Louis Blériot
Encyclopedia
Louis Charles Joseph Blériot (1 July 1872 – 2 August 1936) was a French
aviator
, inventor and engineer
. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel
. For this achievement, he received a prize of £
1,000 ($5,000 at the exchange rate of the time). He was also the first to make a working, powered, piloted monoplane
. Blériot was a pioneer of the sport of air racing and the founder of an aircraft manufacturing company which outlived him.
_-_george_grantham_bain_collection.jpg)
Born in the village of Dehéries
near Cambrai
, Louis was the first of five children born to Clémance and Charles Blériot of Cambrai
. He studied engineering at the École Centrale Paris
. After graduating he spent a compulsory year in the Army, followed by six years as an electrical engineer with the Baguès
company in Paris
. He left that work after developing the world's first practical headlamp for automobiles, using an integral, compact acetylene
generator. In 1897 he opened a showroom at 41 rue de Richlieu in Paris. The business was successful, and soon Blériot was supplying his lamps to both Renault
and Panhard-Levassor, two of the foremost automobile manufacturers of the day.
Blériot had become interested in aviation while at the Ecole Centrale, but his serious experimentation was probably sparked by seeing Clément Ader
's Avion III at the 1900 Exposition Universelle. By then his business was doing well enough for Blériot to be able to devote both time and money to experimentation. His first experiments were with a series of ornithopter
s, which were unsuccessful. In April 1905 Blériot met Gabriel Voisin
, then employed by Ernest Archdeacon to assist with his experimental gliders, and the two men began to work together on gliders which were launched by towing them behind a speedboat on the Seine River, trying to learn about aircraft and flight dynamics. Blériot and collaborator Gabriel Voisin
formed the Blériot-Voisin Company. Active between 1903 and 1906, the company built several unsuccessful aircraft designs, the Bleriot II glider and the powered Blériot III and IV.
He then left Voisin and started creating his own airplanes at his "Recherches aéronautiques" facility, experimenting with various configurations and eventually creating the world's first successful, powered, piloted monoplane. Its precursor, the Blériot V
, appeared early in 1907. This aircraft was of canard configuration
; it managed a few hops before being destroyed in a crash. Later that year he flew the more successful Blériot VII
, a monoplane with tail surfaces arranged in what has become, apart from its use of differential elevator
movement for lateral control, the modern conventional layout. It is this aircraft, which first flew on 16 November 1907, that has been recognised as the first successful monoplane By 1909, he had created the Blériot XI
. Construction began in December 1908 and it appeared at the Aero Show in the Grand Palais, Paris
that month. Its first flight occurred on 18 January of that year.
After years of honing his piloting skills, Blériot decided to try for the thousand-pound prize
offered by the London Daily Mail
for a successful crossing of the English Channel
in a heavier-than-air aircraft. The Channel had been crossed by an unmanned hydrogen balloon in 1784 and a manned crossing by Jean-Pierre Blanchard
and John Jeffries
followed in 1785.
Blériot had two rivals for the prize, both of whom failed to complete the crossing. The first was Hubert Latham
, a French national of English extraction. He was favoured by both the United Kingdom and France to win. He had arrived first and attempted the crossing on 19 July, but 6 miles (9.7 km) from his destination of Dover
the Antoinette IV
developed engine trouble and was forced to make the world's first landing of an aircraft on the sea. Latham was rescued by the French torpedo-destroyer Harpon..The other pilot, Charles de Lambert
, was a Russian aristocrat
with French ancestry, and one of Wilbur Wright's students. However, Lambert was injured in a major crash during a test flight, forcing him to quit the competition.
On 25 July 1909, the three rivals all arrived at the seaside town of Calais
, France; Blériot had a badly burned foot, caused when a gasoline line broke during one of his trial runs. The French government
provided the destroyer Escopette
to escort and observe his plane during the trip to Dover. Blériot flew the Blériot XI
, powered by a 25-horsepower
, Anzani 3-cylinder
semi-radial (or fan, or broad arrow) engine with a two-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propeller
. His engine was barely as powerful as the smallest outboard motor
found on a modern day pleasure boat.
