Sir (Edwin) Alliot Verdon Roe (1877-1958), English aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturer. After an apprenticeship with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, Roe studied marine engineering at King's College London and then joined the ship S.S. Inchanga as fifth engineer. Returning home he began to construct flying models and, winning a Daily Mail competition in 1907, built a full-sized aeroplane with the proceeds. He became the first Englishman to design, build, and fly his own aircraft. In 1910 Roe formed A V Roe & Co with his brother, producing the famous AVRO 504 bomber/trainer type that set a standard for design for many years. He was knighted in 1929.