Stanley Edward Spencer (1868–1906) was an early English aeronaut, famous for ballooning and parachuting in several countries,[1] and later for building and flying an airship over London in 1902.

[1][2] Stanley's family had a history of flying: all his five siblings were also aeronauts,[3] with Arthur and Percival the more well-known; his father Charles Green Spencer pioneered gliding and founded the balloon factory C.G.

[7] The success of the airships designed and flown by Alberto Santos Dumont in Paris led Spencer to believe that he could build an improved version.

On 14 July, the airship was piloted by Spencer's wife, Rose,[13] on a powered flight in a circuit around the ground, "under perfect control" according to one newspaper report.

[19] On 28 October 1903, Spencer took Mellin and Company to court in an effort to recover the final £500 of advertising fees, which had been withheld on the grounds that the stipulated twenty-five return flights of the airship had not been completed.

The gondola was an open frame of ash wood spars, on which mounted a Thomas Green & Son engine of 35 horsepower (26 kW) that drove a pair of wooden propellers, designed by Hiram Maxim.

Nothing daunted, Spencer proceeded to dismount the engine and the airship was flown as an unpowered balloon, landing three hours later near Ongar, Essex.

Despite breaking some telephone cables on takeoff at Crystal Palace, the airship arrived at Saint Paul's at about 700 feet (210 m) and flew a semi circle to the east but was unable to turn back towards the south due to the wind.

[21] One source suggests that Spencer planned a third and yet larger airship, 150 feet (46 metres) long, driven by two 50 horse power engines with accommodation for ten passengers and crew members.