Page "Louis Blériot" Paragraph 4

Blériot was a spectator at Voisin's first trials of the floatplane glider he had built on 8 June 1905.

Cine photography was among Blériot's hobbies, and the film footage of this flight was shot by him.

The success of these trials prompted him to commission a similar machine from Voisin, the Blériot II glider.

On 18 July an attempt to fly this aircraft was made, ending in a crash in which Voisin nearly drowned, but this did not deter Blériot.

Indeed, he suggested that Voisin should stop working for Archdeacon and enter into partnership with him.

Voisin accepted the proposal, and the two men established the Ateliers d ' Aviation Edouard Surcouf, Blériot et Voisin.

Active between 1905 and 1906, the company built two unsuccessful powered aircraft, the Blériot III and the Blériot IV, largely a rebuild of its predecessor.

Both these aircraft were powered with the lghtweight Antoinette engines being developed by Léon Levavasseur.

Blériot became a shareholder in the company, and in May 1906, joined the board of directors.