Blériot 11

Both before the war started and into its early months, the Blériot 11 was an important plane for French aviation. Benefiting from Louis Blériot's famous flight across the English Channel in 1909, orders for the design were high during the pre-war years, and at the start of the war eight escadrilles were equipped with the type. Though it was easy to fly, when used in war the Blériot 11 showed its limitations: limited power led to poor climb, and the observer was seated in front of the pilot where his view was greatly obscured by the wings.

Nevertheless, the Blériots served in large numbers (for the time) until they could be replaced with M.F.11s, Caudron G.3s, and Morane-Saulnier Type Ls in the first few months of 1915. When the war started, seven of the twenty-three French escadrilles were Blériot 11U units.

On 7 Aug 1914, Capitaine Langlois was acting as an observer in a Blériot 11 when he took a bullet in the thigh from ground fire and became the first casualty of the war in the air.

Evidently a high-wing version was built, aka the "Blériot-Gouin" and they served for a short time with three Blériot escadrilles.

In Italy, license-built Blériots equipped six squadriglia, but they were withdrawn by winter of 1915. Russia both purchased and built many of their own, including two versions by Dux. The few that served at the front were withdrawn by 1916 but continued in a training role. Turkey likewise used a handful of Blériots for reconnaissance. The RFC used a handful of Blériot 11s early in the war by four squadrons, as did the RNAS with Number 1 Wing, where they served until mid-1915. Unarmed Bulgarian Blériots found themselves outmatched by armed Romanian counterparts. Serbia flew a couple Blériots before purchasing MF.11s.

Card Links

 * French Parasol
 * 2 Sqn RFC - Burke
 * 2 Sqn RFC - Burke
 * 2 Sqn RFC - Burke
 * Russian
 * Serbian

1:144 Scale

 * Shapeways:
 * Two-seater: Kampfliegger, Reduced Aircraft Factory
 * Armed Serbian version: Kampfflieger
 * Parasol: Kampfflieger

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

 * Shapeways: Reduced Aircraft Factory

1:300 Scale

 * Shapeways: Kampfflieger