After recovering from earlier injuries from a 1905 aircraft crash, mr Xiphias set up an aviation company in 1910 and spent two years designing and building this aircraft, it was first flown on June the 4th 1912 and stayed In ten air for about ten minuets before stalling and falling on its undercarriage giving the pilot a small splinter and bruised buttocks,
(That's what its first flight was really like lol)

The design was actually very complex for its day, as it used flap control rather than wing warping. It also had a giant fuel tank and complex engine.

The pilot sat in a primative cockpit with an old broom stick as his control collum, and some dials from mr Xiphias' motor car! He made the seat out of his wives laundry basket but couldn't find a suitable bottom for it, so the pilot sits on the rear of the engine casing (it's metal lol) the engine was made from old motorcycle parts and the prop drive was from a bicycle. After the frame was finished he covered the plane in canvas (later it was sheep leather that was shrunk onto the frame) the control system was surprisingly difficult to make in a small workshop, mr Xiphias being a Brit was always able to bodge something together, so he used old piano strings that he found in his laundry room

After he finished building his plane from scrap he found around his house he took it to a nearby field where 50 people waited and watched him fly,


In 1913he set a record for fastest time across the English Channel

And soon became the first person brave enough to fly through a storm, he landed and eyewitnesses state that he had icicles hanging from his nose and the edges of his moustache!


Anyway 1- start engine 20% power is stationary running, 2- clocks away

At 50 pitch down yo get tail up, then pitch up at 60-70


Max altitude 400ft above sea level
Max speed level flight 70-80mph



Enjoy