Blériot XIII
| Blériot XIII | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Passenger aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Recherches Aéronautique Louis Blériot |
| First flight | 1911 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Blériot XIII was an experimental passenger-carrying aircraft built during 1910 by Recherches Aéronautique Louis Blériot. It is notable for setting a record for passenger carrying flights, and was probably intended as a developmental aircraft for the Blériot XXIV Limousine.
The Type XIII differed considerably from the series of tractor configuration monoplanes with which Louis Blériot is generally associated. It was a high-wing pusher configuration monoplane, with the 100 hp (75 kW) Gnome engine inset into the trailing edge of the square-tipped wing, which had inset ailerons and was braced by a deep wire-braced truss underneath. The wing was mounted on a conventional wire-braced wooden box girder using six uprights and a pair of substantial diagonal members to transmit the thrust of the engine to the main airframe. The pilot sat immediately in front of the wing leading edge, with the four passengers seated two by two behind him. A front-mounted elevator was carried on two pairs of V-booms, and a fixed lifting horizontal surface with a rectangular rudder above it was mounted on top of the rear of the fuselage structure. The main undercarriage consisted of a pair of wheels each in a trailing arm structure which was free to slide on upright tubes mounted outboard of the fuselage, and sprung by bungee cords.
On 2 February 1911 Léon Lemartin broke a world record by flying the Type XIII with eight passengers. Later, he succeeded in flying the aircraft with as many as twelve other people on board. Flights carrying large numbers of people were in vogue in France at the time, and the Aero Club de France introduced a regulation for such record attempts, stipulating that each person should weigh a minimum of 75 kg (165 lb). Lamartin's load for his eight passenger list was reported to have been 435.5 kg (960 lb), so his record would not have been ratified under the new rules. It is, however, still an impressive achievement.
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