One of the most flamboyant early aviation pioneers was Texan Samuel F.Cody. Former cowboy and wild west show operator, Cody settled in England in 1890. In 1900 he became interested in aeronautics and he soon developed a large winged boxkite which was used for man-lifting experiments. The British War Office carried out extensive trials in 1904 and they adopted the system for aerial observation in 1906. Using his knowledge gained from kites, Cody's courage and enthusiasm further led him to experiment with powered flight and in 1908 he became the first man to build and fly an airplane in Britain.

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