Airdrome Bleriot Model XI explained

The Airdrome Bleriot Model XI, also referred to as the Airdrome Bleriot XI, is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed and produced by Airdrome Aeroplanes, of Holden, Missouri. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.^[1]

The aircraft is available as a full-scale or 3/4 replica of the French Blériot XI 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 layout, a single-seat open cockpit, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from steel and aluminum, with its flying surfaces covered in doped aircraft fabric. The full scale Airdrome Bleriot Model XI has a wingspan of 28.61NaN1 and a wing area of 187square feet. The standard engine used on the full-scale version is the 1100NaN0 four stroke Rotec R2800 radial engine, while the 3/4 scale version uses a Volkswagen air-cooled engine. Building time from the factory-supplied full scale kit is estimated at 375 hours by the manufacturer.^[2]

Operational history

Three examples of the full scale and one 3/4 kit had been completed by December 2011.

Notes and References

1. Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 38. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
2. Web site: Bleriot XI Monoplane . 25 September 2012. Airdrome Aeroplanes. n.d. . https://web.archive.org/web/20101213143852/http://airdromeairplanes.com/bleriot.html . 13 December 2010.