October before it was damaged beyond repair in a crash at Wembley on 24
The first design of Alliott Verdon Roe
(1877-1958) was the Roe I biplane of 1907, which lacked a powerful enough
engine to take off without assistance. The Roe I Triplane (nicknamed The
Blues by Roe) was the first all-British aircraft to fly (Roe's previous
biplane had a French engine) and recorded the
first successful flight on 8 June 1908. It featured not only a triplane
wing, but a triplane tail as well; it was of extremely flimsy construction due
to Roe’s financial hardship. On 13 July 1909, Roe achieved a flight of
100 ft, and ten days later, one of 900 ft. With a more powerful engine,
he piloted the aircraft on several short flights at the Blackpool Meeting in
October before it was damaged beyond repair in a crash at Wembley on 24
December. He founded the A.V. Roe Aircraft Co.
on 1 January 1910, which was later renamed Avro Aircraft; his most popular, the
Avro 504, was built in large quantities for civilian and military use.