第一架现代飞机由英国人George Cayley爵士于1804年设计建造。第一个进行真正的风洞实验，并于1884年测试一系列翼型的是英格兰的Horatio Phillips，他与1891年申请了第一个翼型专利。
The British aerospace industry has made an important contribution to the history of the aircraft, and was solely or jointly responsible for the development and production of the first aircraft with an enclosed cabin (the Avro Type F), the first jet aircraft to enter service for the Allies in the Second World War (the Gloster Meteor),the first commercial jet airliner to enter service (the de Havilland Comet),the first aircraft capable of supercruise (the English Electric Lightning),the first supersonic commercial jet airliner to enter service (the Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde),the first fixed-wing V/STOL combat aircraft to enter service (the Hawker Siddeley Harrier),the first twin-engined widebody commercial jet airliner (the Airbus A300),the first fly-by-wire commercial aircraft (the Airbus A320) and the largest commercial aircraft to enter service to date (the Airbus A380).
The British aerospace industry has made an important contribution to the history of the aircraft, and was solely or jointly responsible for the development and production of the first aircraft with an enclosed cabin (the Avro Type F), the first jet aircraft to enter service for the Allies in the Second World War (the Gloster Meteor),the first commercial jet airliner to enter service (the de Havilland Comet),the first aircraft capable of supercruise (the English Electric Lightning),the first supersonic commercial jet airliner to enter service (the Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde),the first fixed-wing V/STOL combat aircraft to enter service (the Hawker Siddeley Harrier),the first twin-engined widebody commercial jet airliner (the Airbus A300),the first fly-by-wire commercial aircraft (the Airbus A320) and the largest commercial aircraft to enter service to date (the Airbus A380).
