Morgan Aero 8 Races A Muscle Biplane on Airstrip For Fun, There's Video

Jon Wells, the head of design for Morgan, who is also the creator of its flagship, the Aero 8, has decided it would be fun to race an airplane. A few phone calls later, it was all orchestrated, and he met a stunt pilot named Richard Goodwin.

Mr. Goodwin is a former military and commercial pilot, and he has a specially modified Pitts S2S biplane. It is used in aerobatic displays at air shows around the world, and he loves flying it.

According to the specification sheet, the plane has a six-cylinder, 8.5-liter engine that delivers over 300 HP. It can travel at over 200 mph, and it is capable of reaching minus 5 g and plus 6 g in flight, which will make most ordinary people pass out.

The Morgan Aero 8 comes with a 4.8-liter V8 engine sourced from BMW, and weighs just over a ton, which provides the best power-to-weight ratio in the company’s history thanks to 367 hp on tap. The “race” between the two was arranged on Bruntingthorpe Airfield, which is in Leicestershire, England.

Fortunately, they made a video of the entire encounter, which appears to be the first ever race between a Morgan and an airplane. The two traveled together on the track at a reasonable speed, which was perceived as much higher due to the small distance between the two.
For dramatic effect, the airplane’s pilot turned on its “smoke cannon,” which is used in air shows to create drawings in the sky for the enjoyment of the visitors. The collaboration between Morgan and Richard Goodwin has been extended after this event, as he will perform aerobatic stunts at the company’s annual event, called Run For The Hills.