Samuel Franklin Cody Samuel Franklin Cody Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as Samuel Franklin Cody; 6 March 1867 – 7 August 1913, born Davenport, Iowa, USA) was a Wild West showman and early pioneer of manned flight. He is most famous for his work on the large kites known as "Cody War-Kites", that were used by the British in World War I as a smaller alternative to balloons for artillery spotting. He was also the first man to fly an aeroplane in Britain, on 16 October 1908. A flamboyant showman, he was often confused with Buffalo Bill Cody, whose surname he took when
Samuel Franklin Cody 1917 while serving with 41 Squadron. A team of volunteer enthusiasts built a full-sized replica of British Army Aeroplane No 1 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first flight. It is on permanent display at the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum in Farnborough. The display is about three hundred metres from the take-off point of the historic flight. Memorials to Cody include: The Aldershot Military Museum has artifacts relating to Cody. In April 2013, two of Vivian Cody's (real name Vivian King) grandsons appeared on BBC One's "Antiques Roadshow" with two Michelin Trophies, won by Cody, which were each