"Aviation in Britain Before the First World War- the work of Samuel Franklin Cody in Airship, Kite and Aircraft Aeronautics 1903 - 1913" The Cody Aircraft Mark V in flight, probably over Laffan's Plain near Aldershot. Using the Mark V, Cody won both the International Division and the British Division (receiving £5000 in prize money) of the 1912 Military Trials, a competition to find an aircraft suitable for use by the British Army. With the help of his family and friends, Cody built the Mark V in just four weeks, utilising the remains of his Mark III aircraft, after both the aircraft that he originally intended to enter in the Trials were written off. The Mark V was powered by the 120 hp Austro-Daimler engine which was relatively unscathed from the crashes it had been in. Despite Cody's victory, the Mark V proved unsuitable for military use and only two were bought by the British Army. Nevertheless, Cody went on to win the Michelin Trophy No. 2 (2nd series) and its £600 prize for making the fastest tour of a 186 mile circuit.