Louis Blériot's first flight across the Channel recreated 100 years on - Aircraft of World War II

v2 · 07-24-2009, 05:35 PM

It was 100 years ago that Frenchman Louis Blériot became the first man to fly across the Channel.

more: Louis Blériot's first flight across the Channel recreated 100 years on - Telegraph

wheelsup_cavu · 07-24-2009, 11:54 PM

Cool link V2.

It took 37 minutes to fly the 22 miles across the channel 100 years ago.
I hope there is a lot of pictures of the memorial flight posted later.

Wheels

vikingBerserker · 07-24-2009, 11:58 PM

It's amazing that 100 years ago this was an incredible feat whereas today we have spacecraft traveling beyond Pluto.

Great post v2!

FalkeEins · 07-25-2009, 11:05 AM

..there will be at least three attempts to replicate the feat today..the first one already came across this morning at dawn and took longer than the original flight 100 years ago (its pretty windy here today!)

v2 · 07-25-2009, 01:35 PM

A French pilot on Saturday recreated the first-ever flight across the English Channel in a monoplane like the one that Louis Bleriot flew in 1909, complete with a wooden propeller, bicycle wheels and an engine about as powerful as a lawnmower.

more: CTV.ca | Pilot marks 100th anniversary of English Channel flight

wheelsup_cavu · 07-25-2009, 03:55 PM

Great story V2.

Wheels

Célérité · 07-25-2009, 10:09 PM

Just one photo of the comemorial flight. A good challenge.

siznaudin · 07-26-2009, 09:17 AM

Anyone know what engine the re-enactment flight aircraft had in it?
The original 1909 job was a 3 cylinder Anzani "fan" (describes the configuration) engine.

Thanks.

RabidAlien · 07-26-2009, 10:08 AM

Amazing how far technology has come in the last 100 years. Makes me sit back and wonder what feats of ours they'll be recreating 100 years from now.

trackend · 07-26-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by siznaudin

Anyone know what engine the re-enactment flight aircraft had in it?
The original 1909 job was a 3 cylinder Anzani "fan" (describes the configuration) engine.

Thanks.

I know this guy Mikael Carlson who was at Duxford FL and I have met him a couple of times elsewhere uses an original three potter Anzani rotary engine that he rebuilt himself.
Read this Attempt to recreate Louis Bleriot's Channel crossing grounded - Telegraph

I find this is a typical French way of doing things Mikael is an expert with the Bleriot's wing warping system (part of his display is to put both hands above his head and wave to the crowd) and has more hours flying Bleriots than anyone around but because he's a Swede the French pulled a fast one on him .

FalkeEins · 07-26-2009, 03:24 PM

to be fair the original flight was made at dawn, so the French were doing no more than replicate that - for some reason the Swede had elected to wait until early evening - probably to coincide with the fireworks and the crowds..

siznaudin · 07-27-2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trackend

I know this guy Mikael Carlson who was at Duxford FL and I have met him a couple of times elsewhere uses an original three potter Anzani rotary engine that he rebuilt himself.
Read this Attempt to recreate Louis Bleriot's Channel crossing grounded - Telegraph

Thanks for that - it's a 3 cylinder radial he's got there rather than the "fan" configuration, but quite probably it's no more powerful. There was a Bleriot replica built in Tasmania which used the same 3 cyl Anzani radial type engine. They had real problems in trying to control it in the air, however.

As an aside, I wonder if there was a convenient rain shower through which the reenactment 'plane could fly, in order to emulate Bleriot's effort when his engine was overheating?

vikingBerserker · 07-27-2009, 10:49 PM

I haveto give the man props for using an engine almost 100 years old.

Gnomey · 07-28-2009, 04:20 PM

Fantastic to see it repeated, really was an amazing feat. Remarkable to consider where we are now in relation to a century ago.

siznaudin · 07-30-2009, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnomey

Fantastic to see it repeated, really was an amazing feat. Remarkable to consider where we are now in relation to a century ago.

Yep, and here we are looking at Peak Oil: in such a short time, too........

07-24-2009, 11:54 PM	#2
wheelsup_cavu Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Corona, California Posts: 1,534	Cool link V2. It took 37 minutes to fly the 22 miles across the channel 100 years ago. I hope there is a lot of pictures of the memorial flight posted later. Wheels __________________ Cheers Wheelsup_cavu Wheels's Photos - Time lapse build of an F/A-18 Super Hornet - Lock N' Load

07-24-2009, 11:58 PM	#3
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,768	It's amazing that 100 years ago this was an incredible feat whereas today we have spacecraft traveling beyond Pluto. Great post v2! __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

07-25-2009, 11:05 AM	#4
FalkeEins Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Capel-le-Ferne, Kent, England Posts: 96	..there will be at least three attempts to replicate the feat today..the first one already came across this morning at dawn and took longer than the original flight 100 years ago (its pretty windy here today!) __________________ " My wingman reported a large hole in my fuselage - it turned out to be the fuel tank vent .." Gordon Graham, CO, 354th FS, 355th FG

07-25-2009, 03:55 PM	#6
wheelsup_cavu Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Corona, California Posts: 1,534	Great story V2. Wheels __________________ Cheers Wheelsup_cavu Wheels's Photos - Time lapse build of an F/A-18 Super Hornet - Lock N' Load

07-26-2009, 09:17 AM	#8
siznaudin Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Adelaide Posts: 32	Bleriot replica: engine? Anyone know what engine the re-enactment flight aircraft had in it? The original 1909 job was a 3 cylinder Anzani "fan" (describes the configuration) engine. Thanks.

07-26-2009, 10:08 AM	#9
RabidAlien Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hurst, Texas Posts: 2,827	Amazing how far technology has come in the last 100 years. Makes me sit back and wonder what feats of ours they'll be recreating 100 years from now. __________________ Pillage, then burn. Argue not with dragons, for thou art crunchy and go well on toast.

07-26-2009, 03:24 PM	#11
FalkeEins Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Capel-le-Ferne, Kent, England Posts: 96	to be fair the original flight was made at dawn, so the French were doing no more than replicate that - for some reason the Swede had elected to wait until early evening - probably to coincide with the fireworks and the crowds.. __________________ " My wingman reported a large hole in my fuselage - it turned out to be the fuel tank vent .." Gordon Graham, CO, 354th FS, 355th FG

07-27-2009, 10:49 PM	#13
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,768	I haveto give the man props for using an engine almost 100 years old. __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

07-28-2009, 04:20 PM	#14
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,224	Fantastic to see it repeated, really was an amazing feat. Remarkable to consider where we are now in relation to a century ago. __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

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