He took off when dawn broke (competition rules required a daylight flight), just after 4:30 am, on 25 July 1909. He later reported, in a telegram to The Washington Post
, that he had needed to accelerate his engine to 1,200 revolutions per minute
, almost its top speed, to clear telegraph wires at the edge of the cliff near the runway
's field. Then he reduced his speed to give the XI an average airspeed
of approximately 40 mph (64.4 km/h) at an altitude
of about 250 ft (76 m). Soon after, inclement weather
began to form, with the Channel becoming rougher. Blériot lost sight of any landmarks, and rapidly outpaced the destroyer escort. He stated: “[f]or more than 10 minutes I was alone, isolated, lost in the midst of the immense sea, and I did not see anything on the horizon or a single ship”.
The landing was in turbulent weather, causing problems for Blériot: rain was cooling the engine, putting it in danger of stalling, and the strong wind was blowing him off course. As Blériot reduced his airspeed for the landing, the gusts of wind nearly caused his plane to crash from an altitude of 67 ft (20 m), when he cut off the engine. The landing severely damaged his landing gear
, along with the propeller
. However, the rest of the aeroplane was in good order and the landing was deemed successful.
He flew 22 mi (35.4 km) from Sangatte
(near Calais
) to Dover. The trip took 37 minutes and Blériot immediately became a celebrity. The Blériot Memorial, the outline of the aircraft laid out in granite setts
in the turf, marks his landing spot on the cliffs above Dover. 51.1312°N 1.326°W.
in 1914, Blériot produced more than 800 aircraft, most of them variations of the Type XI model. Blériot monoplanes and Voisin
-type biplanes, with the latter's Farman
derivatives dominated the pre-war aviation market. There were concerns about the safety of monoplanes in general, both in France and the UK. The French government grounded all monoplanes in the French Army from February 1912 after accidents to four Blériots but lifted it after trials in May supported Blériot's analysis of the problem and led in a strengthening of the landing wires. The brief but influential ban on the use of monoplanes by the Military Wing (though not the Naval Wing) in the UK was triggered by accidents to other manufacturer's aircraft; Blériots were not involved.
Along with five other European aircraft builders, from 1910 Blériot was involved in a five year legal struggle with the Wright Brothers
over the latter's wing warping patents. The Wrights' claim was dismissed in the French and the German courts.
From 1913 or earlier, Blériot's aviation activities were handled by Blériot Aéronautique
, based at Suresnes
, which continued to design and produce aircraft up to the nationalization of most of the French aircraft industry in 1937, when it was absorbed into SNCASO
In 1913, a consortium led by Blériot bought the Société pour les Appareils Deperdussin
airplane manufacturer and he became the president of the company in 1914. He renamed it the Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés
(SPAD); this company produced World War I
fighter planes such as the SPAD S.XIII
.
Before World War I
Blériot had opened British flying schools at Brooklands
, in Surrey
and at Hendon
Aerodrome
. Realising that a British company would have more chance a selling his models to the British government, he set up the Blériot Manufacturing Aircraft Company Ltd. in 1915. The hoped for orders did not follow, as the Bleriot design was seen as dated. Following an unresolved conflict over control of the company, it was wound up on 24 July 1916. Even before the closure of this company Bleriot was planning a new venture in the UK. Initially named Bleriot and SPAD Ltd and based in Addlestone
, it became the Air Navigation and Engineering Company (ANEC
) in May 1918. ANEC survived in a difficult aviation climate until late 1926, producing Bleriot Whippet cars as well as several light aircraft.
In 1927 Blériot, long retired from flying, was present to welcome Charles Lindbergh
when he landed at Le Bourget field completing his transatlantic flight. The two men, separated in age by thirty years, had each made history by crossing famous bodies of water. Together they participated in a famous photo opportunity in Paris.
In 1934, Blériot visited Newark Airport
in New Jersey
and predicted commercial overseas flights by 1938.
of a heart attack. He was interred in the Cimetière des Gonards
in Versailles.
established the "Louis Blériot medal" in 1936. The medal may be awarded up to three times a year to record setters in speed, altitude and distance categories in light aircraft, and is still being awarded.
