The Type L, his first biplane and a seaplane was built specifically as a candidate for the Circuit of Britain Race,[1] sponsored by the Daily Mail with a £5,000 winner's prize.

It had two-bay wings without stagger, the upper plane having a span of 14 ft 6 in (4.4 m) greater than the lower, with outward-sloping struts connecting the two extremities.

[2] Power was provided by a cowled 130 hp (100 kW) Salmson 9 nine-cylinder radial,[4] licence built by Dudbridge Iron Works Ltd at Stroud.

[2] The Type L was based at Scalby Mills just north of Scarborough on the English north-east coast, an area attacked during 1914 by the German Navy.

During this time, some modifications were made to it, aimed at cooling and control problems: the engine cowling was removed and the long-span ailerons replaced with much shorter surfaces near the wingtips, protruding well behind the wing trailing edges.