AN original 158-year-old letter from the man described as the "father of aviation" has been presented to the Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington.

Engineer George Cayley, who was born in 1773, is credited with designing the first aircraft.

He built a glider which was flown over Brompton Dale, near Scarborough, in 1853 - an event thought to be the first manned flight - 50 years before the Wright brothers.

The museum at Elvington has a replica of that glider, which Cayley called a "governable parachute".

The replica was viewed by Brian Wilson on a visit to the museum from Cumbria earlier this month.

As a result, history enthusiast Dr Wilson sent the museum a letter written by Cayley to his Malton solicitor, which will be incorporated in a future display on the life and work of the engineer.

Museum director Ian Reed expressed his delight at the gift.

He said: "The letter, dated 9th January 1849, appears to be an early form of postal letter, and stamped from Brompton, where Sir George Cayley lived in the family home, then Pickering and Malton.

"It was sealed with red wax on the reverse.

"Dr Wilson acquired the letter out of his interest in postal history, particularly relating to the development of airmails, although the letter itself does not relate to aviation matters.

"However, it provides an excellent specimen of Cayley's handwriting and in fact refers to an interesting piece of local history, which the museum would like to learn more of."

The letter says:

"Dear Sirs,

Mr. Monks is just starting to make the 3 plans of Scampton; but on calculating his paper he finds that at 4 chains to the inch it occupies a length of six feet 8 inches and this seems so large that I have stopped him till I hear from you tomorrow whether 6 to the inch would not do - 8 to the inch is a very nice scale and one frequently adopted but what the commissioners want I do not know - one presumes that you do.

Yours, George Cayley".

Mr Reed said: "It would seem that the letter relates to plans for Scampton Hall, near Scarborough, but if any local historian has any further ideas about this we would be very interested to hear from them."