The Isle of Sheppey was where Winston Churchill first flew

The Flying Start Project is bidding for a �25m lottery grant to fund an "iconic" building at Eastchurch airfield on the Isle of Sheppey.

Sheppey saw the manufacture of the Wright brothers' Wright Flyer and was where Winston Churchill first flew.

The �37m building would be used to recreate early plane machines and tell the story of aviation on the island.

Project manager Alan Flint said: "Sheppey is very important - the site saw the formation of the British Aircraft industry.

"That's were all the aviators started. The first military plans started there."

He added: "It was sold to HMP in 1949 and because of that the outbuildings, hangers and workstations survived rather than being redeveloped."

The Short Brothers built the first British aircraft factory in 1909 on the Isle of Sheppey after signing a manufacturing deal with the Wright brothers.