Bugatti 100P
| Bugatti Model 100 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Bugatti Model 100 on display | |
| Role | Unlimited Racer |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Bugatti |
| Designer | Louis de Monge |
| Status | On Display |
| Produced | 1939 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Bugatti Model 100 was a purpose built air racer designed to compete in the 1939 Deutsch de la Meurthe Cup Race. The aircraft was not completed by the September 1939 deadline and was put in storage prior to the German invasion of France.
Ettore Bugatti started work in 1938 to design a racer to compete in the Deutsch de la Meurthe Cup Race, using engines sold in his automotive line for co-marketing.
Bugatti's chief engineer was Louis de Monge, with whom Bugatti had worked before. Bugatti was also approached by the French Government to use the technology of the racing aircraft to develop a fighter variant for mass production. The aircraft was the source of five modern patents including the inline engines, V tail mixer controls, and the automatic flap system.
The Model 100 had an unusual inboard mounted twin engine arrangement driving forward mounted contra-rotating propellers through driveshafts.
The aircraft also featured a 120 degree V-tail arrangement and retractable landing gear. The construction was mostly of wood, with sandwiched layers of balsa and hardwoods, including tulipwood stringers covered with doped fabric.
With the outbreak of WWII and the imminent fall of Paris, Bugatti had the aircraft disassembled and hidden on his estate. Bugatti died in 1947, having never resumed work on it.
The aircraft remained in storage throughout World War II. It was sold several times, and its twin Bugatti 50P engines were removed for automotive restorations. In 1971 a restoration effort was started. The aircraft was stored by the National Museum of the United States Air Force, then transferred to the EAA Airventure Museum collection where restoration was completed, and it remains on static display.
A full scale flying reproduction was constructed by a team of enthusiasts, most notably Scotty Wilson and John Lawson. Modern materials were used within reason, allowing for cost and safety. The use of magnesium, named in the original design to save weight, was rejected due to its flammability and cost. A composite wood (DuraKore) was used in place of the original tulipwood, and glued in place with modern epoxy. The doped fabric was replaced with fiberglass.
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Wikipedia