On 25 July 2009, the centenary of the original Channel crossing, Frenchman Edmond Salis took off from Blériot Beach
in an exact replica of Blériot's monoplane. He landed successfully in Kent at the Duke of York's Royal Military School
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, inventor and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. For this achievement, he received a prize of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1,000 ($5,000 at the exchange rate of the time). He was also the first to make a working, powered, piloted monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
. Blériot was a pioneer of the sport of air racing and the founder of an aircraft manufacturing company which outlived him.
Early years
Dehéries
-References:*...
near Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
, Louis was the first of five children born to Clémance and Charles Blériot of Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
. He studied engineering at the École Centrale Paris
École Centrale Paris
École Centrale Paris is a French university-level institution in the field of engineering. It is also known by its original name École centrale des arts et manufactures, or ECP. Founded in 1829, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious engineering schools in France and has the special status...
. After graduating he spent a compulsory year in the Army, followed by six years as an electrical engineer with the Baguès
Bagüés
Bagüés is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 43 inhabitants....
company in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He left that work after developing the world's first practical headlamp for automobiles, using an integral, compact acetylene
Acetylene
Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.As an alkyne, acetylene is unsaturated because...
generator. In 1897 he opened a showroom at 41 rue de Richlieu in Paris. The business was successful, and soon Blériot was supplying his lamps to both Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
and Panhard-Levassor, two of the foremost automobile manufacturers of the day.
Blériot had become interested in aviation while at the Ecole Centrale, but his serious experimentation was probably sparked by seeing Clément Ader
Clément Ader
Clément Ader was a French inventor and engineer born in Muret, Haute Garonne, and is remembered primarily for his pioneering work in aviation.- The inventor :...
's Avion III at the 1900 Exposition Universelle. By then his business was doing well enough for Blériot to be able to devote both time and money to experimentation. His first experiments were with a series of ornithopter
Ornithopter
An ornithopter is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. Designers seek to imitate the flapping-wing flight of birds, bats, and insects. Though machines may differ in form, they are usually built on the same scale as these flying creatures. Manned ornithopters have also been built, and some...
s, which were unsuccessful. In April 1905 Blériot met Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin was an aviation pioneer and the creator of Europe's first manned, engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft capable of a sustained , circular, controlled flight, including take-off and landing. It was flown by Henry Farman on January 13, 1908 near Paris, France...
, then employed by Ernest Archdeacon to assist with his experimental gliders, and the two men began to work together on gliders which were launched by towing them behind a speedboat on the Seine River, trying to learn about aircraft and flight dynamics. Blériot and collaborator Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin was an aviation pioneer and the creator of Europe's first manned, engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft capable of a sustained , circular, controlled flight, including take-off and landing. It was flown by Henry Farman on January 13, 1908 near Paris, France...
formed the Blériot-Voisin Company. Active between 1903 and 1906, the company built several unsuccessful aircraft designs, the Bleriot II glider and the powered Blériot III and IV.
Independent aircraft builder
Blériot V
|-See also:-References:...
, appeared early in 1907. This aircraft was of canard configuration
Canard (aeronautics)
In aeronautics, canard is an airframe configuration of fixed-wing aircraft in which the forward surface is smaller than the rearward, the former being known as the "canard", while the latter is the main wing...
; it managed a few hops before being destroyed in a crash. Later that year he flew the more successful Blériot VII
Blériot VII
|-References:* Devaux, Jean and Michel Marani. "Les Douze Premiers Aéroplanes de Louis Blériot". Pegase No 54, May 1989.* * * -See also:...
, a monoplane with tail surfaces arranged in what has become, apart from its use of differential elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
movement for lateral control, the modern conventional layout. It is this aircraft, which first flew on 16 November 1907, that has been recognised as the first successful monoplane By 1909, he had created the Blériot XI
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is the aircraft in which, on 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot made the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft . This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the early years of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in...
. Construction began in December 1908 and it appeared at the Aero Show in the Grand Palais, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
that month. Its first flight occurred on 18 January of that year.
