1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 MUSIC 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,000 MUSIC 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,000 MUSIC 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,000 MUSIC 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,000 MUSIC 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000 MUSIC 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,000 MUSIC 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,000 MUSIC 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,000 MUSIC 10 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,000 MUSIC 11 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,000 MUSIC 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,000 Sorry about that. These things are a little tricky to fly. 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:53,000 Yeah, well, I swear with a slightly larger one you could do some genuine damage. 14 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,000 Like maybe even kill somebody. Wait a minute. 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,000 T-t-t-t-t-t. 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,000 Let's start the show. 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,000 MUSIC 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 MUSIC 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:17,000 MUSIC 20 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:22,000 MUSIC 21 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,000 MUSIC 22 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,000 MUSIC 23 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,000 I'm guessing this story is about drones. 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,000 It is. In fact, we have two awesome flying stories in this episode. 25 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,000 One of them is about these guys. 26 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,000 But first up we have a totally amazing story. Let me ask you. 27 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,000 Do the words dragon lady mean anything to you? 28 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,000 I don't want to talk about it. 29 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000 Okay, I think we're probably thinking of different things. 30 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:53,000 Because dragon lady is in fact the nickname for the legendary high altitude single seater U2 reconnaissance plane 31 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 in use by the Air Force since the late 50s. 32 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,000 MUSIC 33 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,000 Okay, what about it? 34 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,000 MUSIC 35 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:08,000 Well, there is a myth that the U2 plane is the toughest plane to fly and to land of any other plane. 36 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,000 MUSIC 37 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,000 I think we should take a close look at that. 38 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,000 MUSIC 39 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,000 The Air Force isn't going to let us get anywhere near something like that. 40 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,000 MUSIC 41 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:27,000 I thought the same thing, but amazingly they have agreed to let you and I have a close up first person look 42 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,000 at their U2 program and see just how tough those planes are to operate. 43 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:38,000 MUSIC 44 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,000 Cool. What are we waiting for? 45 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,000 I have the slightest idea. Let's do this. 46 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,000 MUSIC 47 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,000 It takes off straight up and looks something like a jet propelled four-poster. 48 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:58,000 The history of aviation is littered with oxymoronic aerodynamics, finicky flyers and design dots. 49 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,000 MUSIC 50 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:09,000 So is it possible that one of the most long-lived and highly valued U.S. Air Force vehicles is also the toughest to fly? 51 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,000 To open this investigation, there's only one destination. 52 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:19,000 MUSIC 53 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:33,000 ... 54 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:40,000 MUSIC 55 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,900 Well, when you've got questions about the U-2 plane, they will get answered here. 56 00:03:44,900 --> 00:03:47,340 I'm standing at the home of the U-2 program. 57 00:03:47,340 --> 00:03:49,140 This is where the planes are serviced. 58 00:03:49,140 --> 00:03:53,800 This is where the pilots train before flying to every corner of the globe to do their jobs. 59 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:58,400 We should totally be able to get to the bottom of this myth here, and we might even get a 60 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,300 flight. 61 00:04:00,300 --> 00:04:05,900 To begin to understand just how hard it is to manage this marvel of aviation engineering... 62 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,900 Well, Adam, Jamie, this is the infamous and venerable U-2 Dragon Lady. 63 00:04:11,900 --> 00:04:17,800 Major Bartholomew, who has more U-2 flying hours than any Air Force pilot in history, 64 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,100 runs the guys through the specs. 65 00:04:20,100 --> 00:04:22,600 The original design dates from the mid-fifties. 66 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:27,800 Single engine, high altitude, long wingspan, lots of thrust, lots of lift. 67 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,000 We can take a heavy payload up to a great altitude and loiter for a long time. 68 00:04:32,100 --> 00:04:36,900 The challenges this aircraft presents its pilots are numerous and significant. 