Bugatti - REVE BLEU - the "Blue Dream" will finally fly!

[underfire]

Global volunteer group recreates Bugatti's "Blue Dream" more than 70 years after the unfinished plane was hidden behind enemy lines.

Get this, two engines driving props in opposite direction!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/525000827/reve-bleu-bugattis-blue-dream-will-finally-fly/posts/1314961

[Bushfiva]

Poor ol' barely-remembered Louis de Monge. Bugatti himself was poorly treated by France post-war as he declined into senility.

[Sandy Boots]

Amazing looking aircraft, can't believe it is 70 years plus

[henry_crun]

https://simanaitissays.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/bugattipcutaway.jpg

Cutaway View

[henry_crun]

http://www.bugattiaircraft.com/images/engineer4.jpg

Prop Gearbox

[henry_crun]

Story and lots more pics here:

Bugatti Aircraft Association - News (http://www.bugattiaircraft.com/news.htm)

[The Ancient Geek]

Lovely looking aircraft but it will not be welcome at many airfields due to the noise from those counter rotating props. Those who remember the Fairey Gannet will recognise the noise.

[henry_crun]

There's one on youtube - real buzz saw there! Rather like Harvard or Gee Bee.

[joy ride]

Fascinating and beautiful plane, which I did not know about, thanks for posting. Does the pilot use his or her armpit as an additional bearing for the prop shaft?

[henry_crun]

Both armpits - there are two shafts! :eek:

[speedbird_481_papa]

I had no idea about a bugatti a/c!! how does a dual prop going opposite directions actually help then? I would have thought it would be trying to pull the a/c in opposite directions causing an imbalance? Also could the front of the aircraft have a 2nd person in potentially??

Regards

Speedbird

[DirtyProp]

Absolutely gorgeous!
Can't wait to see it fly.

Dual contra-rotating props should cancel each other's torque and provide a uniform slipstream.

[joy ride]

Henry, I assumed one shaft rotated inside the other!

[wilyflier]

Beautiful lines, fascinating structure;but three questions
Forward visibility?.
Crash survivability?
Loss of power on either motor leading to loss of elevator and rudder response?
OK Lets go!

[avionimc]

Does anyone know if the original 50B engines for this aircraft have been found somewhere? I understand they had a titanium case. Only two built?

The aircraft in OSH has no engines. At some point EAA was trying to locate them, but without success. The engines could be anywhere in France, in a barn or even inside two old Bugatti cars? Any update on this?

[Warmair]

"Lovely looking aircraft but it will not be welcome at many airfields due to the noise from those counter rotating props. Those who remember the Fairey Gannet will recognise the noise. "


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbmUBGGCZhc

[DaveReidUK]

I'm struggling to think of any other aircraft with a twin-mid-engined, contra-prop configuration (apart from the XB-42, but that was a pusher).

Any offers?

[Above The Clouds]

Beautiful looking aircraft, I want one.

[Onceapilot]

Struggling seems to be the word! Struggling to move and also to stop!:ooh:

OAP

[feroxeng]

Macchi-Castoldi MC72. Still holds the propeller seaplane speed record 440mph in 1934 and what's more it is still around.

[thump]

I'm struggling to think of any other aircraft with a twin-mid-engined, contra-prop configuration (apart from the XB-42, but that was a pusher).

Any offers?

Dornier DO335

[etudiant]

The combo of mid engined twin with contra props is pretty rare.
The Do 335 had one engine in front, so does not qualify.
Given the headaches generated by combining a contra prop gear box and the long shafting to transmit the power, I think that rarity is deserved.

[DaveReidUK]

Macchi-Castoldi MC72.

To clarify, by "twin-mid-engined" I meant two engines in the middle, ie behind the pilot. :O

[Nialler]

I don't think that I've ever wanted any object as much as I want this!

I'll contact the team with a view to a cash injection. Association with it will have to do. At least they might let me look at it.

[cwatters]

I wonder how much clearance is there between prop and ground when the tail comes up?

[Machdiamond]

it will not be welcome at many airfields due to the noise from those counter rotating props

Contra rotation does not necessarily make it noisy. Highly powerful turboprops and supersonic blade tips are more to blame, neither of which is on the 100P.

Low speed taxi tests with sound available here: https://www.facebook.com/TheBugatti100pProject (you can access this page without being a member of Facebook)

I always loved that airplane, can't wait to see it fly. The original one never did!

[Onceapilot]

Try the Heinkel He 119. DB606 (coupled double DB601E engine).

OAP

[PersonFromPorlock]

Pretty airplane. I suspect that all those straight-cut gears might make the cockpit a bit noisy.

[DaveReidUK]

Try the Heinkel He 119.

Nope, still looking for a a twin-mid-engined contra-prop.

[India Four Two]

Looking at the video, I was surprised to see that the props are two-bladed. I would have thought a single four-bladed prop would have been lighter and simpler. Surely the torque cannot be that bad?

[PersonFromPorlock]

Nope, still looking for a a twin-mid-engined contra-prop.

Pretty close, a twin (kinda) but not contra-rotating: Yokosuka R2Y1.


https://oldmachinepress.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/yokosuka-kugisho-r2y1-keiun/

[onetrack]

If the aircraft is anything like his cars, it will go like the clappers, you won't be able to stop it - and any major and serious handling faults will be sneeringly dismissed as flying ability incompetence by the pilot. :)

[The Ancient Geek]

Contra rotation does not necessarily make it noisy. Highly powerful turboprops and supersonic blade tips are more to blame, neither of which is on the 100P.


What actually happens is an interference beween high speed turbulent airflows, this is why a conventional helicopter goes chop chop chop as the rotor downwash meets the tail rotor flow. It is also the reason why the Cessna 337 makes such a horrible noise despite the props being quite far apart.

[Machdiamond]

It will certainly be noisier than a single propeller of similar power, but I disagree that the comparison with a helicopter is granted. Maybe the 337, but the rear prop there is in a worse situation than the rear prop of a contrarotating.
Won't be long before we see and hear it at Airshow.

[henry_crun]

Hello, here we are in Nostalgia, about time too. :cool:

[Stanwell]

I took an (academic, I hasten to add) interest in that project some time back.
I must give everybody associated with it a hearty round of applause. :D
Can't wait to see it fly.


p.s. Now, what we need is someone with the wherewithall (and money) to produce a flying replica MC72.
Oh, and I should add, someone with the balls to fly it.

[Onceapilot]

I refer to my post #19 now that it barely flew with "80% power" and ran out of brakes!:hmm:
Needs a pusher config with nosegear, VP PUSHER prop(s) and, decent brakes!;)

OAP

[Kitbag]

OAP, reconfiguring to a pusher layout will mean a massive redesign, including some clever reballasting and a new undercarriage and anyway, why would you want to?
It seems to work well enough as designed.