https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bl%C3%A9riot_XI
first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft on 25
July 1909. This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the
also assured the future of his aircraft manufacturing business. The event caused
a major reappraisal of the importance of aviation; the English newspaper The
Daily Express led its story of the flight with the headline "Britain is no
longer an Island".
It was produced in both single- and two-seat versions, powered by a number of
different engines and was widely used for competition and training purposes.
Military versions were bought by many countries, continuing in service until
are thought to be the two oldest flyable aircraft in the world.
predecessor, it was a tractor-configuration monoplane with a partially covered
box-girder fuselage built from ash with wire cross bracing. The principal
difference was the use of wing warping for lateral control. The tail surfaces
consisted of a small balanced "all-moving" rudder mounted on the rearmost
vertical member of the fuselage and a horizontal tailplane mounted under the
lower longerons. This had elevator surfaces making up the outermost part of the
fixed horizontal surface; these "tip elevators" were linked by a torque tube
running through the inner section. The bracing and warping wires were attached
to a dorsal cabane consisting of a pair of inverted V struts with their apexes
connected by a longitudinal tube and an inverted four-sided pyramidal ventral
cabane, also of steel tubing, below. When first built it had a wingspan of 7 m
(23 ft) and a small teardrop-shaped fin mounted on the cabane, which was later
removed.
Role
Civil tourer/trainer/military
Manufacturer
Designer
First flight
23 January 1909
Hubert Latham, who flew an Antoinette monoplane, and Count de Lambert, who
brought two Wright biplanes. On 25 July, when the wind had dropped in the
the aid of a compass, he deviated to the east of his intended course, but,
nonetheless, spotted the English coast to his left. Battling turbulent wind
undercarriage and shattering one blade of the propeller, but he was unhurt. The
resulting in many orders for copies of his aircraft.
The aircraft, which never flew again, was hurriedly repaired and put on display
at Selfridges department store in London. It was later displayed outside the
offices of the French newspaper Le Matin and eventually bought by the Musee des
Arts et Metiers in Paris.
a year later, some of those were used in action by Italy in North Africa (the
first use of aircraft in a war) and in Mexico. The British Royal Flying Corps
eight French, six British and six Italian squadrons operated various military
versions of the aircraft, mainly in observation duties but also as trainers, and
in the case of single-seaters, as light bombers with a bomb load of up to 25 kg.
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 7.62 m (25 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 7.79 m (25 ft 7 in)
Height: 2.69 m (8 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 14 m2 (150 sq ft)
Empty weight: 230 kg (507 lb)
engine, 19 kW (25 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 75.6 km/h (47 mph; 41 kn)
Service ceiling: 1,000 m (3,281 ft)
*
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