69 00:04:36,900 --> 00:04:38,900 All the fuel is kept in the wing. 70 00:04:38,900 --> 00:04:43,900 First up, the plane can't even support its own massive wingspan when it's taking off. 71 00:04:43,900 --> 00:04:47,900 When the wing develops lift, the pogo falls away. 72 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:52,800 Next, recon missions can be lengthy and are carried out at very high altitudes, which 73 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:58,100 requires complex pressure suit technologies and extreme safety features. 74 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:02,200 Everything is so thin and so light and just strong enough. 75 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,200 And then, there's the landing. 76 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,200 It has quite a heavy footprint because there's just the one main gear carrying all the load. 77 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:15,200 The wheels are along the centerline of the fuselage, so it's like trying to land a bicycle. 78 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:21,200 When the airplane does tip over, these skids protect the wing tip. 79 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:25,200 And we'll see later, but on an approach, the pilot can't even see the runway. 80 00:05:25,300 --> 00:05:27,300 Three, two... 81 00:05:27,300 --> 00:05:30,300 Yes, he got it down by a pilot in a chase car. 82 00:05:30,300 --> 00:05:32,300 Two, hold it one, and... 83 00:05:32,300 --> 00:05:35,300 So far, it's looking pretty good for the myth. 84 00:05:36,300 --> 00:05:40,300 It's an impressive checklist of piloting challenges, but where next? 85 00:05:40,300 --> 00:05:44,300 Well, we need to get a look at this baby in action. 86 00:05:44,300 --> 00:05:49,300 To that end, Jamie and I have been given the go-ahead to hitch a ride to the edge of space 87 00:05:49,300 --> 00:05:53,300 and we will now embark on a week-long training program. 88 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:57,400 Yep, it takes a week just to learn how to be a passenger. 89 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,400 The problem is, there is only room for one of us. 90 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,400 Please, please, please let it be me. 91 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,400 So the next story is deadly drones. 92 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:20,400 Indeed it is. If the press is to be believed, drones are totally in our future delivering our packages 93 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:25,500 and maybe even our pizzas, but there are those who think that they are a deadly danger hiding in plain sight. 94 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:31,500 That a simple gust of wind could send a drone into you and the propellers could slice your throat and kill you. 95 00:06:31,500 --> 00:06:34,500 That sounds like it's custom-made for us. 96 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:37,500 That's exactly what I was thinking. Let's get to testing. 97 00:06:40,500 --> 00:06:43,500 But testing the myth with what? 98 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:48,500 First up, Adam and Jamie take a tour of the full range of drone technology. 99 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:50,600 Starting with the SuperSight. 100 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,600 Allow me to introduce our high-tech custom-built camera platform. 101 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,600 It's got eight motors totaling 2,800 watts of power. 102 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:04,600 It carries a self-stabilized, high-definition, 3-pound camera. 103 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,600 Pretty cool, huh? 104 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,600 And at the other end of the scale... 105 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,600 This is your basic consumer-level multi-rotor. 106 00:07:15,700 --> 00:07:19,700 It's on the small side but it has all the features that the large ones don't. 107 00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:21,700 Propellers, motors, that... 108 00:07:25,700 --> 00:07:29,700 Well, as in any new technology, there can be casualties. 109 00:07:31,700 --> 00:07:35,700 But as per the myth, would one of those casualties ever be human? 110 00:07:35,700 --> 00:07:37,700 Could a drone really be deadly? 111 00:07:39,700 --> 00:07:42,700 To begin their quest in earnest, it's back to the shop. 112 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,800 Where Adam has two mid-range models, most likely to be used in a commercial delivery. 113 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,800 On the left here is a fly-at right out of the box small model. 114 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,800 Slightly larger is a intermediate kit-level model, 115 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:58,800 which comes with all the pieces you need to fly. 116 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:00,800 You just have to assemble them. 117 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,800 This one's apparently ready to fly, so I'm gonna give it a shot. 118 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:05,800 See how easy it actually is. 119 00:08:05,900 --> 00:08:07,900 Oh! Ha ha! 120 00:08:11,900 --> 00:08:13,900 Really easy to fly. 121 00:08:15,900 --> 00:08:17,900 While the damage done so far is enlightening, 122 00:08:17,900 --> 00:08:20,900 a proof of concept is required. 123 00:08:20,900 --> 00:08:23,900 Ew, it dripped juice on me. 124 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:28,900 To find out if a multi-rotor propeller could ever cause a flesh wound, 125 00:08:28,900 --> 00:08:33,900 Adam and Jamie have a standard-sized blade spinning at flight speed on a stick 126 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,000 and a chicken. 127 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,000 I think today's lesson is gonna be fairly self-explanatory 128 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,000 whenever you're ready, sir. 129 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,000 Yeah! There we go! 130 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,000 Yeah! 131 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,000 Check that out. 132 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,000 That right there, my friends, that's an injury. 