In our regular updates on the progress of Sky Sheppey, we will tell you a little about the history of British aviation.

Here organising committee chairman Jim Stringer looks back ...

As Queen Victoria’s reign was coming to a close, the search for a machine which could actually be flown and controlled by man, and a machine which could be driven without the aid of horses, was truly well advanced both here, in the United States and of course over the channel in France. The development of both the ‘Flying Machine’ and the ‘Horseless Carriage’ was carried out in parallel, for without the ‘Internal Combustion Engine’ neither could be considered as being at all practical.

Those who ventured in the development of both these modes of transport had to be either brilliant engineers, extremely wealthy, totally convicted to their cause, without fear, and in some respects absolutely stark-raving-mad.

It was not until 1905 – now in the reign of King Edward VII, that a young visionary and brilliant engineer, named Herbert Austin, established what was to become the biggest motor car manufacturing concern in Great Britain – The Austin Motor Company, and who by 1906 had built and tested the first of many wonderful motorcars which bore his name.

However by 1903, at the tender age of just 19, JTC Moore-Brabazon had already raced examples of these early ‘Horseless Carriages’ in the Gordon Bennett events held in Ireland and, 5 years later he was approached by Herbert Austin to head a team of three drivers to represent ‘Austin’ and Great Britain by competing in the Dieppe Grand Prix with the 100 horse-power Austin ‘racers’.

Brabazon of course agreed and on 7th July he, together with Warwick Wright, another Englishman and Darrio Resta, an Italian, took part in the XI Grand Prix de l’A.C.F at Dieppe. Unfortunately the team did not achieve any great successes, with Brabazon coming in 18th, Resta 19th and Warwick Wright retiring after just four laps due to engine failure. The race was won by a German (Christian Lauten Schlager) in a Mercedés who averaged a speed of 69.05 mph.

At this time Brabazon was also taking a very keen interest in flying, and already had obtained a French flying licence (No.40), achieved by flying a Voisin ‘pusher’ boxkite. He was therefore keen to continue his flying back in the U.K. at the newly established airfield on the Isle of Sheppey.

As he was totally familiar with the Voisin ‘Pusher’ boxkite he persuaded Voisin to sell him the machine which was at that time being built specifically for Henri Farman, who, it has to be recorded was not at all pleased with this underhand transaction.

The Voisin boxkite was to prove a very worthy machine and in 1909 helped to establish Brabazon as the first Englishman to fly a ‘heavier-than-air machine’ in the United Kingdom over a sustained length of time and a measured distance.

Herbert Austin continued to manufacture high quality motor cars, but never ventured into the racing world again until the advent of the famous Austin Seven, which went on to achieve great things on many race tracks around the world. During the First World War, production at Longbridge was turned over to that of aircraft, and with the knowledge gained through this he went on to develop his own aircraft called the ‘Whippet’, which had the advantage of being capable of being stored in a regular-sized garage, sadly only 5 were ever made. Of the 100 hp racers only one has survived and may be seen at the British Motoring Heritage Museum at Gaydon in Warwickshire.

Voisin continued to manufacture aeroplanes, and of course motorcars. C.S.Rolls – another intrepid flyer who sadly lost his life in a flying accident, gave his name to one of the finest motorcar and aero engine companies in the world, and Brabazon continued to maintain his interest in flying and gave his name to the Bristol type 167 ‘Brabazon’ aircraft built in the late 1940’s at a staggering cost of £11,000.000. – a cost which effectively prevented further production of this airliner and of it ever becoming a commercial success.