The Blériot XI released!

[Stoopy 1,571]

On 11/22/2020 at 7:53 PM, Fielder said:

Hmmm, that pilot looks familiar....

 

 

Unless that's Jay Leno with a 'stache, maybe the hotfix will also correct the oversized chin?

Edited November 28, 2020 by Stoopy

[loge 42]

Just bought this addon - a nice change from modern planes.  Good for low and (very) slow sightseeing.

On 11/21/2020 at 5:57 AM, Fielder said:

But Wing42 mixed up of their files in what they sell: in MSFS the Anzani engine Bleriots fly faster and easier by far. This is wrong and what fooled me.

This seems to have been fixed in the latest version: the Gnome version is definitely the fastest and easiest to fly of the three.

However, I think the Anzani and "Anzani RIP" versions may be mixed up.  I find the former impossible to fly, but the "RIP" version is flyable provided you're careful and there isn't much wind (still harder than the Gnome version, as it should be).  Anyone else notice that?

[Fielder 3,674]

As most of you already know, while R.I.P. Rest in Peace in cute the real engine used in the Bleriot was the 7 cylinder R.E.P. engine.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

As most of you already know, while R.I.P. Rest in Peace in cute the real engine used in the Bleriot was the 7 cylinder R.E.P. engine.

The initial ones built did indeed use the 7 cylinder R.E.P motor but it was ridiculously unreliable and hence dangerous and by 1909 was changed out for an Anzani engine in production models. Only the very first few ever made were the 7 cylinder R.E.P design .

The famous Bleriot XI now in the Musée des Arts et Métiers that was used for the English Channel crossing had the Anzani engine.

Over 800 Bleriot XI were built. For some weird reason people think there was only the one or two built, but it was a very popular aircraft, sort of the c172 of it's day. Production stopped in France by 1914 but continued elsewhere for quite a few years afterwards.  (if you count replicas they are still in production)  It used a variety of engines through the 10 or so years they were produced including, during the war years, the 7 cylinder gnome and in the US even were fitted with 2 cylinder Detroit Aero engines.

We have one here in the Australian Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, it is a Bleriot XI "Looper" designed for aerobatics and has a 50 HP Gnome:

https://collection.maas.museum/object/288461

The one in the Smithsonian is also a 50HP Gnome.

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/blériot-xi/nasm_A19500095000

Edited December 2, 2020 by Glenn Fitzpatrick

[The Third Guru 0]

I wanted to accurately simulate Louis Blériot's Channel crossing. However, I can't find the exact coordinates of where he took off in Sangatte. (There's a memorial near Dover that clearly shows where he landed, but there doesn't seem to be any information about exactly where he took off.)

(FSX had an addon called Early Years of Flight that had a Blériot scenario, but I can't seem to find what coordinates they used there. In fact, I seem to remember being almost unable to take off successfully there because there were houses directly in front of the spot.)

This is a contemporaneous article that vaguely shows the spot:

This is a modern timeline of the flight:

However, none of these have the exact coordinates.

I did find this video that seems to pinpoint the location:

 

This seems to give the most easily recognizable place of departure. I checked on Google maps are there is a field roughly in that spot.

The coordinates I found and estimated are these:

50° 56' 58.81" N 1° 49' 27.35" E (50.94966726009944, 1.824263050696244)

This takes you to the edge of the field that is there, which should give enough room to take off. However, in MSFS when you enter custom coordinates, you immediately spawn in the air. There seems to be no way to adjust your altitude and start on the ground.

Does this mean that I'll have to manually fly the Blériot XI to these coordinates and then save the flight at that location? (This might be challenging to do given the unstable nature of this plane!) It would be so nice to be able to instantly spawn the plane at these coordinates.

Thank you to anyone who has any ideas or can help in any way.

Edited February 10, 2021 by The Third Guru

[marsman2020 1,310]

You could use Slew Mode to get yourself where you want to start, from the air or from a nearby airport.  There are key bindings in the control options menu. 

[The Third Guru 0]

Thank you so much, marsman2020!

That exactly did the trick!

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

According to this:

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/louis-bl-riot-and-the-first-channel-crossing/

 

Quote

You can explore the site where Blériot took off, now named Blériot Plage at Les Baraques, Calais. A water tower decorated with murals depicting the event, now stands close to the location of the starting point. 

You could look for the tower in Google maps 😄

 

 

 

Some other articles:

https://wrightbros.org/History_Wing/Wright_Story/Showing_the_World/Crossing_the_Channel/Bleriots_Flight.htm

 

The sign that marks the location in Northfall Meadow where he crash landed:

https://www.alamy.com/site-of-louis-bleriot-cross-channel-flight-landing-in-dover-kent-uk-northfall-meadow-information-sign-board-image188799389.html

 

 

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

Ok the water tower is here:

 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Avenue+Louis+Blériot,+62100+Calais,+France/@50.9567725,1.813126,104a,35y,79.72h,69.53t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47dc3f7955b8968b:0x42a6c16b17d1d40e!8m2!3d50.9506722!4d1.8694223

 

 

[The Third Guru 0]

11 hours ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Ok the water tower is here:

 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Avenue+Louis+Blériot,+62100+Calais,+France/@50.9567725,1.813126,104a,35y,79.72h,69.53t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47dc3f7955b8968b:0x42a6c16b17d1d40e!8m2!3d50.9506722!4d1.8694223

 

 

Thank you! Unfortunately, there's no room there to take off anymore, but that finally answers a question I've had for a long time.

I think the only place close to there is the field to the south. That's close enough and will still give the feeling of accurately duplicating the flight.

Thank you for the help. I really appreciate it.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

On 2/11/2021 at 3:21 AM, The Third Guru said:

Thank you! Unfortunately, there's no room there to take off anymore, but that finally answers a question I've had for a long time.

I think the only place close to there is the field to the south. That's close enough and will still give the feeling of accurately duplicating the flight.

Thank you for the help. I really appreciate it.

Not a problem.

There is a football field a little south that is probably a bit short for the Anzani, but likely Ok for the Gnome Bleriot which is the version that flew the channel.

or there is the beaches 😄

[bendead 1,085]

Do they plan to release it on the market place? that would have been a fun little aircraft to fly while I am waiting for WU3

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

On 2/12/2021 at 11:56 PM, bendead said:

Do they plan to release it on the market place? that would have been a fun little aircraft to fly while I am waiting for WU3

 

It is finally on the marketplace as of today.

Gratuitous video with cows and a balloon  ...

 

 

[leprechaunlive 1,852]

Yes, support Vitus from Wing42, he is an incredible guy, has done so much for the community (mostly in the background).

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

21 minutes ago, leprechaunlive said:

Yes, support Vitus from Wing42, he is an incredible guy, has done so much for the community (mostly in the background).

Indeed.

Plus he has some excellent classic aircraft on the way, in particular a Lockheed Vega and a Boeing 247 .