133 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,000 But let's face it, we're not just talking about an injury, 134 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,000 we're talking about lethality. 135 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:13,000 Which means we're really talking about this vein right here, the jugular. 136 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,000 Yeah! I think if we're gonna continue testing, 137 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,000 we need to make a neck as a testing platform 138 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,000 that we can run our multi-rotors into. 139 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,000 Coming up on Mythbusters... 140 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,000 Someone give me a Band-Aid. 141 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,000 ...Adams up to his neck in the gory story of a deadly drone. 142 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,000 And... 143 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,000 Bail out, bail out, bail out. 144 00:09:33,100 --> 00:09:36,100 And now, the guys prepare for the flight of a lifetime. 145 00:09:36,100 --> 00:09:38,100 Complex and terrifying. 146 00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:47,100 Could a drone delivery ever be deadly? 147 00:09:50,100 --> 00:09:53,100 Adam and Jamie have a promising proof of concept. 148 00:09:53,100 --> 00:09:55,100 Yeah! There we go! 149 00:09:55,100 --> 00:09:57,100 Now, to cut a little deeper. 150 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,200 Now, if we're going to be testing whether one of these 151 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:02,200 can slice through one of these, 152 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:04,200 we're gonna need one of each. 153 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,200 And these are easy to buy at the store, 154 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,200 but these, well, they're a little harder to come by. 155 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,200 We're gonna have to make our own. 156 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,200 And to do that, I'm gonna use a lot of this. 157 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:14,200 And this guy right here. 158 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,200 And it's going to spurt blood 159 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,200 if it actually gets cut. 160 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,200 It'll be awesome. 161 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,200 Yep, Adams manufacturing a mortal mannequin 162 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,200 that will react accurately to a deadly drone. 163 00:10:25,300 --> 00:10:27,300 And the basic gist of what I'm gonna be doing 164 00:10:27,300 --> 00:10:29,300 is casting a neck out of ballistics gelatin. 165 00:10:29,300 --> 00:10:31,300 How tall is this neck? 166 00:10:31,300 --> 00:10:33,300 Who were these men? 167 00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:35,300 With holes in it 168 00:10:35,300 --> 00:10:37,300 that I can fill with blood 169 00:10:37,300 --> 00:10:39,300 that will be blue for televisual purposes. 170 00:10:39,300 --> 00:10:41,300 It needs to be really close 171 00:10:41,300 --> 00:10:43,300 to the edge of the skin. 172 00:10:43,300 --> 00:10:45,300 So, I'm gonna effectively mold those veins 173 00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:47,300 using these brass rods 174 00:10:47,300 --> 00:10:49,300 in here. 175 00:10:49,300 --> 00:10:51,300 It's sort of like thinking inside out and backwards. 176 00:10:51,300 --> 00:10:53,300 And it's gonna be a little harder 177 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:55,400 to think inside out and backwards. 178 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,400 With the negative mold of the blood vessels in place 179 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:05,400 it's time to prepare the fake flesh. 180 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,400 As Jamie and I have discovered 181 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,400 this stuff reacts to a bullet 182 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,400 similar to human flesh 183 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,400 but to get the tenacity of skin and muscle 184 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,400 we need to add this fiberglass filler 185 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,400 to the ballistics gel 186 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,400 as we're casting it into my mold. 187 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,400 Oh, beauty. 188 00:11:21,500 --> 00:11:23,500 Oh, I'm very pleased with how this is going so far. 189 00:11:23,500 --> 00:11:25,500 Based on nothing. 190 00:11:25,500 --> 00:11:27,500 One set, it's simply a case 191 00:11:27,500 --> 00:11:29,500 of easing the fleshy throat 192 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:31,500 free of the mold. 193 00:11:31,500 --> 00:11:33,500 Almost. 194 00:11:33,500 --> 00:11:35,500 Come on. 195 00:11:35,500 --> 00:11:37,500 F***. 196 00:11:37,500 --> 00:11:39,500 F***. 197 00:11:39,500 --> 00:11:41,500 F***. 198 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:43,500 All right. 199 00:11:43,500 --> 00:11:45,500 That's it. All right. 200 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:47,500 Thank you. 201 00:11:47,500 --> 00:11:49,500 Then Adam plums the system 202 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,600 with blue blood 203 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:53,600 Nice. 204 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:55,600 and tests his anatomically accurate jugular. 205 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:57,600 It's at the right depth 206 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,600 beneath the flesh. 207 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,600 That is a bleeding neck. 208 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:03,600 and requires the same force 209 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:05,600 to slice. 