A V Roe

Sir Edwin Alliott Verdon Roe
1877 – 1958

AV Roe was a pioneer British pilot and aircraft manufacturer, and founder in 1910 of the Avro company. He was the first Englishman to make a powered flight and the first Englishman to fly an all British machine.

His interest in aviation stemmed from an initial interest in birds and in flight, and he began to construct flying models one of which which won a competition run bt The Dail Mail.

With his brother Humphrey, he founded the A.V. Roe Aircraft Co. in 1910.

His most successful airplane, the 504, was flown and produced in Hamble (and other factory sites) rolling more than 8,300 off the production lines, sold mainly to the Royal Air Force for use by training airplanes.

He was knighted in 1929 and died in 1958. He is buried in St Andrew's Church graveyard.