The Blériot Type XI was designed primarily by Raymond Saulnier, but it was a natural evolution from earlier Blériot aircraft, and one to which Louis Blériot himself made substantial contributions. Blériot achieved immortality in the Type XI on July 25, 1909, when he made the first airplane crossing of the English Channel, covering the 40 km (25 mi) between Calais and Dover in 36 minutes, 30 seconds. Highlighted in this image is the tail and rudder of the Blériot XI. Created by Mark Avino Date Created 01/09/2018 Source Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Keywords Aircraft; Aviation; Inventors; People; Pre-WWI; Private; Records & Firsts Rights and Restrictions CC0
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