Roe I Triplane

The Roe I Triplane, later called the Avro Triplane, was the first all-British aircraft to fly, designed and built by A. V. Roe after his earlier biplane had relied on a French engine. A two-bay triplane with a lifting three-surface tailplane, it was controlled by wing-warping, and Roe named it The Bullseye after the braces made by his brother's firm. He built it in Putney and flew it from rented railway arches on Walthamstow Marshes in 1909, working up from 50 foot hops to a 900 foot flight in July with a 9 hp JAP engine. A second example was flown at the Blackpool meeting in October 1909, and the machine led to the Avro company formed in 1910. The first example is preserved at the Science Museum in London.