Manche de l’avion Bugatti-de Monge 100P - 1939

Control stick of the Bugatti 110P composed of three aluminium elements. Wooden base made to measure. Bibliography: "The Bugatti 100P record plane" by Jaap Horst, "Violaero" editions, piece reproduced on page 38. Many Bugatti enthusiasts know the genius of Ettore Bugatti for his automobile creations, others for his railcars powered by the same mechanics as the famous Bugatti Royales Type 41, but how many know of the genius of the boss put to the service of aviation? In 1937, on Ettore's initiative, Viscount Louis de Monge was asked to design the ultimate aeronautical machine powered by two 8-cylinder engines from the Bugatti Type 50. The instructions were clear: for a record-breaking aircraft, Ettore demanded "the greatest possible lightness and extreme power thanks to the latest Bugatti engine", that of the Type 50. The two men worked closely together to create an experimental record plane, which never actually flew... An innovative aircraft, both in terms of design and mechanics, a 16-cylinder engine resulting from the addition of 8 Type 50 B-1 cylinders with a capacity of 4,700 cm3. The Bugatti 100 P was initially planned for the Deutsch de la Meurthe Cup race of 1938, but with the begenning of the Second World War in 1939, the race was cancelled. Designed and developed in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, rue du Débarcadère, between 1937 and 1940, the aircraft was dismantled and moved to the Château d'Ermenonville, owned by the Bugatti family since 1938. Despite searches by the Germans, who had heard of the plane, it was not found. When it was rediscovered after the war, it became clear that the plane was still a prototype. The aircraft was recovered in 1960 by Serge Pozzoli, who offered it to the Musée du Bourget, but they refused, due to lack of space! In addition to the interest of the Schlumpf brothers in acquiring the aircraft, it was in the 1970s that the complete fuselage of the aircraft was shipped to Detroit in the United States, where it is now on display at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) museum in Oshkosh. The Bugatti 100P, an exceptional aircraft, with this aluminium handle, is a testament to the quality of workmanship that Ettore Bugatti was so fond of, he never saw anything too beautiful or too expensive! Made entirely of birch by the Novum_Paris cabinetmaking workshop, the round shape of the base recalls the curved forms of the plane created by Ettore Bugatti and Louis de Monge. The relief, carved into the wood, represents the topography of the Orléans region, around Etampes. Etampes was the starting point for the "Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe", the aviation race for which the Model 100P was designed and built.