Bleriot XI, Old Warden 2010 ©Nigel Key
ROLE
Tourer / Trainer.
FIRST FLIGHT
23 January 1909.
The Bleriot XI was designed by Louis Bleriot and Raymond Saulnier, developed from the Bleriot VIII.
The Bleriot XI is a monoplane with the engine in the front and an airscrew ‘pulling’ the aircraft through the air.
The fuselage is of partially covered box-girder design, constructed from Ash and wire cross bracing.
The wings use ‘wing warping’ to control lateral movement and the tail consists of an all moving vertical rudder and horizontal tail plane with ‘tip elevators’ on the outer edge.The wings use ‘wing warping’ to control lateral movement and the tail consists of an all moving vertical rudder and horizontal tail plane with ‘tip elevators’ on the outer edge.
The bracing and warping wires were attached to inverted ‘V’ struts above the fuselage and inverted pyramidal struts below.
The wheels are mounted in castering trailing arms which were able to slide up and down sprung by bungee cords. A tailwheel was fitted at the rear just in front of the tail plane.
PRODUCTION
The Bleriot XI was produced from 1909.
ENGINE
Anzani Fan, producing 24 hp.
ARMAMENT
55 lb (25 kg) Bomb load
On 26 June 1909, Louis Blériot managed a flight which lasted 36 minutes and 55 Seconds and on 13 July 1909 he won the Aero Club de France’s first Prix du Voyage with a flight of 26 miles (42 km) from Etampes to Orleans.
On 25 July 1909, flown by Louis Blériot, the Bleriot XI crossed the English Channel from Calais to Dover winning the Daily Mail prize of £1,000 for the feat.
The Bleriot XI entered military service in 1910 and was mainly used for observation and training but single-seat aircraft could be used as light bombers.
| Crew - 1 |
| Length - 25ft 0in (7.62m) |
| Wingspan - 25ft 7in (7.79m) |
| Height - 8ft 10in (2.69m) |
| Empty Weight - 507lb (230kg) |
| Max. Speed - 47 mph (75.6 km/h) |
