Was this ever actually restored? And if so where is it and how does it look? It was a stunning piece of kit

There's a bit of info on

http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection...100%20Racer.asp

but I'd like more!!

Heel, motorcycle, airplane...hmmm?

It's the magnesium engines I am interested in, so it is car related, honest!

I was restored some time ago, and was airworthy. I have no idea where it is now...

I know where it is now (see link above) stunning bit of kit, but the engines sound like they should be with it, and I know they were removed for two cars, and then..........................

The original unrestored plane was purchased by an American Bugatti car restorer for the two engines. One went into a T59 replica, the second I cannot remember.
The plane was restored to non flying condition.
There is a wealth of information on "www.bugattiaircraft.com", including a link to a replica plane project.
rgds - 5*

I am tempted to ask, but I won't

Obviously, what I heard abou the plane being made airworthy, even though the engines were removed, was incorrect....

mores the pity!! I would love t have seen that fly, and see if it would hit it's proposed record speed. The engines were supposed to be converted to aero use, including casting the blocks (monoblocs) in Magnesium, but I cannot find any 100% certain reports that the engines removed were in fact built in such a way. If they were, you can see why you'd want one in a T59, but a real one, not another bloody replica.............

How do you make a Bugatti T59 replica with 4.7 liter T50 B engines, as were in the plane?


T100 facts:

Length 7.7m
Height 2.25m
Weight 1350 kg
Wing Area 8.2 m²
Power 2 - 4700 cm³
8 - cyl
aluminum block
water-cooled
Bugatti T50B1
Est Top Speed 885 kmph
Landing Speed 130 kmph

"How do you make a Bugatti T59 replica with 4.7 liter T50 B engines, as were in the plane?"

I merely qoute!!!

The T50B engine which were in the aeroplane were modified road racing enfines as fitted in the T59 chassis in the mid/late 1930s.
The "replica" made used genuine parts, ie surplus chassis, transmission parts etc with one of the aero engines #8 and a new T59 style body.
As far as I can ascertain the only part of the aero engines which were magnesium were the front and side cover plates. The block and head were cast from RR50 a light alloy.
Another interesting fact is that mention has been made that one engine rotated clockwise and the other anti-clockwise to cater for the counter-rotating props. It would appear that this is incorrect and both engines rotate anti-clockwise. As transfer gear changed the rotation. The inlet and exhaust of each engine were reversed to permit the exhausts to be on the outside of the plane fusulage.
An interesting article on the engines and plane arein the Bugatti trust's newsletter #21, which is available to read on the web.
I wait to be shot down.
rgds - 5*

Isn't the T50B more related to the T54 than the T59?

Yes you are correct, the basis was the original T50 engine, which was used in the T54, although the T50/T54 engine used a cast iron block.
By the end of the day the T50B engine had very little in comon with the T50/54 engine.

Can an aeronaut explain the reason and likely effect of the forward-swept wings?

Please?

i thought the t59 engine was a t57 derivative...but.... :\

the t54 was a gp car with a t55 chassis and a t50 engine [which was a supercharged twincam version of the t49 engine.]

[the t49 [petit royal]was a smaller verson of the t41[royal with cheese]

now the t55 car had a modified t35 chassis [and coachbuilt body] with a t51 engine [which was a twincam version of the venerable t35b engine]

so the t54 was a t55 chassis with a t50 engine.

and we wonder why the plane was never flown.


i think the bugatti railcars had a version of the t41 engine.

dbw, All are somewhat correct.
The original T59s had a derivative of the T57 engine, but were later equipped with the T50B engines, the Reims 3litre car for example.
The T55, had a T47/T54 chassis plus a T51 engine.
Yes the T41 engines were used for the railcars.

Now I'm confused. What was the 4.5 liter motor a derivate of?

The 4.5 litre engine was part of the T50B family.
The T50BI was 4.7L, the T50BII was 4.5L and the T50BIII was 3L.
There was also another 3L engine which used individual cylinders on a common crankcase. The jury is out on whether this engine was used at Reims in 1938 or a T50BIII.

If I can find an article on these engines which can be easily posted I will, although there is an interesting article on the following website under NEWSLETTERS and issue# 21, page 5" Notes on the Bugatti Type 50B.

"www.bugatti-trust.co.uk"

rgds - 5*

Well it makes a difference to the buffeting that conventional aircraft suffered as they approached the speed of sound, then fell to pieces. The solution found by Miles (and sort of by Bell although the ideas could have been, err, "borrowed", was the use of straight leading edges and counter flaps on the tail operated by weights (I think). Forward swept ws the next step for high speed flight, as seen today on the NASA X craft, the number of which I forget, although Bugatti may have been ahead of his time regarding the use of foward swept wings, one wonders if there would have been any benefit at the speeds the aeroplane was likely to reach.

So, were the blocks ever meant to be cast in magnesium???

Good question. Magnesium blocks were probably was on the wish list, but given Bugatti's resources was too difficult to achieve. I will check my references further and see if there is something concrete on the matter. - 5*

thanks, it would be interesting to know, having seen the problems Cosworth had with block for their 4WD car!!

I'm sure I read that when Tom Wheatcroft decided to build his replica Royale he started with a railcar engine but he found there were so many differences he ended up making the engine as well?

But the Schlumpf Esders Royale replica apparently did use a railcar engine.

t think tom made one 'cause he could...as i mentioned the railcar engines were based on the t41 lump but certainly not interchangable.

Interesting, I have just looked at a write up of the Esders car replica build, which used a railcar engine and can find no reference to any difficulties. The only differences I can see to the railcarand road versions, were the road version had a twin ignition system, against single for the railcar.
The railcar also used an alcohol/ethanol base fuel vs petrol

Thanks!