Bristol Boxkite

The Bristol Boxkite, officially the Bristol Biplane, was the first aircraft built by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, later the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was a pusher biplane based on the Farman III, drawn up at Filton by chief engineer George Challenger after an attempt to build licensed Zodiac biplanes failed, and one of the first aircraft types to be built in quantity. Production ran until 1914 and 78 were built. Bristol used it to teach pupils at its flying schools at Larkhill and Brooklands, so many early British aviators learned to fly in one. The War Office bought four in 1911, and examples were sold to Russia and Australia. Power was usually a 50 hp Gnome rotary engine. It first flew on 30 July 1910 and kept training pilots until after the First World War began.