Blériot XII
Blériot Aéronautique · France · first flew 1909 · light aircraft
The Blériot XII was an early French monoplane built by Louis Blériot. It was the first aircraft flown with two passengers on board.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | High-wing tractor monoplane with a deep, uncovered fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing tractor monoplane with a deep, uncovered fuselage
- Wings mounted on the upper longerons, with pilot and passenger seated between upper and lower longerons
- Ailerons mounted independently of the wings on the lower longerons behind the pilot
Look for a high-set monoplane wing above an open, girder-like fuselage, with a tractor propeller.
Specifications
- The Blériot XII has a length of 9.5 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10 m (33 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 100 km/h (62 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It first flew on 21 May 1909. Blériot used it to take second place in the 1909 Gordon Bennett Cup and to set a new world speed record over 10 km.
Variants
At least three were built, with different engines including an E.N.V. and an Anzani.
Where you'll see it
One was bought by Claude Grahame-White and later passed to the British War Office, where it was nicknamed the Man-Killer and rebuilt by the Royal Aircraft Factory as the S.E.1.
Related aircraft
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