Blériot Type XI

The first really successful Blériot, the Type XI has a wooden fuselage frame braced with supporting struts and tension wires and is only partially fabric covered. The wings, also of wooden construction and fabric covered, include control wires to enable them to be warped for lateral control. They are mounted at shoulder level to the fuselage and braced below by wires from the undercarriage and above to a tubular frame located in front of the cockpit.

Shortly after 4.30am on the morning of 25 July 1909, Blériot took off from Les Baraques near Calais and flew over the Channel at an average height of 330ft, until he crash-landed on the Cliffs of Dover at 5.17am. Blériot was widely fêted both in England and France, and the aeroplane was exhibited to large crowds at the newly opened Selfridges store in London during the following week. This first flight by a heavier than air machine across the English Channel was a major milestone in aviation history.

About this aircraft

Similar to the aircraft used on the Channel crossing, this example was used by the Blériot Flying School at Hendon in 1910. After a heavy crash the remains were sold to a scrap merchant, from whom they were bought by A.E. Grimmer of Ampthill. He rebuilt the aircraft and taught himself to fly it from Bedford polo ground. It was then put into store during WWI where it remained until acquired by Richard Shuttleworth in 1935 and rebuilt as his first  historic aeroplane.

The Blériot was completely overhauled and re-covered in our workshops during the winter of 2008/9 and, as our machine is the world’s oldest aeroplane and aero-engine combination in flying condition, it is restricted to straight hops.

Specification