The 1937 Bugatti 100P airplane reconstructed

The 1937 Bugatti 100P a remarkable airplane and a truly innovative design, will be reconstructed and fly again after public debut.

Images © Le Reve Bleu

The 1937 Bugatti 100P originally designed in collaboration with Ettore Bugatti and Belgian engineer Louis de Monge, is considered by many to be one of the most technologically advanced airplanes of the era.

Designed from the outset to be fast, it would have most likely been the fastest thing in the skies with a projected top speed of almost 500MPH.

Some of the airplane´s unique characteristics according to Le Reve Bleu:

Extremely streamlined design, made possible by placing the two engines behind the cockpit.

Forward swept wings

“Y” shaped empennage.

A sandwich-construction in wood, where balsa wood between two layers of hard wood makes a very light, very strong and stiff construction.

Propulsion by two counter-rotating propellers, driven from the two engines by axles under the pilot´s elbow.

The aeroplane was equipped with ground adjustable propellers. Propellers with in-flight adjustable pitch were being developed.

The engines were special developments of racecar engines, 8 cylinder 4.9 litre with compressor and many magnesium parts, approx. 450hp.

Automatic wing-flaps, that changed the wingprofile for extra lift or less drag. Adjustment automatic according to airspeed, throttle etc. This system was also capable of acting as an airbrake, or be used during dives. The same system also automatically lowered and raised the retractable landing gear.

Special cooling system with radiators in the fuselage, air entering at the leading edge of the stabilisers. The air flowed through the fuselage to the front, exiting at the trailing edge of the wing.