The Blériot XLIII was a First World War French reconnaissance plane designed and built by Blériot.

The crew was located in the cabin in a tandem scheme. At the observer at the bottom of the window was added, providing a good overview. The Bleriot XLIII was a double mid-plane with a monocoque-type fuselage, equipped with an 80 hp Gnome 7A engine.^[1]

In March 1913, Louise Bleriot built the Bleriot XLIII a further development of the Bleriot XXXVI. The Bleriot XLIII could be used for long-distance reconnaissance, but mediocre flight characteristics did not allow Bleriot to conclude a contract for its mass production.

Data from Aviafrance : Aviafrance :Blériot XLIII,^[2] Airwar : Blériot XLIII^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 6.02 m (19 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 10.10 m (33 ft 2 in)
• Height: 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
• Wing area: 19.30 m² (207.7 sq ft)
• Gross weight: 350 kg (772 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Monosoupape 7 Type A 7-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine, 60 kW (80 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 125 km/h (78 mph, 67 kn)
• Cruise speed: 100 km/h (62 mph, 54 kn)

• Opdycke, Leonard E. (1999). French Aeroplanes before the Great War. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7643-0752-5.
• Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur M. French aircraft of the First World War. Flying Machines Press. ISBN 1891268090.