Replica glider celebrates anniversary

Sir George's glider carried his coachman John Appleby

A replica of the first aircraft to take to the skies is being constructed by defence workers.

Sir George Cayley's glider took off from Brompton Dale, near Scarborough, in 1853, carrying his coachman John Appleby.

Now workers at BAE Systems are recreating his work, which will be flown on 5 July to mark the 150th anniversary of the first flight.

Nigel Penistone, secretary of the Royal Aeronautics Society in Brough, said: "People in the UK generally haven't heard of Sir George Cayley and what he did.

Propelled glider

"Certainly the Wright Brothers, who everyone credits with being the first people who flew an aircraft, they said without him they couldn't achieve what they achieved."

Sir George was born in 1773 in Scarborough. He built the first aerial device in 1796 - a model helicopter with contra-rotating propellers.

When the Cayley Glider took its first flight he was aged 79, hence his coachman became the world's first pilot.

The craft flew 153m before it crash-landed in a field.

On his return Mr Appleby said: "Sir George I wish to give notice. I was hired to drive, not to fly."

It was another 50 years before the Wright brothers fixed a propeller to an engine, put it in a glider and flew.