210 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,600 All right, could someone give me a bandaid? 211 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,600 Allow me to introduce you 212 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,600 to the analog bursting jugular 213 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,600 vein multi-rotor testing neck rig. 214 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,600 Yeah, it rolls right off the tongue. 215 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,600 It is basically a rig 216 00:12:17,700 --> 00:12:19,700 for bleeding when it senses 217 00:12:19,700 --> 00:12:21,700 a lethal injury. 218 00:12:21,700 --> 00:12:23,700 Now, I have more than two veins in this rig 219 00:12:23,700 --> 00:12:25,700 even though we have only two in our neck 220 00:12:25,700 --> 00:12:27,700 because we can test multiple 221 00:12:27,700 --> 00:12:29,700 times just by turning the neck. 222 00:12:29,700 --> 00:12:31,700 Yeah, it's like that versatile. 223 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:33,700 So we can test as much as we want 224 00:12:33,700 --> 00:12:35,700 and watch bursting blue blood 225 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:37,700 blue blood, blue blood 226 00:12:37,700 --> 00:12:39,700 fly out of the veins. 227 00:12:39,700 --> 00:12:41,700 I'm gonna stop talking. 228 00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:45,700 But before Adam's blue blood dummy 229 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:47,800 is deployed in the drone firing line 230 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,800 it's 231 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:51,800 back to 232 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:53,800 Beale Air Force Base 233 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:55,800 to tackle the myth that the U2 234 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:57,800 is the world's toughest plane 235 00:12:57,800 --> 00:12:59,800 to piloting. 236 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:01,800 Welcome to 237 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:03,800 Pile Institute Physiology 238 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:05,800 and Full Precious Seat Orientation. 239 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,800 Adam and Jamie are both in training 240 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:09,800 for an in-flight investigation. 241 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:11,800 One will fly, one will be on standby. 242 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:13,800 Pop your helmet off just like that. 243 00:13:13,900 --> 00:13:15,900 And they're starting with several 244 00:13:15,900 --> 00:13:17,900 not-so-brief briefings. 245 00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:19,900 We're gonna have a suit controller like this. 246 00:13:19,900 --> 00:13:21,900 About the safety equivalent 247 00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:23,900 It acts as a backup pressurization system 248 00:13:23,900 --> 00:13:25,900 and emergency procedures. 249 00:13:25,900 --> 00:13:27,900 We're gonna teach you how to parachute 250 00:13:27,900 --> 00:13:29,900 safely to the ground. 251 00:13:29,900 --> 00:13:31,900 These are no minute-long demonstrations 252 00:13:31,900 --> 00:13:33,900 from a flight attendant. 253 00:13:33,900 --> 00:13:35,900 Primarily it's to prevent decompression sickness. 254 00:13:35,900 --> 00:13:37,900 And a clear indication 255 00:13:37,900 --> 00:13:39,900 of the enormity of the endeavor. 256 00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:41,900 If you lose cabin pressure 257 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,000 If you are in contests, there are inflators inside. 258 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,000 During this time your visor is gonna 259 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,000 freeze over, you will not be able to see. 260 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,000 The plate so if you have to cut yourself down from something 261 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,000 Now we're nowhere near getting into 262 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,000 one of these planes yet, but 263 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,000 already we've got all this stuff that we have to 264 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,000 know how to deal with. 265 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,000 The good news is you have an ejection seat. 266 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,000 The bad news is you actually have to pull your own 267 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,000 ejection handle to get out of the aircraft. 268 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,000 Even something like peeing 269 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,000 seems like it's kind of a 270 00:14:10,100 --> 00:14:12,100 complicated ordeal. 271 00:14:12,100 --> 00:14:14,100 Push down, lock it to the side 272 00:14:14,100 --> 00:14:16,100 and you can begin your slow, controlled 273 00:14:16,100 --> 00:14:18,100 urination. 274 00:14:18,100 --> 00:14:20,100 I don't think that I want to 275 00:14:20,100 --> 00:14:22,100 be pushing or pulling buttons without really 276 00:14:22,100 --> 00:14:24,100 knowing exactly what they do. 277 00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:28,100 So it's gonna take a little practice. 278 00:14:28,100 --> 00:14:30,100 So why all of this complex 279 00:14:30,100 --> 00:14:32,100 equipment? Why is the YouTube 280 00:14:32,100 --> 00:14:34,100 program the only program besides NASA? 281 00:14:34,100 --> 00:14:36,100 Absolutely unreal. 282 00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:38,100 And the space program that 283 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,200 utilizes a full pressure suit. 284 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:42,200 The primary purpose of wearing this 285 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,200 full pressure suit is to prevent hypoxia. 