The Bleriot XI is a French monoplane aircraft designed by Louis Bleriot, famous for becoming the first heavier than air aircraft to cross the English Channel, on 25 July 1909, flown by Bleriot himself. The flight won a prize offered by a British newspaper and brought Bleriot international fame, and the aircraft's basic design was subsequently produced in numbers for early flying schools and militaries across Europe.
Facts
SignificanceMade the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909, one of the most famous accomplishments of the pioneer era of aviation. 1 Manufacturer or BuilderBleriot Aeronautique (Louis Bleriot) 1 FAQs
Why did the French army ban monoplanes in 1912, and did that end the Blériot XI?
A series of wing failures led to a French army monoplane ban in 1912, but Blériot's fix was accepted and the Type XI stayed in production.
In February 1912 the French army placed a ban on the use of all monoplanes after a series of accidents in which Blériot aircraft had suffered wing failure in flight. The first of these, on 4 January 1910, killed Léon Delagrange and was generally attributed to an over-powerful engine overstressing the airframe. Blériot produced a report for the French government concluding that the problem was not the strength of the wing spars but a failure to take into account the downward force on aircraft wings, and that it could be solved by strengthening the upper bracing wires. The analysis was accepted, and the Type XI stayed in production until the outbreak of the First World War.
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: Bleriot XI
WikipediaWikipedia lead paragraph, first flight sentence
not only won Bleriot a lasting place in history but also assured the future of his aircraft manufacturing business
Wikipedia lead paragraph, second sentence
The first example was used by Louis Bleriot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909.
Wikipedia lead paragraph, third sentence
This is one of the most famous accomplishments of the pioneer era of aviation, and not only won Bleriot a lasting place in history but also assured the future of his aircraft manufacturing business.
View the Source Blériot XI (Wikipedia)
In Group: Pioneer-Era Aeroplanes, Lead sentenceQuote, In Group: Pioneer-Era Aeroplanes, Lead sentence
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft from the pioneer era of aviation. 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.
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