Blériot XI

Blériot XI
Pays	France
Rôle	Avion
Premier vol	Le 23 janvier 1909
Construit	Uknow ( Uknow )

Galerie de photos d’un Blériot XI, The Blériot XI is a French aircraft. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the 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 pioneer era of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in history but 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 « La Grande-Bretagne n’est plus une île ».

Source: Blériot XI sur Wiki

Bleriot XI
Photographe	Andrew Fenwick-Walpole
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	36

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Bleriot XI
Photographe	Inconnu
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	20

Blériot XI

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The Plane That Shrank the World

Lla Blériot XI is one of the most significant aircraft in history. Designed by Louis Blériot and Raymond Saulnier, it shot to global fame on July 25, 1909, when Blériot used it to make the first powered flight across the English Channel. This 36-minute journey from Calais to Dover proved that the airplane was no longer a mere « toy » for eccentric inventors, but a serious machine capable of crossing international borders. Its success sparked the first real « boom » in aviation production, with hundreds built for enthusiasts, stunt pilots, and eventually, the world’s first air forces.

Attribute	Technical Specification (1909 Channel Model)
Rôle	Pioneer Monoplane / Reconnaissance
Crew	1 (Two-seat variants followed)
First Flight	January 23, 1909
Groupe motopropulseur	1 × Anzani 3-cylinder « fan-type » radial
Horsepower	25 hp (19 kW)
Vitesse maximale	76 km/h (47 mph)
Landing Gear	Castering main wheels with bungee suspension
Flight Control	Wing warping (roll); Rudder and Elevators

Engineering: Fragile Innovation

Wing Warping: Like the Wright Flyer, the Blériot XI did not have ailerons. Instead, the pilot used a system of wires to physically twist (warp) the trailing edges of the flexible wings to achieve roll control. [Image diagram of the wing-warping cables and the central « cloche » control stick]
The Anzani Engine: The Channel flight was made possible by Alessandro Anzani’s 3-cylinder engine. It was simple, air-cooled, and famously unreliable—Blériot only made it to Dover because a light rain shower cooled his overheating engine mid-flight.
Castering Landing Gear: The main wheels were mounted on trailing arms that could pivot. This allowed the plane to land safely even in crosswinds, as the wheels would naturally align with the direction of travel, preventing the fragile aircraft from flipping over.
Lla « Birdcage » Fuselage: The rear half of the fuselage was an open box-girder made of ash wood, braced with piano wire. This kept the aircraft light (only 507 lbs empty) but made it look like a « flying birdcage. »

Legacy: The First Warplane

Military Pioneer: The Blériot XI was the first aircraft used in actual combat. During the Italo-Turkish War (1911), Italian Captain Carlo Piazza flew a Blériot XI on the world’s first aerial reconnaissance and bombing missions in Libya.
WWI Service: At the start of World War I, the Blériot XI was a front-line scout for France, Britain, and Italy. Though soon outclassed, it performed the first RFC reconnaissance mission over German lines in August 1914.
Harriet Quimby: In 1912, the American aviator Harriet Quimby used a Blériot XI to become the first woman to fly across the English Channel, further cementing the aircraft’s status as the gold standard of early aviation.
Oldest Flyer: Today, an original 1909 Blériot XI held by the Shuttleworth Collection in the UK remains the oldest airworthy aircraft in the world, still capable of performing short « hops » during summer displays.