Adolphe Pegoud Sustained Inverted Flight  

In 1913,  Adolphe Pegoud became the first pilot  to be fly an aircraft in sustained inverted flight. The aircraft was built by Louis Bleriot. The aircraft, a monoplane XI had a wing span was 25 ft. 7 in.; length 26 ft. 3 in.; its takeoff weight was 663 lbs. with a 25 hp engine.

The engine was a Anzani three-cylinder air-cooled fan-type. Bleriot’s monoplanes incorporated many innovations including the monoplane wing, tractor engine, rear rudder, horizontal stabilizer and swiveling landing gear to permit crosswind takeoffs. In 1909 Bleriot, in a Type XI, became the first to fly across the English Channel.