Louis Blériot

Louis Blériot (July 1 1872 – August 2 1936) was a French inventor and engineer, who performed the first flight over a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft.

Monoplane

As lightweight engines became available, he developed planes with various configurations ranging from box-kite biplanes to a canard (tail-first) monoplane. The Blériot V was the world's first successful monoplane. This aeroplane got off the ground in 1907 but soon crashed and was abandoned.

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