Warbird Information Exchange

For about four months now Eric Presten, based at Sonoma Skypark, CA, has been the proud owner of this full-scale replica kit that he built in just 26 days, the same amount of time that Louis Blériot built his original. The kit was built by Airdrome Aeroplanes in Holden MO., and Presten elected to go with the more authentic wing warping, instead of ailerons that are found on most of the replicas. Power comes from a Rotec R-2800 110 hp radial engine. Plans are to fly it at West Coast air shows this next season.
First test flights prior to taking it to Oshkosh this year, Photo by Presten.


Here is a picture of the Bleriot after arrivng home from Oshkosh by trailer, the wings are neatly and quickly attached to the side of the plane, and elevators removed for transportation. An engine run can easily be run with the wings still attached to the side.


He had Dave Masters build him a new custom-built period propellor, that was installed and test hopped yesterday. I didn't get there early enough, so this is a picture of the plane getting put away for the day.


Here are a couple of pictures from entry at the Rolls Royce Heritage Trophy event at the Reno Air Races this year.




No complicated instrument panel here.

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Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.

Roger,

I saw the plane at Reno, and spent several hours talking with him in the evening after the races were over. If I did not have so many projects now, I would probably build one. It looks like it would be fun for a Sunday morning flight.

I also took lots of detailed photos.

Laterrrrr
Avn-tech

Thanks for posting those Roger.
Ever since I went to Old Rhinebeck as a kid, I've always wanted my own Bleriot.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Does anyone have any questions?

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Fly low. Fly slow, Fly safe.

Good job Eric, great pix Roger. Here's a thought to ponder over a few late night brews. A Bleriot class at Reno.

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

....and now, the J-3 is officially upmarket to 'cabin class'....That does look like a great deal of fun buzzing around with hot air balloons on early weekend mornings

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Nice pictures, Roger!

Love the idea! Fly low (check) Fly fas... well, no, Turn l.. - uh, wing warping?

One outa three?

Nice to see Eric and the Bleriot at Osh this year, and nice too to see 'our local' company (Victoria, Australia) Rotec engine doing the biz at the front end.

I don't think Eric would recommend the intense time-workload effort though...

Cheers,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Questions? Yes, Eric, what is it that you drink, to get a project like that built in under a month? (I want a case of it!) Outstanding!

I think it looks good with the Rotec.

So, how does it handle with a radial? Is it a standard Rotec/prop combination, or did you change anything to mimic the low-rpm/large prop combination of the original Anzani and later rotary innstallations?

And of course, how well does that wing-warping work?

No brakes, I see. Good! Far better to just keep to grass, into-wind.

Is is an original airfoil on the wings?

Dave

Responses to comments and questions:

In relation to the races at Reno. They wouldn’t let me race it in the unlimited class, they were afraid that I would get them in the turns.

I am afraid of hot air balloons, they can soundly out climb me.

For your own sanity and physical well being, build it slower. The amazing thing to ponder about these airplanes though is that even if you build it six times slower, you’ll still be flying it by early summer.

Funny thing is that not only don’t I drink coffee, I don’t drink any alcohol type drinks either. I just never acquired a taste for any of it.

It’s set up to look like the six-cylinder two-row Anzani radial powered examples. Like the one that's in the R.A.F. museum in Hendon.

We just tested a brand new 87 inch early looking prop like the ones that were used on the Bleriots. It statics at 1850 RPM and max continues on the Rotec is 2100 at the prop. We have yet to check cruise RPM as we have only hopped it with this prop. We need to get the correct metric prop bolts.

This is the third Rob Baslee Bleriot that I did the first flight on (you can go see a very short clip of me flying serial number 1 in the movie “Amelia” when it plays in a theater near you) and this one is the worst flyer. The other two have ailerons and the later more standard tail, and they are great flyers. Robs kit examples are set up like that, and you can fly them in J-3 Cub weather. I wanted wing warping and the “flipper” tail (for easy trailering, and against Rob Baslees good advice) and it severely effects the types flying characteristics. On my airplane, you have to fly it in the dead calm only, and the warping is very heavy, and very unresponsive. I can get three times the roll rate from the rudder that I can get from the warping. The flipper tail is also very sensitive to CG range variations as well, but I am setting up the airplane with a variable tail weight so that I can adjust this to the pilots weight (I have let three other very trusted guys fly it now).

No brakes and a fixed non-steerable tail skid. Anything else would be sacrilege (although a tail wheel was a common sight on many Bleriots). In relation to X-winds, the aileroned versions (which are the only ones I would fly in any wind) were very good in X-winds. I suppose that it’s that with the rear fuselage uncovered there is not much weather vaneing tendency.

Yes on the original airfoil question.

P.S. If you are interested in one of Rob’s designs (Fokkers, Nieuports, Sopwiths, deHavillands) check out his AirdromeAeroplanes.com web site. If you really get interested call me for an introduction to Rob, and I might be able to save you a few bucks.

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Fly low. Fly slow, Fly safe.

Most interesting! Thanks for the details.

I spent an afternoon with George Neal recently, who built a Sopwith Pup and flew it to displays all over the country, behind a Rotary. He had a great time with it, and actually liked the engine -- mind you, he rebuilt it, and knew how it worked.

Love to try it some day.

Dave

Dave,

The engine is really not the limitation on flying my airplane X-country. I have flown it on one of about 35 NM. The limitation is that it needs to be flown in absolutely calm conditions. I don’t like to get it to far from the field just in case the wind comes up and I need to get on the ground fast.

I too would love to have a rotary engine, and am actively keeping my eye on the disposition of three of them.

Eric P.

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Fly low. Fly slow, Fly safe.