Blériot XI - Ottawa, Ontario - Static Aircraft Displays on Waymarking.com

History:

Although it looked fragile, the Bleriot XI was structurally strong and had considerable modification potential. It was the first aircraft put to military use by France and Italy in 1910 and subsequently by Britain in 1912. At the start of First World War, the French air force contained eight squadrons of Bleriots and the Royal Flying Corps flew several in France with the expeditionary force. The Italians had Bleriots when they entered the war. A total of 132 were built in five versions.

On July 25, 1909 “England’s isolation ended once and for all” when the aircraft designer Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel in a Bleriot XI. Lateral control was effected by wing warping and by having the main undercarriage wheels castered so that the aircraft could crab in a crosswind on the ground. This device made all operations on the ground very interesting. The Bleriot XI was the first aircraft used in war when it was flown by the Italian air force during the Italo-Turkish war of 1911.

Provenance:

Purchase

The Museum's Blériot was built, from locally-available plans, by California Aero Manufacturing and Supply Company (San Francisco) in 1911, for John W. Hamilton. It is believed to be the first California-built airplane to fly.

Following a series of accidents, the aircraft was placed in storage in 1911. James Nissen and J. Mathiesen of San Jose, California purchased it in 1953. Between 1953 and 1971, the aircraft was partially restored and was displayed at several air shows across Southern California. The Museum acquired it in 1971.

Reference: (visit link)

Type of Aircraft: (make/model): Blériot XI Tail Number: (S/N): Nil. Construction:: replica Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Space and Aviation Museum - Ottawa, Ontario inside / outside: inside Other Information:: Opening hours Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More details Admission fees Adult $15, Youth (3-17) $10 Senior (age 60+) / Student $13 Free on Thursdays between 4 and 5pm Access restrictions: Visitors are not allowed to touch the aircraft and are not allowed to go beyond a 3 inch cable type border that surrounds the aircraft within that specific area.

Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)

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Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   04/22/2023 jiggs11 visited it 08/10/2018 elyob visited it

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