Sunday, December 7, 2008
986. bleriot XI
Designed by Louis Bleriot and Raymond Saulnier, the Bleriot XI was a light, sleek, and inherently stable monoplane, and was constructed of oak and poplar, with its flying surfaces covered in cloth.
The original aircraft was built in 1908, and made its first public debut at the Paris Air Show in December of that same year.
The Bleriot XI was powered by a R.E.P. engine which spun a 4-blade, paddle-type metal propellor, but this configuration proved unsatisfactory, and a two blade, wooden propellor was added, and produced much better results.
In the spring of 1909, Louis Bleriot decided use a simple 25 horsepower, 3 cylinder Anzani engine, and this change assured Bleriot of a continuously running power source for about one hour.
Bleriot and Saulnier incorporated several new, ground breaking technologies in their aircraft, one of which included castering landing gear, which allowed for crosswind landing.
The Bleriot XI flew to immortality in July of 1909 when Luois Bleriot piloted his bleriot XI across the English Channel from Dover to Calais in 36.5 minutes, establishing a new air endurance record. Upon landing, Bleriot made a rough "pancake" landing, and as a result, the underacarriage collapsed, but Bleriot walked away unscathed and claimed the 1000 pound prize offered by the Daily Mail.
After the famous Channel Crossing, great demand sprung up for the Bleriot XI airplane, and by Spetember 1909, Louis Bleriot recieved orders for 101 aircraft.
The original aircraft was built in 1908, and made its first public debut at the Paris Air Show in December of that same year.
The Bleriot XI was powered by a R.E.P. engine which spun a 4-blade, paddle-type metal propellor, but this configuration proved unsatisfactory, and a two blade, wooden propellor was added, and produced much better results.
In the spring of 1909, Louis Bleriot decided use a simple 25 horsepower, 3 cylinder Anzani engine, and this change assured Bleriot of a continuously running power source for about one hour.
Bleriot and Saulnier incorporated several new, ground breaking technologies in their aircraft, one of which included castering landing gear, which allowed for crosswind landing.
The Bleriot XI flew to immortality in July of 1909 when Luois Bleriot piloted his bleriot XI across the English Channel from Dover to Calais in 36.5 minutes, establishing a new air endurance record. Upon landing, Bleriot made a rough "pancake" landing, and as a result, the underacarriage collapsed, but Bleriot walked away unscathed and claimed the 1000 pound prize offered by the Daily Mail.
After the famous Channel Crossing, great demand sprung up for the Bleriot XI airplane, and by Spetember 1909, Louis Bleriot recieved orders for 101 aircraft.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
987. wright flyer
first airplane
The Wright Flyer, also known as Flyer 1, was the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright Brothers, and was also the first airplane to be recognized by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the standard record keeping body for aeronautics, as the "first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight.
The Flyer was based on the Wright's experience with testing various unpowered gliders at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, between 1900-1902, and this experience directly led to the Flyer in 1903.
There was no automobile engine light enough to be put into the Wright Flyer at the time, so the Wright Brothers commisioned one of their employees, Charlie Taylor, to construct an entirely new engine from scratch. Taylor borrowed several elements from bicycle technology, including a sprocket chain drive that powered the twin propellors and turned the rudder simultaneously.
On December 14-17, the Wright Brothers took turns making brief, low altitude flights at Kitty Hawk. The first powered flight of The Flyer was shorter than the wingspan of today's Boeing 747. Unfortunately, the flights ended abruptly in an unintentional and bumpy landing which broke the front elevator supports, and as repairs were being made, a gust of wind picked up the flyer and permanently damaged it.
The Wright Flyer was the first airplane in human history to achieve powered, heavier-than-air controlled flight, thus ushering humanity into a new age of achievement.
The Wright Flyer, also known as Flyer 1, was the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright Brothers, and was also the first airplane to be recognized by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the standard record keeping body for aeronautics, as the "first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight.
The Flyer was based on the Wright's experience with testing various unpowered gliders at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, between 1900-1902, and this experience directly led to the Flyer in 1903.
There was no automobile engine light enough to be put into the Wright Flyer at the time, so the Wright Brothers commisioned one of their employees, Charlie Taylor, to construct an entirely new engine from scratch. Taylor borrowed several elements from bicycle technology, including a sprocket chain drive that powered the twin propellors and turned the rudder simultaneously.
On December 14-17, the Wright Brothers took turns making brief, low altitude flights at Kitty Hawk. The first powered flight of The Flyer was shorter than the wingspan of today's Boeing 747. Unfortunately, the flights ended abruptly in an unintentional and bumpy landing which broke the front elevator supports, and as repairs were being made, a gust of wind picked up the flyer and permanently damaged it.
The Wright Flyer was the first airplane in human history to achieve powered, heavier-than-air controlled flight, thus ushering humanity into a new age of achievement.
flight
“Once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will long to return.”
–Leonardo da Vinci
–Leonardo da Vinci
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