286 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,200 Well, one is of course 287 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,200 because it flies higher than any 288 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,200 other normal airplane into what they call 289 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,200 the space equivalent zone above 290 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,200 50,000 feet. But more primarily is what happens 291 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,200 to us when we go to that height. 292 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,200 Our bodies have evolved to 293 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,200 process oxygen properly 294 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,200 from sea level to 10,000 feet. 295 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:04,200 How much is 8 minus 3? 296 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,200 8 minus 3 is 4. 297 00:15:06,300 --> 00:15:08,300 When we go above that 298 00:15:08,300 --> 00:15:10,300 we cease being able 299 00:15:10,300 --> 00:15:12,300 to functionally take in oxygen. 300 00:15:12,300 --> 00:15:14,300 Put up the switches. 301 00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:16,300 We will die. 302 00:15:16,300 --> 00:15:18,300 Put up the switches. 303 00:15:18,300 --> 00:15:20,300 Let's go. 304 00:15:20,300 --> 00:15:22,300 Therefore, the 305 00:15:22,300 --> 00:15:24,300 suit and the cabin of the plane 306 00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:26,300 have to artificially induce 307 00:15:26,300 --> 00:15:28,300 the conditions of atmospheric pressure 308 00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:30,300 in order so that the pilots stay alive. 309 00:15:30,300 --> 00:15:32,300 That is a significant amount of 310 00:15:32,300 --> 00:15:34,300 technology to solve that one problem. 311 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,400 Let's pull down on the red lanyard. 312 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:38,400 It potentially could whack in the face. 313 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,400 It releases a hook on the inside of your harness. 314 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,400 After a full day of intense 315 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,400 information acquisition 316 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,400 day three dawns 317 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:47,400 and our raw recruits 318 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:49,400 time to start training 319 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:51,400 are getting physical. 320 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,400 Want to see the coolest part? 321 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,400 Look at that. 322 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,400 With a crash course 323 00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:59,400 in what to do if the plane crashes. 324 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:01,400 That's three weeks of 325 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:03,500 training right there. 326 00:16:03,500 --> 00:16:05,500 That's all you do. 327 00:16:05,500 --> 00:16:07,500 This is pretty cool. 328 00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:09,500 We've just gotten walked through 329 00:16:09,500 --> 00:16:11,500 all of the different contingencies that could happen 330 00:16:11,500 --> 00:16:13,500 if we have to bail out of 331 00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:15,500 the plane at altitude. 332 00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:17,500 This is very cool. 333 00:16:17,500 --> 00:16:19,500 What happens when the parachute lands? 334 00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:21,500 How to land? 335 00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:23,500 It's easy to land like so. 336 00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:25,500 Something's broken. 337 00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:27,500 And most specifically, 338 00:16:27,500 --> 00:16:29,500 I just learned 339 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:31,600 how to actually lower myself 340 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:33,600 if I end up landing in a tree 341 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:35,600 and I'm like hanging above the ground. 342 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,600 Oh! 343 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,600 Ah! 344 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,600 There we go. 345 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,600 And then lowering myself safely down to the ground. 346 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,600 Lower myself down. 347 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:47,600 Very nice. 348 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,600 All of this is stuff that I hope 349 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:51,600 I only ever have to try 350 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:53,600 here in the safety of this room. 351 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,600 It's been a long and exhausting day. 352 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:58,600 Bail out, bail out, bail out. 353 00:16:58,700 --> 00:17:00,700 And the sheer scale of the task, 354 00:17:00,700 --> 00:17:02,700 technology and expertise 355 00:17:02,700 --> 00:17:04,700 required to fly at the edge of space 356 00:17:04,700 --> 00:17:06,700 could not be more apparent. 357 00:17:06,700 --> 00:17:08,700 Two words come to mind 358 00:17:08,700 --> 00:17:10,700 during all this complex 359 00:17:10,700 --> 00:17:12,700 and terrifying. 360 00:17:12,700 --> 00:17:14,700 3 days of information overload. 361 00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:16,700 The ejection seat we have 362 00:17:16,700 --> 00:17:18,700 was also used in the first four flights 363 00:17:18,700 --> 00:17:20,700 of the Spatial of Columbia. 364 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:22,700 And the rigors of the air 365 00:17:22,700 --> 00:17:24,700 were used to make the landing 366 00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:26,700 possible. 367 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:28,800 And the rigors of flying 368 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:30,800 the Dragon Lady are evident. 