WW1 French Aircraft: Bleriot XI 2016-10-05

Designed by Louis Blériot and Raymond Saulnier (of Morane-Saulnier) the Blériot XI was a light and sleek monoplane constructed of oak and poplar. The flying surfaces were covered with cloth. The aircraft's original configuration included a R.E.P. engine spinning a four blade metal propeller which proved to be unsatisfactory. Blériot decided to use a 25 horsepower Anzani 3 cylinder engine with much better results despite its crude nature. Blériot could be assured of the Anzani running continuously for an hour. The Blériot XI also had some ground-breaking technologies such as castering landing gear, allowing for crosswind landings. Wing warping (instead of ailerons) controlled the plane's roll. The tail section of the Blériot XI included a horizontal stabilizer with an elevator, and a rudder, but no vertical stabilizer. Unintentionally, Blériot added lateral stability to the plane by leaving the aft section of the fuselage uncovered. This created enough drag to add stability to the aircraft's flight characteristics.

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