Kickstart the Bugatti "Blue Dream"

[Old Koreelah]

Hope they fit a spin 'chute for test flying; it's beautiful, but doesn't look inherently stable to me.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Hope they fit a spin 'chute for test flying; it's beautiful, but doesn't look inherently stable to me.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

The live broadcast of the first flight 'hop' is running right now on Livestream. They were due to move the Blue dream out of the hangar about half an hour ago but the weather gods aren't being kind. The weather is expected to clear soon.

 

Those who have set up their free Livestream account can watch the event live, and while waiting can post a good luck comment to Scotty if you wish.

 

Go the Bugatti, what a wonderful project and great achievement!

 

Old K - I agree with your comment about it looking as if it lacks inherent stability but I doubt Scotty will have too many issues with that, he's a former USAF fighter pilot so probably a pretty good stick man. I doubt they'll be exploring the spin characteristics yet a while, if at all. I wonder whether they've done any flight sim handling analysis on X-plane or similar. Fingers crossed for a singularly uneventful event.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

The live broadcast of the first flight 'hop' is running right now on Livestream. They were due to move the Blue dream out of the hangar about half an hour ago but the weather gods aren't being kind. The weather is expected to clear soon.

 

Those who have set up their free Livestream account can watch the event live, and while waiting can post a good luck comment to Scotty if you wish.

 

Go the Bugatti, what a wonderful project and great achievement!

 

Old K - I agree with your comment about it looking as if it lacks inherent stability but I doubt Scotty will have too many issues with that, he's a former USAF fighter pilot so probably a pretty good stick man. I doubt they'll be exploring the spin characteristics yet a while, if at all. I wonder whether they've done any flight sim handling analysis on X-plane or similar. Fingers crossed for a singularly uneventful event.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Bugatti has flown!

 

Sadly the Livestream video didn't show live as they lost internet connection, but they will post the video shortly.

 

The Blue Dream flew "beautifully", as expected with good control response but they had a slight mishap after landing when a brake failure caused a run off the runway into soft ground following the rain and the result is damage to both props and the spinner. Hopefully it's minor and can be rectified quickly, and fingers crossed there's no damage to the gearbox or drivetrain.

 

Scotty posted the following on the Blue Dream Facebook page -

 

"Bugatti 100P First Flight

 

 

 

In keeping with our Full-Disclosure policy, here is my summation of our first flight experience:

 

 

 

We intended this flight to be limited to a short hop down the runway to check power required/power available and to check control responsiveness in all three axes. Preflight preparation and before-takeoff checks were normal. Takeoff was normal and at a predetermined reduced power (80%) setting; takeoff roll was 3000 feet and I became airborne at 90 knots. I climbed to 100 AGL to check power and control responsiveness. The plane responded as expected to all power changes and control inputs. Maximum airspeed was 110 knots.

 

 

 

I reduced power for landing but the airplane floated much more than we anticipated. I landed further down the runway than planned but with sufficient distance to stop the plane. Unfortunately, I lost the right brake and the airplane departed the left side of the runway at slow speed. Due to heavy rains the night before, the ground was soft and the airplane tipped upward on its nose, damaging the spinner and both props.

 

 

 

Such is the nature of flight testing a new design. The relevant news is we successfully flew the Bugatti 100P for the first time. The plane flew beautifully.

 

 

 

We’ll share more photos, video, and data with you in the coming days."

 

Here is the first airborne photo, shamelessly ripped off their Facebook page -

 

[ATTACH=full]37421[/ATTACH]

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Bugatti has flown!

 

Sadly the Livestream video didn't show live as they lost internet connection, but they will post the video shortly.

 

The Blue Dream flew "beautifully", as expected with good control response but they had a slight mishap after landing when a brake failure caused a run off the runway into soft ground following the rain and the result is damage to both props and the spinner. Hopefully it's minor and can be rectified quickly, and fingers crossed there's no damage to the gearbox or drivetrain.

 

Scotty posted the following on the Blue Dream Facebook page -

 

"Bugatti 100P First Flight

 

 

 

In keeping with our Full-Disclosure policy, here is my summation of our first flight experience:

 

 

 

We intended this flight to be limited to a short hop down the runway to check power required/power available and to check control responsiveness in all three axes. Preflight preparation and before-takeoff checks were normal. Takeoff was normal and at a predetermined reduced power (80%) setting; takeoff roll was 3000 feet and I became airborne at 90 knots. I climbed to 100 AGL to check power and control responsiveness. The plane responded as expected to all power changes and control inputs. Maximum airspeed was 110 knots.

