In 1910 the Army Balloon Factory was not actually authorised to design or build aircraft, but only to repair them. When the remains of a crashed Blériot XII monoplane (nicknamed "The Man-Killer" owing to its poor handling) belonging to the army were sent from Larkhill to Farnborough for repair, authorisation for a complete reconstruction was sought, and granted. The result was a completely new design.
In 1910, the Army Balloon Factory's authorization only allowed them to repair aircraft; however, when the remains of a crashed Blériot XII monoplane (nicknamed "The Man-Killer" for its poor handling) were sent from Larkhill to Farnborough for repair, permission was sought and granted to rebuild it completely. The result was an entirely new design.