AN ATTEMPT to fly an exact replica of the first British built plane will be made in the next few weeks.

The plane, built by the Roe Heritage group, was exhibited last week at Walthamstow marshes to mark 100 years since Alliott Verdon-Roe's historic flight.

An attempt to fly the fragile machine will be made at Woodvale Airport, in Merseyside.

The exact replica has been built over three years by former aeronautical engineers who worked for Avro, the company founded by Mr Verdon-Roe.

The project has been funded by Sir Alliott's grandson Eric.

He said: “The replica is a wonderfully faithful creation of my grandfather’s Triplane including the period JAP engine.

“It has been a pleasure working with such a talented team and it would be wonderful for A.V. Roe’s triplane to fly almost a century to the day after Alliott flew the original.

“Recently the Royal Aeronautical Society gave the team a Centenary Heritage Award - an honour the team richly deserve.”

The precise date of the flight attempt has yet to be determined, as it will depend on weather conditions.