Geoffrey de Havilland , Thomas Sopwith , Richard Fairey , Robert Blackburn , and Frederick Handley-Page were pioneers in aviation .
4 ( Winter 1969 ) p487Most of the aviation pioneers , such as Geoffrey de Havilland , Thomas Sopwith , Richard Fairey , Robert Blackburn , [ Frederick Handley-Page ] ] , A.V . Roe and the Short Brothers had a training in engineering and their companies were usually privately financed .
Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom