L.Opdyke French Aeroplanes Before the Great War (Schiffer)
Deleted by request of (c)Schiffer Publishing
X: This big tail-first biplane was shown at the Paris Salon of 1908; it had been under construction since September, and the original 50 hp Antoinette had been replaced with one of 90 hp. The pilot and passenger sat in bentwood chairs on the lower wing, flanked on each side by full-gap radiators made of linked loops like doughnuts; the plan was to carry 3 passengers. The engine sat at their right, driving the big pusher propeller through chains. A single elevator and 3 rectangular rudders were set forward on outriggers, and tall triangular fins were fitted to the rearmost of the outboard struts. Interplane elevators which also served as ailerons were set behind the wingtips on outriggers and controlled by the single cloche; there were no rear tail surfaces. It ran on a pair of large doughnut wheels.
(Span: 13 m; length: 8.2 m; wing area: 68 sqm; weight: 620 kg; 50/90 hp Antoinette)
Журнал Flight
Flight, January 9, 1909
THE FIRST PARIS AERONAUTICAL SALON.
"Bleriot (No. 10)."
Biplane constructed to carry three passengers, including the pilot. It is quite the largest aeroplane in the exhibition and one of the largest in existence. The accommodation is distinctly cramped, both front seats being on the same side as the engine and occupying but little more room. The third seat, a mere box, is immediately behind, alongside the slanting chain which drives a large wooden propeller. Two flexible radiators, described elsewhere, form side curtains between the main planes, and two more side curtains are formed by the triangular frames which extend backwards to carry a pair of elevators. Part of the upper main plane is cut away to clear the propeller, and the recess has small kite-shaped baffle-curtains on either side.
Flight, February 13, 1909
THE BLERIOT FLEXIBLE RADIATOR.
IN order to dispose of the radiator necessary to cool the circulating water in a more advantageous manner on his aeroplane, M. Bleriot has designed a device which he terms a flexible radiating surface. This was referred to in The Automotor Journal a few weeks ago. It consists of a sheet of aluminium closely covered on one side with hollow brass rings, which are joined together in rows by short lengths of flexible rubber tubing. The cooling water circulates through these rings from one to the other, and is collected by the usual pipes communicating with the pump and the engine water-jacket respectively. On the Bleriot biplane No. 10 the aluminium sheets are arranged like side-curtains between the uprights supporting the two decks of the machine. The two sheets together carry about 800 rings, which afford a total of about four square feet of direct cooling surface. On the monoplanes the radiator forms part of the surface covering of the body, which consists of a longitudinal girder. The rings are individually fastened to the aluminium sheeting by the act of stamping perforations in their flanges; this process causes a "burr" to be formed, which affords sufficient grip. The illustration of the radiator in place on the aeroplane shown above gives a good impression of the arrangement on the biplane, but this device is also incorporated in another way on the two Bleriot monoplanes.
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L.Opdyke - French Aeroplanes Before the Great War /Schiffer/
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| The Type X canard biplane of 1908 never flew. Note the aileron surfaces attached to the outboard interplane struts, and the side-curtains made of circular radiator sections
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L.Opdyke - French Aeroplanes Before the Great War /Schiffer/
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| A fine close-up of the operating center of the Bleriot X. Note the offset propeller blades; the enormous cloche on the control column; the battery and the rudder bar on the step; the big doughnut wheels.
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Журнал - Flight за 1909 г.
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| BLERIOT'S BIPLANE. - General view of the central portion showing the radiators in place, the seats, steering wheel, propeller.
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Журнал - Flight за 1909 г.
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| BLERIOT RADIATOR. - View of part of the Bleriot flexible radiator, showing three of the annular water rings - which are coupled up together by short rubber tubes. The hollow rings are fastened to sheet aluminium merely by the act of punching the perforations which will be noticed round them.
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Журнал - Flight за 1909 г.
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| Bleriot N 10
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