Pioneering aviation brothers honoured with plaque

Brothers Oswald and Eustace Short were two of the pioneers of aviation

A plaque is to be unveiled in East Sussex honouring two of the pioneers of aviation.

The Short brothers, Eustace and Oswald, built coal-gas filled balloons in St Ann's Well Gardens in Hove between 1901 and 1903 for local trips.

Their company, Shorts, went on to become one of the first in the world to make aeroplanes.

Keith Sharpe, chair of Brighton & Hove Commemorative Plaque Panel, said: "What the Short brothers did in Hove with their balloons led to great technological progress in aviation."

He added: "Their blue plaque is well deserved."

The plaque will be unveiled at 14:00 BST on Saturday in St Ann's Well Gardens.

The Short brothers designed the earliest heavier than air machines for the Wright brothers, and eventually the Stirling bombers which were crucial in World War Two.

They were then involved in the formation of the British Overseas Airways Corporation, which eventually evolved into British Airways.

A Short Brothers 1937 floatplane on display inside Rochester Cathedral

A 1937 seaplane, built at the Short Brothers factory in Rochester, Kent, has gone on display inside the town's cathedral, and new information boards have been unveiled about the company's history.

Martin Hubbard, from the organisation Short Brothers Aviation Heritage, said: "Interest in Short Brothers has been overwhelming, so many people globally have been in touch with fascinating stories and artefacts to share.

"It is so important that the story of Shorts is not forgotten and is promoted to future generations."

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