In 1937 Ettore Bugatti's fertile mind had found satisfaction on terra firma and so next he looked to the skies. He engaged the services of a man to design and build the Bugatti 100P plane. This man was Count Pierre Louis de Monge de Franeau, a Belgian aero engineer who had built propellers for the French government .
de Monge..." It originated from Bugatti's desire to win world speed records and given the extreme light weight and immense power of the most recent Bugatti engines (magnesium with 8 cylinders in line), he asked me if it would be possible to construct an aircraft powered by a Bugatti automobile engine. I asked for 8 days to study the matter."
The result was a truly innovative design with contra-rotating props from its twin 4.9 litre supercharged engines, forward swept wings - it would have most likely been the fastest thing in the skies with a projected top speed of almost 500MPH.
Bugatti initially financed the project himself but in 1938 managed to receive government funding and an agreement that they would pay 2 million Francs for the 100P (including engines and transmission), 1.5m for two spare engines and transmission with a bonus of 1 million Francs for breaking the absolute speed record.
Bugatti built eight thousand extraordinary cars but only one aeroplane - and it never flew. War got in the way, so in 1940 Bugatti dissembled the plane and stored it in his estate outside Paris throughout the war where it was largely forgotten until an American enthusiast shipped it to America in the late 1960s and is now displayed by the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh.
Jump to 2009 when retired USAF fighter pilot Scotty Wilson decided to build a copy of the Bugatti 100P and make it fly. Two other names in the core team of three are John Lawson ( British-based engineering director) and commercial director Simon Burney who used bang-up-to-date methods of fundraising for this futuristic project by choosing 'Kickstarter' and on their page you will find ways of viewing videos of progress and even a short video of the first flight. Contributors have their names engraved on the plane.
We recently introduced you to the gentleman who had the foresight to purchase the two type 50 engines from the original plane (which are now in cars) and the replica aircraft employs two Suzuki Hayabusa 1300cc motorcycle engines, each producing about 200bhp and weighing just 200 pounds. Their drive shafts run forward either side of the pilot to the nose-mounted gearbox which transfers the reduced revs to the contra-rotating propellers. ( See video)
The story of the whole project is described in full detail and shows the extraordinary passion and skill shown by so many people. We like the occasional comments such as this after taxi tests " Didn't intend to bring the tail up...in level flight attitude the prop has only 6" ground clearance."
Wednesday's first flight is the culmination of patient, relentless work by passionate individuals and it's rotten luck that the right brake failed on landing which swung the plane left onto soggy ground where it nosed over and damaged the props.
Bugatti and de Monge will be smiling in their graves to see their brain-child finally spread her wings.
(text Robin Batchelor, pictures courtesy Bugatti 100P project)