Blériot 117

what is it?

The Blériot 117 or B-117 was a large, twin-engined French aircraft from the mid-1920s. Heavily armed with three gun positions, it was designed to defend bomber formations against fighter attack. It did not reach production but was developed into the more successful Blériot 127.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 23 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 180 km/htop speed
• range 800 kmwithout refuelling
• size 4,400 kgmax take-off weight

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 102 years ago, in 1924.
• 🚗Wingspan of 23 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1924

number built

—

role

escort fighter aircraft

origin

🇫🇷 France

makers

Blériot

engines

2× Lorraine-Dietrich 12D

length

14.5 m

wingspan

23 m

height

3 m

max take-off weight

4,400 kg

top speed

180 km/h

range

800 km

ceiling

5,000 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.