The Airdrome Bleriot Model XI, also referred to as the Airdrome Bleriot XI, is an American
amateur-built aircraft
Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...
, designed and produced by
Airdrome Aeroplanes, of
Holden, Missouri
Holden is a city in western Johnson County, Missouri, Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,252 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census.
History
Holden was laid out in 1857. It was named for Major Nathaniel Holden, a ...
. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
[Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 38. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851]
The aircraft is available as a full-scale or 3/4 replica of the French
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fa ...
1909 pioneer aircraft that was designed by
Louis Blériot and used to fly across the English Channel on 25 July 1909. The replica is built from modern materials and powered by modern engines.
Design and development
The Airdrome Bleriot Model XI features a
cable-braced monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
layout, a single-seat open cockpit, fixed
conventional landing gear
Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...
and a single engine in
tractor configuration
In aviation, the term tractor configuration refers to an aircraft constructed in the standard configuration with its engine mounted with the propeller in front of it so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air. Oppositely, the pusher co ...
.
The aircraft is made from steel and
aluminum
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...
, with its flying surfaces covered in
doped aircraft fabric
Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...
. The full scale Airdrome Bleriot Model XI has a wingspan of and a wing area of . The standard engine used on the full-scale version is the
four stroke
A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directi ...
Rotec R2800 radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...
, while the 3/4 scale version uses a
Volkswagen air-cooled engine
The Volkswagen air-cooled engine is an air-cooled, gasoline-fuelled, boxer engine with four horizontally opposed cast-iron cylinders, cast aluminum alloy cylinder heads and pistons, magnesium-alloy crankcase, and forged steel crankshaft and ...
. Building time from the factory-supplied full scale kit is estimated at 375 hours by the manufacturer.
Operational history
Three examples of the full scale and one 3/4 kit had been completed by December 2011.
Specifications (Full Scale Bleriot Model XI)
References
{{Airdrome Aeroplanes
Homebuilt aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Replica aircraft