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Blériot XI

The Blériot XI is one of the most iconic aircraft designs of the pioneer era of aviation. It gained lasting fame on 25 July 1909, when Louis Blériot crossed the English Channel from Calais to Dover, winning a £1,000 prize awarded by the Daily Mail. The flight had taken 36.5 minutes and had made Blériot a celebrity, instantly resulting in many orders for copies of his aircraft. The aircraft, which never flew again, was eventually bought by the Musee des Arts et Metiers in Paris.