Bugatti 100P Replica Accident

[dr_gn]

According to my Facebook news feed and other reports, it looks like the Bugatti 100P project came to a tragic end today:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/08/06/Experime...

RIP.

[Eric Mc]

Bugger.

To be honest, I always thought the original was a bit too weird looking to be a practical aeroplane and it was good that it never got to fly. Maybe this has been borne out by what has happened.

Sad all the same.

[dr_gn]

It always seemed a very risky proposition. The control surface mixing mechanism was pretty complicated. Two motorbike engines driving a bespoke gearbox and contra-rotating prop, plus a terrifyingly vulnerable pilot location...

I honestly thought they'd fly it once and then quietly retire it.

[marksx]

I just read about this on their FB page. Terrible news.

"To all of the followers, friends and colleagues around the world who have blessed us with their warm friendship and good wishes over the years, it is with great sadness in our hearts that we can confirm the passing of our great leader and mentor Scotty Wilson early today in a tragic accident involving our beloved aircraft. Being a small team we have been concerning ourselves with other matters before posting this update, please join with us in our prayers for Scottys family, friends and associates. We will post updates in the near future. God Bless"

[IforB]

dr_gn said:

It always seemed a very risky proposition. The control surface mixing mechanism was pretty complicated. Two motorbike engines driving a bespoke gearbox and contra-rotating prop, plus a terrifyingly vulnerable pilot location...

I honestly thought they'd fly it once and then quietly retire it.

I'm with you on that, what surpised me most on reading this was that it was still being flown...

A huge shame though.

[Eric Mc]

I presume the drive shaft passed through the cockpit, between the pilots knees?

[dr_gn]

IforB said:

dr_gn said:

It always seemed a very risky proposition. The control surface mixing mechanism was pretty complicated. Two motorbike engines driving a bespoke gearbox and contra-rotating prop, plus a terrifyingly vulnerable pilot location...

I honestly thought they'd fly it once and then quietly retire it.

I'm with you on that, what surpised me most on reading this was that it was still being flown...

A huge shame though.

The forward sweep and short-coupled tail always looked like it could have a vicious tip-stall to me. Not sure if the wing section itself was as per the original, but they obviously did some analysis and were happy with it all.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

I presume the drive shaft passed through the cockpit, between the pilots knees?

Either side of the pilot, with some u/j's next to his ankles IIRC.

[IforB]

dr_gn said:

IforB said:

dr_gn said:

It always seemed a very risky proposition. The control surface mixing mechanism was pretty complicated. Two motorbike engines driving a bespoke gearbox and contra-rotating prop, plus a terrifyingly vulnerable pilot location...

I honestly thought they'd fly it once and then quietly retire it.

I'm with you on that, what surpised me most on reading this was that it was still being flown...

A huge shame though.

The forward sweep and short-coupled tail always looked like it could have a vicious tip-stall to me. Not sure if the wing section itself was as per the original, but they obviously did some analysis and were happy with it all.

Looking at it, it just screamed "could do with fly by wire"

With the best will in the world, it looked like a properly edgy piece of kit designed in the era where the understanding of aero was somewhat different to today.

Beautiful, but sometimes the old saying of if it looks right, it flys right isn't always the case.

[dr_gn]

IforB said:

dr_gn said:

IforB said:

dr_gn said:

It always seemed a very risky proposition. The control surface mixing mechanism was pretty complicated. Two motorbike engines driving a bespoke gearbox and contra-rotating prop, plus a terrifyingly vulnerable pilot location...

I honestly thought they'd fly it once and then quietly retire it.

I'm with you on that, what surpised me most on reading this was that it was still being flown...

A huge shame though.

The forward sweep and short-coupled tail always looked like it could have a vicious tip-stall to me. Not sure if the wing section itself was as per the original, but they obviously did some analysis and were happy with it all.

Looking at it, it just screamed "could do with fly by wire"

With the best will in the world, it looked like a properly edgy piece of kit designed in the era where the understanding of aero was somewhat different to today.

Beautiful, but sometimes the old saying of if it looks right, it flys right isn't always the case.

Just seen a US report which says the test flight was planned to be its last before being retired to a museum in the UK.

[MartG]

Very sad to hear - RIP Scotty Wilson

[bumblebee]

Such sad news.... RIP Scotty.

Scotty in December 2014, when I drove up from Dallas to Tulsa on a layover to meet him and see the build in progress:

[Eric Mc]

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

I presume the drive shaft passed through the cockpit, between the pilots knees?

Either side of the pilot, with some u/j's next to his ankles IIRC.

Clever - a bit like the split drive shafts on the Alfa Romeo P3.

[Du1point8]

I followed the project on FB...

According to the new reports this was the final flight before it was due to be retired and moved to a museum in the UK.

Such a shame.

[Brother D]

I really loved the engineering and style of this and followed the project almost since the start. From some apparent 'sources' it was flying slow on base leg before turning for final and seems wingtip stall occurred.

[IforB]

dr_gn said:

Just seen a US report which says the test flight was planned to be its last before being retired to a museum in the UK.

Ah dammit. That's even sadder for some reason. A crying shame.

[FourWheelDrift]

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

I presume the drive shaft passed through the cockpit, between the pilots knees?

Either side of the pilot, with some u/j's next to his ankles IIRC.

Yep, I posted a photo on the old thread at the time - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...