A REPLICA of the first all-British plane clung stubbornly to the ground as enthusiasts attempted to recreate its first flight.

A century after pioneer A V Roe piloted his Tri-plane, volunteers assembled a near-perfect replica in an attempt to imitate his feat.

But the fragile replica - powered by a century old motorbike engine - refused to lift off despite two valiant attempts by daredevil pilot Judy Laden.

The team, all ex-workers from the former Avro factory in Woodford, spent four years lovingly reconstructing the aircraft.

The volunteers, who were sponsored by Roe's grandson Eric, had to rely on guesswork and archive photographs as original blueprints were sketchy.

Patricroft-born Roe, entered the record books when he became the first pilot to fly a British built plane in July 1909.

Celebrated avaiator 

Although the vessel, built out of wood and wax paper, managed a 100 feet hop it was not capable of long-distance flight and Roe was soon back to the drawing board, shortly becoming one of the country's most celebrated aviators.

At RAF Woodvale, near Formby, the attempted recreation was cheered on by several aviation fans who had travelled specially for the occasion.

Speaking after the attempt, project leader Michael Taylor, an ex-Avro engineer, said: "I'm very disappointed. The plane was too heavy and possibly the engine did not have enough power.

"We couldn't work to the exact designs. We had to satisfy health and safety and therefore the aircraft was heavier than the original."

Pilot Judy, a world record hang glider champ and mum-of-two, said: "The worst thing that could have happened was for the plane to have lifted just slightly and landed suddenly. This is a work of art and these guys have worked so hard. I wouldn't want to damage this."

The replica is now expected to take pride of place in Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry.
Tweet