▁t anks ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁and ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁fus el age ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁clear ▁internal ▁space . ▁ ▁Work ▁on ▁the ▁aircraft ▁had ▁stopped ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁needed ▁as ▁a ▁bom ber ▁. ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁completed ▁with ▁the ▁design ▁alter ed ▁to ▁allow ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁commercial ▁or ▁transport ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁The ▁T abor ' s ▁ma iden ▁flight ▁was ▁from ▁the ▁Royal ▁A ircraft ▁Est ab lish ment ▁at ▁F arn borough ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁May ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁T abor , ▁with ▁two ▁pil ots ▁and ▁five ▁passengers ▁was ▁tax ied ▁around ▁the ▁landing ▁field ▁using ▁only ▁the ▁four ▁lower ▁engines . ▁Sat isf ied ▁with ▁the ▁behaviour ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft ▁the ▁crew ▁decided ▁to ▁take - off . ▁The ▁tail ▁was ▁off ▁the ▁ground ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁still ▁running ▁on ▁the ▁main ▁whe els , ▁inter mitt ently ▁lif ting ▁off ▁. ▁When ▁the ▁top ▁two ▁engines ▁were ▁started ▁the ▁aircraft ▁pitch ed ▁forward , ▁b ury ing ▁the ▁nose ▁into ▁the ▁ground ▁and ▁seriously ▁inj uring ▁all ▁on ▁board . ▁The ▁second ▁pilot ▁died ▁after ▁reaching ▁hospital ▁and ▁the ▁pilot ▁died ▁of ▁his ▁inj uries ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁later . ▁ ▁Later ▁analysis ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁upper ▁engines ▁were ▁so ▁far ▁above ▁the ▁fus el age ▁that ▁they ▁forced ▁the ▁nose ▁down ▁when ▁driven ▁up ▁to ▁full ▁power . ▁The ▁situation ▁may ▁not ▁have