William Oke Manning William Oke Manning ( 1879 – 1958 ) was an English aeronautical engineer . Although none of his aircraft were built in large numbers he is remembered for his English Electric Wren ultralight and his flying - boats . Early life . Manning was born on 20 October 1879 at Staines , Middlesex the son of Herbert Lane Manning and Alice Manning ( née Allenby ) . He was educated at St Paul ' s School , London and served as an apprentice with Callender ' s Company . He became an electrical engineer and in 1907 or 1908 he met Howard T . Wright who had a firm dealing with electricity generating installations and had built some early aircraft . Manning and Wright both had an interest in aviation and Manning joined his firm in December 1908 . Howard Wright . The company soon established itself as the foremost aircraft constructor in the United Kingdom and Manning became the Chief Designer . The company made aircraft for private individuals and other companies , more than nine in the last few months in 1909 and another six were completed in early 1910 . The most successful design was a biplane ( later called the Howard Wright 1910 Biplane ) which flown by Thomas Sopwith won a £4 , 000 prize for the longest flight in Europe . By 1911 business had declined and production of aircraft had ceased after June , Wright sold his aviation interests to the Coventry Ordnance Works . Manning continued to design aircraft including two biplanes for the War Office Aeroplane Competition in 1912 . Royal Navy . On 27 November 1914 Manning left COW and was commissioned in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve . He was posted to the Royal Naval Air Service experimental base at Port Victoria . In September 1916 he moved to the Bradford works of the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company as technical representative for the Admiralty . The company had a number of contracts to build aircraft for the Royal Naval Air Service . Learning of Manning ' s background he was approached to be chief designer for the company , he was released by the Admiralty on 5 October 1916 and took up the position . Phoenix and English Electric . Manning ' s first design for Phoenix was the P . 1 a pusher seaplane although it was not built . In November 1917 the company was awarded a contract to design an experimental flying - boat . His fifth design was to become the Phoenix P . 5 Cork although it did not enter production . With the completion of the order it was decided to close the aviation department . Manning continued with his design work particularly an idea for a civil flying boat which he named the " Eclectic " . With the lack of work caused by the end of the First World War a number of companies including Phoenix merged in December 1918 to form English Electric . Manning was appointed chief aircraft designer ; at first interested in designing civil flying boats , he soon produced the M . 3 , a three - seat coastal patrol flying boat and expanded his design team . In October 1922 Manning was invited to a gliding competition at Itford on the Sussex Downs . This inspired him to look at designs for a very small single - seat monoplane that could be powered by a motor - cycle engine . It soon was completed as the English Electric Wren and was an early example of what would be now called an ultralight . The first of three Wrens flew on 5 April 1923 . After the last Manning - designed English Electric Kingston flying boat flew , the company announced that it was to close the aviation department and Manning was made redundant in 1926 . For a couple of years he became a consultant to FIAT in Italy with the design of racing seaplanes . From 1935 to 1939 he ran the airworthiness department of the British Gliding Association before moving to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough . He later moved to Flight Refuelling Limited where he was co - inventor of a probe - mounted refuelling valve . Manning retired in 1946 and died at Farnham in Surrrey on 2 March 1958 .