The Channel crossing
Daily Mail aviation prizes
Between 1907 and 1925 the Daily Mail newspaper, initially on the initiative of its proprietor Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe, awarded numerous prizes for achievements in aviation. The newspaper would stipulate the amount of a prize for the first aviators to perform a particular task in...
offered by the London Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
for a successful crossing of the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in a heavier-than-air aircraft. The Channel had been crossed by an unmanned hydrogen balloon in 1784 and a manned crossing by Jean-Pierre Blanchard
Jean-Pierre Blanchard
Jean-Pierre Blanchard , aka Jean Pierre François Blanchard, was a French inventor, most remembered as a pioneer in aviation and ballooning....
and John Jeffries
John Jeffries
John Jeffries was a Boston physician, scientist, and a military surgeon with the British Army in Nova Scotia and New York during the American Revolution. Born in Boston, Jeffries graduated from Harvard College and obtained his medical degree at the University of Aberdeen...
followed in 1785.
Blériot had two rivals for the prize, both of whom failed to complete the crossing. The first was Hubert Latham
Hubert Latham
Arthur Charles Hubert Latham was a French aviation pioneer. He was the first person to attempt to cross the English Channel in an aeroplane...
, a French national of English extraction. He was favoured by both the United Kingdom and France to win. He had arrived first and attempted the crossing on 19 July, but 6 miles (9.7 km) from his destination of Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
the Antoinette IV
Antoinette IV
|-See also:* Antoinette III* Antoinette V* Antoinette VI* Antoinette VII* Antoinette military monoplane-References:* World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing: London. File 889 Sheet 63.* *...
developed engine trouble and was forced to make the world's first landing of an aircraft on the sea. Latham was rescued by the French torpedo-destroyer Harpon..The other pilot, Charles de Lambert
Charles de Lambert (aviator)
Charles, Count de Lambert, was an early European aviator.De Lambert was the first person in France to be taught to fly by Wilbur Wright. The first lesson took place at Le Mans on 28 October 1908...
, was a Russian aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
with French ancestry, and one of Wilbur Wright's students. However, Lambert was injured in a major crash during a test flight, forcing him to quit the competition.
On 25 July 1909, the three rivals all arrived at the seaside town of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, France; Blériot had a badly burned foot, caused when a gasoline line broke during one of his trial runs. The French government
Government of France
The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...
provided the destroyer Escopette
Rochefortais class destroyer
The Rochefortais class or Pertuisane class was a class of four destroyers of the French Navy built between 1902-03, used during the First World War.- Ships :* Pertusiane...
to escort and observe his plane during the trip to Dover. Blériot flew the Blériot XI
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is the aircraft in which, on 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot made the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft . This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the early years of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in...
, powered by a 25-horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
, Anzani 3-cylinder
Anzani 3-cylinder
|-See also:-External links:**...
semi-radial (or fan, or broad arrow) engine with a two-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
. His engine was barely as powerful as the smallest outboard motor
Outboard motor
An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom and are the most common motorized method of propelling small watercraft...
found on a modern day pleasure boat.
He took off when dawn broke (competition rules required a daylight flight), just after 4:30 am, on 25 July 1909. He later reported, in a telegram to The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, that he had needed to accelerate his engine to 1,200 revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
, almost its top speed, to clear telegraph wires at the edge of the cliff near the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
's field. Then he reduced his speed to give the XI an average airspeed
Airspeed
Airspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Among the common conventions for qualifying airspeed are: indicated airspeed , calibrated airspeed , true airspeed , equivalent airspeed and density airspeed....
of approximately 40 mph (64.4 km/h) at an altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of about 250 ft (76 m). Soon after, inclement weather
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
began to form, with the Channel becoming rougher. Blériot lost sight of any landmarks, and rapidly outpaced the destroyer escort. He stated: “[f]or more than 10 minutes I was alone, isolated, lost in the midst of the immense sea, and I did not see anything on the horizon or a single ship”.
The landing was in turbulent weather, causing problems for Blériot: rain was cooling the engine, putting it in danger of stalling, and the strong wind was blowing him off course. As Blériot reduced his airspeed for the landing, the gusts of wind nearly caused his plane to crash from an altitude of 67 ft (20 m), when he cut off the engine. The landing severely damaged his landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
, along with the propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
. However, the rest of the aeroplane was in good order and the landing was deemed successful.
