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The Blériot VI Libellule ("Dragonfly") was an early French aeroplane built by Louis Blériot, his first experiment with the tandem wing configuration championed by Louis Peyret. Blériot's first attempts to fly it in June 1907 were unsuccessful, but after some modifications to the fuselage it finally took to the air on 11 July at Issy-les-Moulineaux, making a short hop of around 25 m - 30 m at an altitude of around 2 m (80 ft - 100 ft at an altitude of 6½ ft). The following day, flights of 80 m, 120 m, and 150 m were achieved (260 ft, 390 ft, and 490 ft). The best flight Blériot accomplished with this machine covered 143 m at an altitude of 12 m (470 ft at 40 ft).
On August 6, the aircraft was damaged in a heavy landing, and Blériot used its repair as an opportunity to install a larger engine, replacing the original 18 kW (24 hp) Antoinette engine with one of 37 kW (50 hp). The re-christened VI bis was flown during August and September, making several flights in the 100-metre range, before being destroyed in a crash on September 17.
[edit] Specifications (VI-bis)
General characteristics
- Crew: one pilot
- Length: 7.00 m (23 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 7.20 m (23 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 20 m² (215 ft²)
- Powerplant: 1 × Antoinette Vee-16, 37 kW (50 hp)
Performance
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 161.
- Devaux, Jean and Michel Marani. "Les Douze Premiers Aéroplanes de Louis Blériot". Pegase No 54, May 1989.
- Nova: A Daring Flight
- earlyaviators.com
[edit] See also
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Aircraft produced by Blériot |
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