369 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:32,800 But is it the hardest plane 370 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,800 to pilot? 371 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:36,800 To find out, the mythbusters are being 372 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:38,800 prepped to fly to the edge of space. 373 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:40,800 These are like my space jammies. 374 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,800 And despite the high spirits 375 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,800 ... 376 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:46,800 ... 377 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,800 ... 378 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:50,800 ... 379 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:52,800 ... 380 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:54,800 ... 381 00:17:54,900 --> 00:17:56,900 Jamie and Adam have one final stage 382 00:17:56,900 --> 00:17:58,900 of training to be past as fit 383 00:17:58,900 --> 00:17:59,900 to fly 384 00:17:59,900 --> 00:18:01,900 ... 385 00:18:01,900 --> 00:18:04,020 Oh, that's 386 00:18:04,020 --> 00:18:06,020 different. 387 00:18:06,020 --> 00:18:08,020 The fact that doesn't feel very good. 388 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,640 Ow. 389 00:18:15,580 --> 00:18:17,480 I can see somebody 390 00:18:17,500 --> 00:18:19,420 feeling like panicking. 391 00:18:19,980 --> 00:18:21,980 It's just a lot 392 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,000 of stuff to process. 393 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,960 Each have a full systems check in the pressure suit, 394 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,440 followed by a high altitude emergency simulation. 395 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,440 Right now, Jamie is getting pitted 396 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:36,320 into this high altitude pressure chamber. 397 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:38,240 Right and left gloves are integrated in lock. 398 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,960 It will replicate the lack of pressures 399 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,000 that he might experience under different circumstances 400 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:45,320 in that very suit. 401 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,440 The environment inside the chamber 402 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,280 will simulate the flight plan of a U2. 403 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:51,400 So Jamie, what we're going to do now 404 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,800 is bring the chamber up to 5,000 feet. 405 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,800 Check the gears and sinuses and make sure they're clear and OK. 406 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,880 If the cabin pressure of the U2 was to fail... 407 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:02,200 How you feeling right now? 408 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:03,600 I feel fine. 409 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,240 Jamie needs to prove he can operate the suit 410 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,240 and emergency systems. 411 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,080 So right now, we're just doing a slowest stand-up 412 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,480 to 5,400. 413 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:14,640 As they approach cruising altitude, 414 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:19,680 there's a startling reminder of the dangers involved. 415 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:20,720 Oh, there we go. 416 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:25,640 A beaker of water at body temperature begins to boil. 417 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,680 If Jamie's suit were to fail, 418 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,320 that's what the liquids in his body would do. 419 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,040 All right, let's go ahead and try to reach that ejection handle. 420 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,400 With that thought in mind and at maximum altitude, 421 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,160 Jamie has a few tasks to complete. 422 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,240 Down by your right buttocks there, 423 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:43,600 that's the scramble handle. 424 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,840 Pull it up towards your chin just a little bit. 425 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:47,600 That's good. 426 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,360 The final, being the suit's automated response 427 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,920 to a sudden cabin pressure failure. 428 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,760 Three, two, one. 429 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,920 And go ahead and pull that helmet hold down. 430 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:01,920 That was something else. 431 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,440 It's kind of scary, actually. 432 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,120 One. 433 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:07,560 There's a lot of force. 434 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:14,120 And when they decompress rapidly, it's just like, whoa. 435 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:17,800 You're sort of feeling like popcorn. 436 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:20,680 While Jamie clearly didn't enjoy the experience, 437 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:22,040 he did pass muster. 438 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:27,480 Oh, awesome. 439 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:29,800 Q Fanboy Savage. 440 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,520 Oh, the gloves. 