 

 

 

I reduced power for landing but the airplane floated much more than we anticipated. I landed further down the runway than planned but with sufficient distance to stop the plane. Unfortunately, I lost the right brake and the airplane departed the left side of the runway at slow speed. Due to heavy rains the night before, the ground was soft and the airplane tipped upward on its nose, damaging the spinner and both props.

 

 

 

Such is the nature of flight testing a new design. The relevant news is we successfully flew the Bugatti 100P for the first time. The plane flew beautifully.

 

 

 

We’ll share more photos, video, and data with you in the coming days."

 

Here is the first airborne photo, shamelessly ripped off their Facebook page -

 

 

 

[Chird65]

and a link to the flight

 

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

For those (like me) that missed it in the Aviation News forum the Bugatti has flown again, this time completed a full circuit and Scotty says it is very easy to fly. I'm really looking forward to the more advanced flight tests.

 

 

[Yenn]

It has been so long coming that I thought it was pie in the sky. Nice to be wrong in this case and I wish them safe test flying.

 

 

[DrZoos]

Waht a sensational moment in the history of aviation...

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

A great achievement for a dedicated team. Looking forward to more test flights of this beautiful French design.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Tragic news.

 

Scotty has been killed during another test flight of the Bugatti replica.

 

There aren't many details that I can find yet. At this stage the Bugatti site just confirms the sad news.

 

 

[philipnz]

Video here

 

Historic replica airplane, the Bugatti 100p, crashes near Burns Flat, pilot and designer Scotty Wilson dies

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Video hereHistoric replica airplane, the Bugatti 100p, crashes near Burns Flat, pilot and designer Scotty Wilson dies

Yes, I did see that one but it doesn't show the critical moment. Presumably there'll be chase aircraft video like there was of the two previous test flights which should be more conclusive.

 

Nevertheless, based on what you can see on that video, and without intending to initiate a rash of wild speculation, but for those who understand the dynamics of the forward sweep, I didn't like what you could see of the climb-out.

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

I was privileged to have conversed and corresponded with such an open and friendly fellow builder and flyer, I'm gutted.

 

RIP Scotty Wilson.

 

 

[JEM]

News article So sad.

 

AVweb - Bugatti Builder Killed In Crash

 

 

[rgmwa]

Nevertheless, based on what you can see on that video, and without intending to initiate a rash of wild speculation, but for those who understand the dynamics of the forward sweep, I didn't like what you could see of the climb-out.

I don't pretend to understand the aerodynamics, but it looked to me to be flying `tail-heavy' and sluggish in the climb. A tragedy for all concerned.

rgmwa

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

What a sad end for a great bloke and a truly inspired project.

 

 

[onetrack]

What a bummer. Just reminds one of how inherently dangerous the testing of novel aircraft designs is - and even more so, when it's a vintage design that never previously flew.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Speed was the priority in Bugatti's design, and everything else -including stability- seems to have been secondary.

 

 

[onetrack]

Yes, that would be true. Ettore Bugatti was known for his arrogance. Asked about the worthiness of the Bentley race cars, he merely described the Bentley, as "the worlds fastest lorry".

 

He was fixated on the aims of speed, and beauty in his design - but not necessarily the practicality of his designs.

 

If a problem arose in any of his designs, he was loath to change anything, claiming the problem lay with the owner or operator. He was often rude and abusive towards Bugatti owners who complained about design faults.

 

I can recall the story from the late 1920's or early 1930's when the Type 35 racing Bugatti's brakes got so hot, the heat transferred to the wheel rims and started to melt the tyres, causing huge problems for the Bugatti race car drivers.

 

The team manager fronted Ettore and told him the brake and axle design needed to be modified. Ettore reportedly flew into a rage, claiming there was nothing wrong with the design, and blamed the drivers.

 

In the same vein, when Bugatti persisted with his abominable cable-operated brakes, after most manufacturers had converted to the superior hydraulic brakes - and purchasers of the Type 35 started to complain - Ettores answer was simple. "I make cars to go, not to stop!"

