in the nineteenth century, with many places becoming centres of innovation and experimentation. Sir George Cayley Bart's ideas formed the basis of powered flight, and balloon flights and gliders were flown from various locations. Percy Pilcher had plans for a powered aircraft which may have enabled him to beat the Wright Brothers in becoming the first to make a fixed-wing powered flight. A.V. Roe made the first powered flight in Britain from Brooklands in Surrey in 1908, making Brooklands the birthplace of British aviation. Bruce Hales-Dutton explores many other places in his book, including the first aircraft factory in Britain, the British Army's first airfield, and Frederick Handley Page's first factory.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 10 April 2024
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Britain played a significant role in the development of powered flight in the nineteenth century. Numerous locations across the country became centers of innovation and experimentation as more and more daring individuals took to the skies. Sir George Cayley Bart, widely regarded as the father of aviation, presented his ideas in 1799 at Brompton Hall in Yorkshire, which laid the foundation for powered flight. While balloon flights were conducted at Hendon from 1862, attempts at powered flights from the same location later known as the famous airfield were not particularly successful. Despite this, Louis Blériot established a flying school in 1910 at the same location. Percy Pilcher, who flew gliders from the grounds of Stamford Hall in Leicestershire during the 1890s, had plans for a powered aircraft that could have potentially surpassed the Wright Brothers in achieving the first fixed-wing powered flight. In 1906, attempts were made to build and fly a powered aircraft at Brooklands in Surrey, even before the famous banked racetrack was completed. However, these efforts were unsuccessful. On 8 June 1908, A.V. Roe made what is considered to be the first powered flight in Britain from Brooklands, in a machine of his own design and construction. This marked a significant milestone in British aviation history, as Brooklands claimed to be the birthplace of British aviation. Bruce Hales-Dutton's book explores many other locations that played a role in the early days of British aviation, including the first aircraft factory in Britain, located in the railway arches at Battersea. Larkhill on Salisbury Plain, which became the British Army's training ground, also featured prominently in the book. Overall, Britain's contributions to the development of powered flight in the nineteenth century were significant and laid the foundation for the country's continued leadership in the field of aviation.

Weight: 352g
Dimension: 233 x 157 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399021265