Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 19

CrossingChannel the Photo courtesy of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force aviation history In 1909, in his self-designed monoplane (similar to the replica shown here), Louis Blériot became the first man to fly across the English Channel. How Louis Blériot’s historic flight opened up the skies A By Bill Bath t the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Fleet Review in the Solent off Spithead in June 1897, the Royal Navy showed lines of capital ships that were the latest in naval technology. The RN was twice the size of the next six largest fleets combined, and with fuel stations based at strategic locations worldwide, the Lords of the Admiralty were justified in expressing their confidence that no enemy would dare cross the English Channel to attack the British Isles. Nearly 100 years ago, on July 25, 1909, that self confidence was rudely shaken when a 37-year-old Frenchman, Louis Blériot, flew a monoplane of his own design from Les Barraques, France, to England near Dover, in some 37 minutes. At 04:30, as dawn began to lighten the eastern sky and with a light southwesterly breeze to assist his attempt, Blériot pushed his Anzani 25 hp engine to its near maximum 1,200 rpm to clear wires near the end of the field. Climbing to 250 feet (76 meters) he reduced his rpm to give a speed of an estimated 40 mph (64k/hr). Without the benefit of a compass, he set his course towards the barely visible white cliffs of Dover 22 miles (35.2 km) away. The French government had placed a destroyer, the Escopette, at his disposal in the event he would not make landfall, as had happened a week earlier when a competitor, Hubert Latham, was forced to ditch when his engine overheated. Soon overtaking the destroyer, the gathering clouds blocked sight of the ship and his destination. With the wind picking up—together with rain, which cooled his engine—he had no idea of his location for some 10 minutes, until Dover Castle came into view. With a helper waving the tricolor fl ag at his intended landing spot, he then had to fight the gusts of wind that spun him around several times. Finally, he cut the ignition at 65 feet (20 m) and managed to wrestle the plane down, damaging the propeller and landing gear in the process. So, why the competition? Lord Northcliffe, the owner of the Daily Mail, a conservative English newspaper, had offered a prize of £1,000 to the first person to fly from the mainland of Europe to England, approximately £195,000 in today’s currency, ($270,000). There were two other contenders, of whom only Latham actually made his soggy attempt before Blériot’s epic flight. A Bit of Background Louis Blériot was born in Cambrai, France, on July 1, 1872, and after studying engineering in Paris, soon showed Jetrader 19

Jetrader - May/June 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jetrader - May/June 2009

Jetrader - May/June 2009
A Message from the President
Contents
Calendar/News
So Long, Scottsdale
Tough talk
A Forward View
Aircraft Appraisals
From the ISTAT Foundation
Aviation History
Advertising Indices
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Jetrader - May/June 2009
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Cover2
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - A Message from the President
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 4
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Contents
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 6
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Calendar/News
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - So Long, Scottsdale
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 9
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 10
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 11
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Tough talk
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - A Forward View
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 14
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Aircraft Appraisals
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 16
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - From the ISTAT Foundation
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 18
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Aviation History
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 20
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - 21
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Advertising Indices
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Cover3
Jetrader - May/June 2009 - Cover4
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