Blériot XLII

The Blériot XLII was a French reconnaissance aeroplane of the period of the First World War, designed and built by Blériot. The crew was housed in a partially armoured cabin with a small window in the front of the fuselage to help observation, and for reconnaissance the observer lay horizontally on the cabin floor. It was built in March 1913 as a reconnaissance and observation aircraft, a mid-wing double-wing design with an 80 horsepower Gnome engine. It passed its test cycle but the military was not interested. Its recorded specifications give a crew of two, a length of 7.30 metres, a wingspan of 8.50 metres, a wing area of 18 square metres and a 60 kilowatt Gnome Monosoupape 7 Type A rotary piston engine.