He flew 22 mi (35.4 km) from Sangatte
Sangatte
Sangatte is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department on the northern coast of France on the English Channel.Like many place names in French Flanders, the name is of Flemish origin and means "gap in the sand".-Engineering:...
(near Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
) to Dover. The trip took 37 minutes and Blériot immediately became a celebrity. The Blériot Memorial, the outline of the aircraft laid out in granite setts
Sett (paving)
A sett, usually the plural setts and in some places called a Belgian block, often incorrectly called "cobblestone", is a broadly rectangular quarried stone used originally for paving roads, today a decorative stone paving used in landscape architecture...
in the turf, marks his landing spot on the cliffs above Dover. 51.1312°N 1.326°W.
Later life
Between 1909 and the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914, Blériot produced more than 800 aircraft, most of them variations of the Type XI model. Blériot monoplanes and Voisin
Voisin
- Companies :*Avions Voisin, the French automobile company*Voisin , the French aircraft manufacturer- People :*Catherine Monvoisin, known as "La Voisin" , French sorceress during the reign of Louis XIV...
-type biplanes, with the latter's Farman
Farman
Farman Aviation Works was an aeronautic enterprise founded and run by the brothers; Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French nationalization and rationalization of its aerospace industry, Farman's assets were...
derivatives dominated the pre-war aviation market. There were concerns about the safety of monoplanes in general, both in France and the UK. The French government grounded all monoplanes in the French Army from February 1912 after accidents to four Blériots but lifted it after trials in May supported Blériot's analysis of the problem and led in a strengthening of the landing wires. The brief but influential ban on the use of monoplanes by the Military Wing (though not the Naval Wing) in the UK was triggered by accidents to other manufacturer's aircraft; Blériots were not involved.
Along with five other European aircraft builders, from 1910 Blériot was involved in a five year legal struggle with the Wright Brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
over the latter's wing warping patents. The Wrights' claim was dismissed in the French and the German courts.
From 1913 or earlier, Blériot's aviation activities were handled by Blériot Aéronautique
Blériot Aéronautique
Blériot Aéronautique was a French aircraft manufacturer founded by Louis Blériot. It also made a few cyclecars from 1921 to 1922.After Louis Blériot became famous for being the first to fly over the English Channel in 1909, he established an aircraft manufacturing company. This company really took...
, based at Suresnes
Suresnes
Suresnes is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The nearest communes are Neuilly-sur-Seine, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud and Boulogne-Billancourt...
, which continued to design and produce aircraft up to the nationalization of most of the French aircraft industry in 1937, when it was absorbed into SNCASO
In 1913, a consortium led by Blériot bought the Société pour les Appareils Deperdussin
Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés
SPAD was a French aircraft manufacturer between 1911 and 1921. Its SPAD S.XIII biplane was the most popular French fighter airplane in World War I.-Deperdussin:...
airplane manufacturer and he became the president of the company in 1914. He renamed it the Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés
Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés
SPAD was a French aircraft manufacturer between 1911 and 1921. Its SPAD S.XIII biplane was the most popular French fighter airplane in World War I.-Deperdussin:...
(SPAD); this company produced World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
fighter planes such as the SPAD S.XIII
SPAD S.XIII
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps . London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.* Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes. London: Friedman/Fairfax Books, 2000. ISBN 1-58663-300-7....
.
Before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Blériot had opened British flying schools at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
, in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and at Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
Aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
. Realising that a British company would have more chance a selling his models to the British government, he set up the Blériot Manufacturing Aircraft Company Ltd. in 1915. The hoped for orders did not follow, as the Bleriot design was seen as dated. Following an unresolved conflict over control of the company, it was wound up on 24 July 1916. Even before the closure of this company Bleriot was planning a new venture in the UK. Initially named Bleriot and SPAD Ltd and based in Addlestone
Addlestone
Addlestone is a town in the borough of Runnymede in the county of Surrey, England.Immediate surrounding towns and villages include Weybridge, Ottershaw, Chertsey, and New Haw. It is near Junction 11 of the M25 motorway and is served by Addlestone railway station on the Chertsey Branch Line. It also...
