THE world of the early pioneers of aviation will be revived for the 21st Century at a special event tomorrow.

The Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington near York is to officially unveil its newly- restored replica of a 1911 Blackburn Mercury monoplane.

Professor Robert Blackburn, grandson of the founder of the Blackburn Aviation Company, will be cutting the ribbon at 2pm, and it is hoped there will be a flypast by a Blackburn B2 biplane from the 1930s.

The restoration of the replica, made for the 1970s Yorkshire Television series Flambards, has been a labour of love for museum supporter Alan Braim from Driffield, whose other projects include the replica of Sir George Cayley's governable parachute, and the Wright Flier.

Mr Braim has spent 600 man hours so far during the last six months to bring the Mercury up to better than new condition, with a few additions to the engine yet to come.

"I have enjoyed doing it - there was a lot more to be done than I expected," said Mr Braim.

The fragile 1911 aircraft has been worked on in a museum hangar next to the last aeroplane to be produced by Blackburn, a Buccaneer which destroyed an Iraqi plane on the ground during the Gulf War.

The original Mercury, the company's first truly successful aircraft, was produced at Blackburn's Balm Road factory in Leeds, with some being flown from the beach at its flying training school at Filey.

The Mercury replica can never fly, and will instead be sited in the museum alongside the Cayley prototype and the Wright Flier.