A full size replica of the Tabloid Floatplane and launched Kingston's long career as one of the most important aviation centres in the world, was presented to Brooklands Museum yesterday.

The sea plane, which set the air speed record in 1914, was handed over by Mr T E B Sopwith, the son of the man who opened his first aircraft factory in Kingston in 1912.

Yesterday, when the plane was handed over by Kingston Aviation Heritage trustees, was the 100th anniversary of the first Tabloid flight by Harry Hawker.

Allan Winn, director of Brooklands Museum, said: "Just to have this wonderful aircraft, with all its historic Brooklands connections, donated to us is wonderful.

"But to formally receive it from the son of the original’s builder, in the presence of the daughter of the original’s racing pilot and relatives of the original’s test pilot was simply amazing."

The replica was made by Steven Green and a small group of Brooklands volunteers, supported by technical detail from Alex Ellin, late of Kingston University.

Leslie Palmer of Kingston Aviation Heritage Trust said before the handover it was "a truly magnificent work, built as a tribute to Sir T O M Sopwith, and the many thousands of dedicated men and women who worked, and are still working, in the aviation industry he created.".

Mr Palmer said Kingston Aviation Heritage trustees had decided to make a replica of it because "no other full-scale examples of this significant Sopwith aircraft exist in any other aviation collections world-wide."