1:24 Bugatti Model 100

[TOMc]

 

   TheModel 100 was designed by Louis de Monge, Bugatti's chief designer in 1938 as an air racer. Construction was mostly wood much like the Horten 229 and was powered by two (automotive) Bugatti 50P Straight 8 engins with 450 hp each. It had a length of 7.75m (25ft 5in) and a wingspan of 8m (27ft).  Construction of the aircraft was never compleated due to the conflict between France and Adolf Hitler. A French militarizesd version, Model 110P was considered for production but never impemented.   In 2015 a reproduction aircraft named Blue Dream was built and flown proving the design viable.

   The box is open and I have just begun to fiddle with the parts, but I can tell you this right from the get go, it won't be blue.  Just because it was that color when they found it under some hay bails in a barn, dosn't mean it wasn't some old paint they found at the back of the paint locker and just used it in a pinch.   

[Wingco57]

Well that is one great subject, looking forward to seing this build evolve.

Carry on

Cees

[Fran]

Ahhh... I want to see this!! 

 

 

 

 

Fran

[TOMc]

  Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I first washed all the parts with a soft tooth brush and hot soapy water.  Then after overnight drying I painted most of the resin parts with acrilic primer. Well that didn't go well.  I stripped all the paint off with Easy-Off oven cleaner and have now switched to enamel paint and everything is proceeding as planed.

[IainMackayDall]

Any reference here of any use ?

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1100.msg176065.html#msg176065

[Dennis.E]

..Is this the 1/24 Fisher kit??

[TOMc]

    This is the Fisher Kit in 1/24 scale.  It is a beautiful 100% resin aeroplane kit with great detail. For reference material I am using Japp Horst's "The Bugatti 100P Record Plane" book. This book costs $160.00 but I gave up smoking when a pack cost $.65.  Since then I have saved enough money to purchased this book plus a couple of cars.   The enamel paint worked a lot better as you can see by the below pictures.  I am using Super Wing "Wood Grain Decal Textures" that I purchased for my 1/32 Horten Ho229 but didn't use. The set of six 5x8 inch panels with wood grain textures are enough to cover the Bugatti. The original wood 100P Record plane was never finished so I feel free to present it in an almost compleated display, exposing some of the plywood wing construction.

 

      

[JeroenPeters]

What a monster! Great progress.

Is there any warping of the parts?

[TOMc]

   All the parts are first class with no warping and minimum flash.  The painted plywood base color and large decals are giving me some difficulty but that is my probem not the product and as long as most of the learning curves are on the bottom I can live with it.  

 

[TOMc]

   I just can't do blue so I will leave the major paint work primer gray or unfinished so to speak.  Next to build are the two (Type 50B) 420hp supercharged engines.  The Type 50 racing engine was developed by Bugatti and raced at LeMans 24hours in 1931.  The block is one piece cast aluminium with a double overhead camshaft. It was the powerplant that the 100P airplane is built around.

 

[TOMc]

  I am going to attempt adding plug wires to the engines.  The 1/24 plugs from RB Motion are correct but look small so I opted for the 1/16. Between tweezers and 400+ reading glasses this could get a little crazy.

 

[TOMc]

   A better perspective.

 

[Dennis.E]

Fantastic project Sir! Man that is nice work. Could you please tell me, what color have you painted the block?

[TOMc]

   The engine block was made of light-weight aluminium.  Most of the other components like the cam covers, supercharger housing, intake manifold and other parts were made of magnesium.  Remember lightness is critical for a record-attempt airplane.  I painted everything in shades of dirty silver/aluminium and wash.  When installed much of the engine will be in shadow.

 

   

[JeroenPeters]

Wow! Those spark plugs... You're on a roll!

[TOMc]

    Decided to add some wireing behind the gauge board as well as plywooed decal to the rudders.  I threaded the plug wires through a harness as it was the only way to control the direction of the wires.  

 

[TOMc]

Most of the components are installed in the engine bay.  I will finish it up after the landing gear are installed.

 

[coolboxx]

This is really looking very impressive, really like the cables and fixings.

[TOMc]

Engine bay is finished.  Purchased seatbelts from RB Productions and I will try to do a better job this time. The learning curve is forever bent.

 

[JeroenPeters]

Ehmm... Wow!

What a nice pit!

[timvkampen]

Excellent work, very unusual subject!

[TOMc]

Isw anyone having a problem downloading from Photobucket ?

[TOMc]

[Wumm]

Yes Tom,

 

Also unable to download from P/B.

 

S

[rkranias]

nice engine work.