[2] The R.XI was intended to fulfill a French Corps d'Armee requirement for a long range three-seat escort fighter.

Its design was similar to the Caudron R.4, but without a nose-wheel, and with longer wings and fuselage, with two bracing bays outboard the engines rather than three, along with a much larger tail.

Production of the 1000 R.XIs ordered by the French Army began in 1917, with the first aircraft completed late in that year.

[1] The first escadrille, R 46, was equipped with the type in February 1918 and the last escadrille to form was R 246,[3] before the Armistice resulted in an abrupt end to production, at which point approximately 370 aircraft had been completed by Caudron, Régy Frères and Gremont.

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