Blériot 117
Blériot Aéronautique · France · first flew 1924 · fighter
The Blériot 117 was a large, twin-engined French escort fighter of the mid-1920s, heavily armed with three gun positions. It was designed to defend bomber formations against fighter attack.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Twin broad-chord rudders on small fins mounted close together over the fuselage, with a tailplane set slightly above it |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin-engined mid-wing monoplane with a thick cantilever wing
- Square-sided engine nacelles extending just beyond the wing trailing edge, each housing a gunner
- Twin broad-chord rudders on small fins mounted close together over the fuselage, with a tailplane set slightly above it
Look for the bomber-like twin-engined layout, a gun position in the nose, and gunners in the rear of the engine nacelles. The twin rudders over the fuselage distinguish it from the later 127.
Specifications
- The Blériot 117 has a length of 14.53 m (48 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 23 m (75 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 180 km/h (112 mph).
- Typical crew: 5.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Blériot concluded that heavily armed escorts were a better answer to fighter attack than arming each bomber with vulnerable gunners. The 117 first flew on 19 June 1924 and did not reach production.
Variants
It was developed into the Blériot 127, which had a very similar layout and dimensions but more powerful engines and a single fin and rudder.
Where you'll see it
The 117 did not enter service. Forty-two of the developed Blériot 127 served with the Service Aéronautique.
Related aircraft
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