, it became the Air Navigation and Engineering Company (ANEC
ANEC
ANEC, the European Association for the Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in Standardisation , is an organisation promoting and defending consumer interests in the processes of standardization and certification and in legislation related to standardization and certification...
) in May 1918. ANEC survived in a difficult aviation climate until late 1926, producing Bleriot Whippet cars as well as several light aircraft.
In 1927 Blériot, long retired from flying, was present to welcome Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
when he landed at Le Bourget field completing his transatlantic flight. The two men, separated in age by thirty years, had each made history by crossing famous bodies of water. Together they participated in a famous photo opportunity in Paris.
In 1934, Blériot visited Newark Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and predicted commercial overseas flights by 1938.
Death
Blériot remained active in the aviation business until his death on 2 August 1936 in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
of a heart attack. He was interred in the Cimetière des Gonards
Cimetière des Gonards
The Cimetière des Gonards began operations in 1879 on a 130,000 m² property in the wealthy Parisian suburb of Versailles, France. It is the area’s largest cemetery with more than 12,000 tombs.-Notable interments:*Marc Allégret, , film director...
in Versailles.
Legacy
In his honor, the Fédération Aéronautique InternationaleFédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
established the "Louis Blériot medal" in 1936. The medal may be awarded up to three times a year to record setters in speed, altitude and distance categories in light aircraft, and is still being awarded.
On 25 July 2009, the centenary of the original Channel crossing, Frenchman Edmond Salis took off from Blériot Beach
Sangatte
Sangatte is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department on the northern coast of France on the English Channel.Like many place names in French Flanders, the name is of Flemish origin and means "gap in the sand".-Engineering:...
in an exact replica of Blériot's monoplane. He landed successfully in Kent at the Duke of York's Royal Military School
Duke of York's Royal Military School
The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, more commonly called the Duke of York’s, is a co-educational Academy with military traditions in Dover, Kent, open to pupils whose parents are serving or have served in any branch of the United Kingdom armed forces for a minimum of 4 years...
.
In popular culture
- In 2002, the English train company Virgin TrainsVirgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
introduced a new type of train called British Rail Class 221British Rail Class 221The Class 221 Super Voyager is a class of British diesel-electric multiple-unit express trains built by Bombardier Transportation between 2001 and 2002, entering service on 12 April 2002....
. One of these trains (number 221 101) was named Louis Blériot. - In 2006, Rivendell Bicycle WorksRivendell Bicycle WorksRivendell Bicycle Works is a producer of lugged steel bicycle frames, located in Walnut Creek, California, United States. Rivendell produces stock and customized frames. Rivendell frames are designed in the U.S., with manufacturing of stock frames in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan...
introduced a bicycle model named the "Blériot 650B" as a tribute to Blériot. It features his portrait on the seat tube.
See also
- Blériot AéronautiqueBlériot AéronautiqueBlériot Aéronautique was a French aircraft manufacturer founded by Louis Blériot. It also made a few cyclecars from 1921 to 1922.After Louis Blériot became famous for being the first to fly over the English Channel in 1909, he established an aircraft manufacturing company. This company really took...
- First flying machineFirst flying machineThere are conflicting views as to what was the first flying machine.Much of the debate surrounding records of early flying machines depends on the exact definition of what constitutes a "flying machine", "flight", and even "first"....
- List of early flying machines
- List of firsts in aviation
External links
- US Centennial of Flight Commission: Louis Blériot
- Louis Charles-Joseph Blériot flight and plane information (photos and videos)
- A Daring Flight - Homepage to the NOVANOVA (TV series)Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...
TV episode - Dover 2009 Blériot-The Centennial
- Louis Blériot Memorial Behind Dover Castle UK
- Historically accurate, detailed motion picture treatment of the Blériot channel crossing, 65pp.
- Louis Bleriot and wife at House of Commons, after Channel crossing(by John Benjamin StoneJohn Benjamin StoneSir John Benjamin Stone , known as Benjamin, was a British Conservative politician, and noted photographer.Stone was born in Aston, Birmingham the son of a local glass manufacturer...
) - View footage of Blériot's flight in 1909
- "SEADROMES! Says Bleriot" Popular Mechanics, October 1935 one of the last interviews given by Bleriot before his death.