Few cars will encapsulate the wide scope of the Aero category at Flywheel on 17-18 June quite as literally as the Riley Menasco Pirate of Robin Tuluie, founder of PhysicsX.
Not only is it powered by an aircraft engine, a six-litre four-cylinder that is one of a few hundred built by Albert Menasco for plane racing, but Robin keeps a propeller on the wall in his office as testament to the fact.
The Pirate is also a genuine thoroughbred that has been built up from original parts entirely by former chief scientist of Mercedes Grand Prix Robin.
Capable of producing 230bhp and weighing in at south of 700kg, the Pirate is as innovative and advanced as anything with prewar origins. And that certainly fits in perfectly with Robin, the man who adapted the tuned mass damper to devastating World Championship-winning effect for Renault F1.
Its torque figure is eye-wateringly impressive, at 400lb ft, and the net result of that torque, light weight and high power output is what Robin describes as stunning acceleration.
Yet Menasco’s engines were also supremely reliable because they were so capable and so under stretched. Similarly, efficiency and reliability are also key to what Robin’s groundbreaking team does at PhysicsX.
The Pirate’s results on race tracks all around Europe continue to prove its prowess, having won and set records at Silverstone, Donington Park and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium among many more. It has even been a winner this season with the Vintage Sports-Car Club at Silverstone.
Alfred Menasco, like Robin, was a superb engineer and he used that expertise to create the line of aircooled Pirate engines from watercooled Salmsons that he’d assumed control of in the 1920. He soon developed standalone products that would dominate the prewar racing in the skies of America into the mid-1930s.
The onset of war meant Menasco was forced to change tack and it became one of the world leaders in aircraft landing gear – albeit with its creator taking a back seat into retirement.
You can see the Menasco Pirate fly once more around the Bicester Heritage Experience & Demonstration Track at Flywheel, with its own creator Robin at the helm on 17-18 June. Book now.
Three categories will be covered by PhysicsX at Flywheel, because outside its wooden doors will be a Porsche 911 and the Kellison EXP001.