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Yes, that would be true. Ettore Bugatti was known for his arrogance. .....He was fixated on the aims of speed, and beauty in his design - but not necessarily the practicality of his designs. ....

 

Speed was the priority in Bugatti's design, and everything else -including stability- seems to have been secondary.

This may well be true but we should remember that although Bugatti was the 'producer' of the 100P he wasn't the designer of it, he employed a gifted aeronautical engineer of the time, Louis de Monge to design it.

 

I don't pretend to understand the aerodynamics, but it looked to me to be flying `tail-heavy' and sluggish in the climb. A tragedy for all concerned.rgmwa

Yes, well I suppose I started the speculation, so I shouldn't leave it hanging.

 

I would like to make it clear though, that this is my opinion only, and based on the extremely scant information from the video posted above which doesn't show much at all, and certainly not the critical moment of departure from controlled flight.

 

I'm quite sure that the CG would have been exactly where it should have been, so I expect we can discount any possibility of actual tail-heaviness, although it does superficially look as if it was flying that way.

 

Consider - this aircraft was built to go as fast as possible with the power of the engines it had been fitted with ... and remember that its 200hp Hayabusas were very much less powerful than the original Bugatti engines of the 100P of the late 1930s. Also keep in mind that the airscrews were fixed pitch. Designed by one of the world's leading propeller designers, Jan Carlsson (JC propeller Design), and beautifully optimised for the 300+ knots expected to be achieved, they would be fully stalled during, and for some time after, the take-off run.

 

A fella called Robin Austin (sp?) broke a few world speed and efficiency records a few years ago, flying out of our local strip at Heck Field, Gold Coast. He fine-tuned his Sonerai II airframe and engine and built his own airscrew to achieve, IIRC, around 200kts or perhaps a bit more. One of the consequences of having a fixed-pitch airscrew that could still provide thrust at that speed without over-revving the engine, was that he had to have so much pitch on the blades that they were fully stalled until he exceeded an airspeed of about 70kts. Consequently, when taking off he had to lift off and level off and build speed to a reasonable margin above 70kts before attempting to climb. It was commented on that as the airscrew un-stalled it was as if the engine had reached its 'power-band'.

 

I imagine the Bugatti would have been similar but worse. If they were aiming for in excess of 300kts it's likely the airscrew(s) would have been stalled anywhere below about 120kts and looking at that video, and considering the Bugatti is a small plane (small planes look as if they're going faster than large planes, when they're both flying at the same speed), I would estimate it was well below 120kts while apparently trying to climb. If that was the case then he'd very easily get behind the power/drag curve - and with the increasing nose angle that appears to be what's happening as it disappears behind the spectator's head - and speed would bleed off very quickly with any attempt to continue the climb (giving that impression of 'tail-heaviness because it would be flying at an ever-increasing angle of attack).

 

Forward swept wings have some notoriety for their low and/or negative stability in pitch and, depending on a few variables, can also be quite unforgiving in terms of tip-stalling with the resulting rapid wing-drop which appears to have been a feature of this crash.

 

Anyway, as I said, only my opinion and not based on nearly enough information at this stage.

 

Whatever happened it's absolutely tragic for friends and family - and all those who worked so tirelessly for seven years to get the thing built.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Since the original never flew, this replica was, in effect, a noble attempt to complete a beautiful aircraft.

 

As one of its many backers, I feel some responsibility for the outcome. Climbing out with bugger-all actual power (courtesy of a stalled prop) in an untried design with marginal stability, Scotty was closer to the ragged edge than I realised.

 

In recent years too many people have been killed test-flying vintage aircraft that they've spent years resurecting.

 

Perhaps some designs should be left in museums.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Nobody / WE hadn't given any thought that this could have happened,

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

The final report from the NTSB has been released though for some reason I can't open the report but here is a link to the Docket containing the various documents.

 

The findings are summarised on the Bugatti 100P FB page.

 

It seems there was a failure of the front engine clutch system causing a lack of power to the front propeller. This was apparently verified by the footage from one of the onboard GoPro cameras where the engine revs were seen to be increasing but the prop revs were decreasing.

 

It appears that Scotty was aware of the problem and was manoeuvring to try and clear the boundary fence and put it down in the adjacent paddock but stall/spun in the attempt.

 

All very sad.

 

 

[winsor68]

I've been saying it all along. I am sad to see he died but you could see it coming from a mile away. The thing was never meant to fly.