Which of the planes featured in the film (leaving aside English Electric Lightnings), if reconstructed authentically, would be the best bet to win an actual race? Any early aviation geeks out there?
"I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken."
Well, the French entry is a replica of an actual aircraft-a 'Demoiselle', although it looks to have a parasol wing, rather than the fixed wing of the original, whose sole control surface was the tail assembly, which also swivelled from side to side, acting as both a rudder and an elevator. It was a tried and trusted aircraft, however, with airspeeds in excess of 60mph. This would be my choice....
I suspect you're right, I don't know exactly what engine the plane in the film was supposed to have, but I see that according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santos-Dumont_Demoiselle by 1909 it was offered with a Clement-Bayard 40 hp engine making it capable of 120 km/h (75 mph). Helps if the pilot's light though!
"I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken."
My choice would also be the Demoiselle flown by the French. It likely had a better thrust-to-weight ratio than the others, resulting in a higher speed.