Blériot 71
Blériot · France · first flew 1916 · bomber
The Bleriot Bl.71 BN.3 was a large French heavy biplane night bomber of the First World War, built to the BN.3 three-seat night bomber specification. Only one prototype was built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Large equal-span biplane with the fuselage braced between the two wings |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Large equal-span biplane with the fuselage braced between the two wings
- Four engines mounted one above the other on each side of the fuselage, two on the upper wing leading edge and two on the lower wing
- Biplane tail unit with two fins and four-wheel main undercarriage units on struts
A very large biplane with four engines stacked in pairs on each side of the fuselage. The tail was designed with three fins but built with two.
Specifications
- The Blériot 71 has a length of 14 m (46 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 26.3 m (86 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 140 km/h (87 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Touillet and developed from the Bl.67, the Bl.71 first flew on 18 September 1916. It had four 220 hp Hispano-Suiza 8B V-8 engines. The prototype collided with a Breguet 14 at Villacoublay and was damaged beyond repair on 15 May 1918.
Variants
The Bl.71 was developed from the Bleriot 67 and led to the Bleriot 73. Only the single prototype was built.
Where you'll see it
Never entered service; the programme was abandoned after the prototype was lost.
Related aircraft
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