Bugatti Airplane | FerrariChat

Bugatti Airplane

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by WILLIAM H, Aug 28, 2007.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
    35,532
    Victory Circle
    Full Name:
    HUBBSTER
    #1 WILLIAM H, Aug 28, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  2. Smurf

    Smurf Formula 3

  3. Townshend

    Townshend F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jul 20, 2005
    6,672
    Chicago
    Full Name:
    Walter
  4. agup48

    agup48 Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 15, 2006
    28,633
    Phoenix
    Full Name:
    AG
    I like that last picture
     
  5. sibagong

    sibagong Rookie

    Jul 31, 2006
    23
    notice the wings are forward swept wings instead of the normal backward swept wings we found in normal aircraft
    forward swept wing gives better airflow and less drag to the aircraft
    however the construction of fwd swept wings is very hard to find the correct configuration
     
  6. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

    May 17, 2006
    12,755
    Dallas, Tx.
    Full Name:
    James K. Woods
    Those contra-props are almost always trouble as well. The engine was behind the cockpit with a driveshaft up to the front. I really wonder about the weight and balance of such a scheme.

    However, I saw somebody make an RC model of this, so I guess it might have theoretically been able to fly. As far as I know, it was never fully assembled in Bugatti hands, but was found at the Molsheim works partially assembled in the 50s and ended up in a flight museum here in the US?

    Maybe somebody knows the whole story here.
     
  7. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,447
    This aircraft was a flop and never flew.
    De Monge designed it to attack the air speed record, at the time in German hands.
    There were 2 engines behing the pilot, with a propshaft each side of the seat.
    An engineering nightmare and a project far too ambitious for Bugatti who had no prior involvement in aircraft, lending just the 2 engines.
     
  8. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

    May 17, 2006
    12,755
    Dallas, Tx.
    Full Name:
    James K. Woods
    That is pretty much the story I read as well. Note that Bugatti himself, while a great artist and arguably a mechanical genius in his own quirky way, was not a trained engineer of any kind - let alone a competent aerodynamic designer.

    But it is a pretty thing, is it not?

    BTW - in my experience you can get almost any shape to fly as an RC model so long as you provide enough power.
     
  9. jungathart

    jungathart Guest

    Jun 11, 2004
    3,376
    NoVA, AmeriKa
    Full Name:
    Komrade Jung
  10. charmingDeviant

    Mar 26, 2006
    5
    #10 charmingDeviant, Sep 9, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017


    Actually the bugatti p-100 air racer was designed by a very accomplished aerodynamicist from the period, Louis De Monge. The plane was not a flop by any measure, however, due to the impending invasion of the German Army, Ettore Bugatti hid the plane away prior to its completion. Some history on the aircraft can be found here: http://bugattipage.com/jacob/other/Aeroplane.html

    I have also attached an image of the 3d CG model of the aircraft that I am currently working on.

    Enjoy!
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  11. Jason Crandall

    Jason Crandall F1 Veteran

    Mar 25, 2004
    6,373
    ATL/CHS/MIA
    Full Name:
    Jason
    I'm not seeing how the drive shaft turns the prop.
     
  12. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner Professional Ferrari Technician

    Dec 29, 2006
    18,214
    Twin Cities
    Full Name:
    Tim Keseluk
    Looks like a driveshaft running down the right side of the cockpit.
     
  13. Nurburgringer

    Nurburgringer F1 World Champ

    Jan 3, 2009
    11,031
    Texass
    #14 Nurburgringer, Jun 10, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    the sole 100p now resides at the EAA Museum in Oshkosh WI.
    I must have spent 20 minutes just walking around it taking in the details. Beautiful!

    http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Bugatti%20Model%20100%20Racer.asp

    "Construction of the aircraft was undertaken on the second floor of a furniture factory in Paris. The French government was aware of the advanced design and Bugatti received a contract for a light pursuit plane designated as the Model 110P based on the Model 100P racer. In 1938-1939, while the Model 100 was under construction, the threat of war increased. The aircraft had to be completed by September of 1939 to enter the race. The deadline was not met and the beautiful blue bird never took to the air.

    When the Germans neared the French capital in June of 1940, it was decided to move the aircraft from its Paris location. As the plane was not complete, it was lowered from the second story factory and taken into the French countryside. There, hidden in a barn, the never-flown plane resided for almost 30 years.

    Ettore Bugatti died at age 66 on 21 August 1947. After his death, the aircraft was acquired by a Mr. Pazzoli who sold it to Mr. Salis who in turn sold it to the American car aficionado Ray Jones in 1970. Jones sole purpose was to acquire the two Bugatti engines still in the aircraft. He brought the plane to the US, removed the powerplants and sold the airframe to Dr. Peter Williamson. Williamson moved the aircraft to Connecticut in February 1971 to begin a lengthy restoration. Les and Don Lefferts worked on the project from 1975 to 1979. Les Lefferts documented this work in the July 1991 issue of SKYWAYS magazine. The restoration ceased in 1979 and the aircraft was donated to the Air Force Museum Foundation with hopes of completing the work and placing the aircraft on permanent loan to another museum. As time slipped away, the aircraft remained in storage for at least another 15 years before being donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum."
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  14. Crawler

    Crawler F1 Veteran

    Jul 2, 2006
    5,018
    It looks like there are two shafts, one from each engine, running along the left and right sides of the cockpit and connecting to the gearbox for the counter-rotating props.
     
  15. Jason Crandall

    Jason Crandall F1 Veteran

    Mar 25, 2004
    6,373
    ATL/CHS/MIA
    Full Name:
    Jason
    Gear box? Ugh.

    Cool looking plane but seems to have a lot of failure points.

    Also, where's the tail wheel? Looks like they're using a little dolly to support the tail.
     
  16. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

    Jul 28, 2010
    7,569
    Calgary, Canada
    no wheel i can see ....there's a drive shaft goes along each side of the pilot to drive the front props
    complex design to say the least, not fool proof for sure, but tres cool :)

    a modern version, with dual props behind the Y tail would work for me, that'd be interesting, and better packaging
     
  17. chp

    chp Formula Junior

    Jul 9, 2005
    372
    Are there any calculations how fast this plane could have been?
     
  18. Jason Crandall

    Jason Crandall F1 Veteran

    Mar 25, 2004
    6,373
    ATL/CHS/MIA
    Full Name:
    Jason
    Just depends on the HP of those engines.
     
  19. JCR

    JCR F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 14, 2005
    9,992
    H-Town, Tejas
    As all Bugatti's from that era, more art than engineering.
     
  20. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    7,911
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    Those were my thoughts, also. Whizzbang Buck Rogers looks but poor aerodynamic configuration. Tail looks too small, tail arm too short, and it would take a lot of HP to get it moving fast enough to fly well. It appears that the rear engine drives aft gear box while the forward engine drives the forward box. Both shafts would require some very firm mid-shaft stabilizer bearings too.
     
  21. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 27, 2004
    15,924
    Georgia
    Full Name:
    Jim Pernikoff
  22. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie


    Each prop has it's own engine, post #7 above.

    Tailskid?
     
  23. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

    Jul 28, 2010
    7,569
    Calgary, Canada
    LOL ....and a drive shaft under each armpit! :D
     
  24. Jason Crandall

    Jason Crandall F1 Veteran

    Mar 25, 2004
    6,373
    ATL/CHS/MIA
    Full Name:
    Jason
    And it's own gear box.
     

Share This Page