Bleriot XI
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| Bleriot XI Channel Crosser | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Description | ||
| Manufacturer | Louis Blériot | |
| Crew | One | |
| First flight | January 23, 1909 | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Wingspan | 25 ft 7 in | 7.79 m |
| Wing Area | 150 sq ft | 14 m² |
| Length | 25 ft 0 in | 7.62 m |
| Height | 8 ft 10 in | 2.69 m |
| Weights | ||
| Weight | 507 lb | 230 kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engine | Anzani 3 Cylinder Fan-type | |
| Power | 22 - 25 hp | |
| Propellor | ||
| Manufacturer | Chauvière | |
| Model | Intégrale | |
| Diameter | 6 ft 10 in | 2.08 m |
| Thrust | 231.5 lb @1,450 rpm | 105 kg @1,450 rpm |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 47 mph | 75.6 km/h |
Designed by Louis Blériot and Raymond Saulnier (of Morane Saulnier) the Blériot XI was a light and sleek monoplane constructed of oak and poplar. Flying surfaces were covered with cloth. The aircraft's original configuration included a R.E.P. engine spinning a four blade metal propellor which proved to be unsatisfactory. Blériot decided to use a 25 horsepower Anzani 3 cylinder engine with much better results despite its crude nature. Blériot could be assured of the Anzani running continuously for an hour. The Blériot XI also had some groundbreaking technologies such as castering landing gear, allowing for crosswind landings. Wing warping (instead of ailerons) controlled the plane's roll. The tail section of the Blériot XI included a horizontal stabilizer with an elevator, and a rudder, but no vertical stabilizer. Unintentionally, Blériot added lateral stability to the plane by leaving the aft section of the fuselage uncovered. This created enough drag to add stability to the aircraft's flight characteristics.
The Channel Crossing
The plane would gain immortality on July 25, 1909 when Louis Blériot successfully crossed the English Channel from Calais to Dover in 36.5 minutes. For several days bad weather grounded Blériot and his opponent Hubert Latham. On the morning of July 25, 1909, Blériot awoke (albeit in a bad mood) to conditions fair enough to fly in. When Blériot took off, Latham's camp was still quiet...Latham had overslept. Fighting fog and bad weather Blériot did not even have a navigational instrument as simple as a compass to guide his crossing. It is said that the Anzani engine made the flight only with the aid of a brief rainshower to cool it off. Letting the airplane guide itself, Blériot eventually saw the gray line of the English coast. Approaching closer and closer he spotted a French reporter waving the French flag marking the landing spot. Louis made a very rough landing but walked away, winning the £1000 prize awarded by the London Daily Mail.Further Development
After the successful crossing of the channel, there was a great demand for the Blériot XI. Blériot began to devote his energy from flying to the business. By September, 1909 Blériot had received orders for 101 aircraft. Later versions of the Blériot XI would use various engines including more powerful Gnome rotary engines and updated Anzani engines. Blériot marketed the aircaft in four categories: trainers, sport or touring models, military aircraft, and racing or exhibition machines. Some notable models in the "Type Onze" series:
- Blériot XI-2 - standard tandem 2 place model
- Blériot XI-2 bis "côté-à-côté" - larger, two place, side by side model
- Blériot XI-2 Hyrdroaeroplane - mounted on floats with a larger wing area
- Blériot XI-2 Génie - military version, designed for easy transport, could be broken down/reassembled in 25 minutes
- Blériot XI-2 BG - high wing parasol model
- Blériot XI-3 - tandem 3 place model
Famous Blériot Monoplane Pilots
- Adolphe Pégoud - first man to demonstrate the full aerobatic potential of the airplane. Together with John Domenjoz and Edmond Perreyon he successfully assembled what is thought of as the first air show.
- Harriet Quimby - first licensed female pilot in the United States. First female to solo the English Channel.
- Earle Ovington - first air-mail pilot in the United States.
External links
- [Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome] Link to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome website, which has videos of a restored Blériot XI flying. This Blériot XI is the oldest flying aircraft in the United States.
References
Crouch, Tom D. Blériot XI: The Story of a Classic Aircraft. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1982.A Daring Flight. Dir. Carl Charlson. DVD. WGBH Boston Video, 2005.
- [Blériot XI Channel Crosser] Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. URL accessed on 2006-04-12.
- [PBS] Chasing the Sun - PBS. URL accessed on 2006-04-12.
- [Louis Blériot – Developer of Commercial and Military Aircraft] US Centennial of Flight Commission. URL accessed on 2006-04-12.
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