441 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,240 The coolest thing about this is I'm not just wearing a suit. 442 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:38,400 I'm not even wearing a machine. 443 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,480 Wow. 444 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,080 Oh, man, that's far out. 445 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:45,080 Whoo. 446 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:51,360 I'm wearing the apex of decades of tens of thousands of people 447 00:20:51,360 --> 00:20:55,360 problem-solving how to survive in hostile conditions. 448 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:58,360 And I can feel that technology. 449 00:20:58,360 --> 00:21:00,360 Whoa. 450 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:02,360 Ha, ha, ha. 451 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,080 I can feel how reliable they've made 452 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:07,080 things to touch and to understand with your hands. 453 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,080 All of this born by hard experience, 454 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,080 lots of people gave their lives so that this suit could 455 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:13,080 protect these pilots. 456 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,080 Are you good to go? 457 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:17,080 I am good to go. 458 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:21,080 Honestly, everything about this kind of astounds me 459 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,080 that people do this every single day. 460 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:26,080 Starting from the 5,000, eat it 5,000, keep from it. 461 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:29,080 It takes a team of people to put me in this suit correctly. 462 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,080 How's your comfort level? 463 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:32,080 Well, I'm far enough to storm. 464 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,080 But more than that, one tub was under the simulated 465 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,080 depressurization. 466 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:38,080 There we go. 467 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:39,080 Wow. 468 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,080 Where the suit would inflate, it gets incredibly tiring. 469 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,080 Locate the ejection handle in between your legs. 470 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:46,080 There you go. 471 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:47,080 So your fingers around it. 472 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:48,080 Yeah, there we go. 473 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:49,080 OK. 474 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,080 These guys have to be in incredible shape because I was 475 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:54,080 just sitting in a chair being tested. 476 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,080 These guys are actually potentially flying planes 477 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:58,080 under these conditions. 478 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:02,080 Three, two, one. 479 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,080 Go ahead and pull that green lanyard. 480 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:05,080 Use the mirror. 481 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:06,080 OK. 482 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,080 So our training is done and we are ready to fly. 483 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:10,080 Excellent. 484 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:11,080 Welcome. 485 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:12,080 Welcome, everyone. 486 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:15,080 Remember, we went through all of that just to be 487 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:17,080 passengers on the U2. 488 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:18,080 Now we've got to do two things. 489 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,080 One, we've got to figure out which one of us is going to 490 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:21,080 fly, me or Jamie. 491 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,080 And two, we've got to let these professionals figure out 492 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,080 the logistics of their flight plan. 493 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,080 Just a little bit of waiting. 494 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,080 While Adam and Jamie wait for flight clearance, 495 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,080 the guys de-camp to the perfect location for 496 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,080 a protected precision flying. 497 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,080 We are testing the myth that multi-rotors can 498 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:39,080 possibly be lethal. 499 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:41,080 So this is our multi-rotor. 500 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:43,080 This is our multi-rotor pilot, James Franklin Heineman. 501 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,080 And this is our potential victim with veins filled with 502 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,080 blue blood, clearly a Vulcan who we're going to steer 503 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:51,080 this thing right into. 504 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:52,080 You ready to fly? 505 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:53,080 Sure. 506 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:57,080 OK, here we go. 507 00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:58,080 All right. 508 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,080 For this first test, we're going to get our little 509 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,080 copter up about this high. 510 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:07,080 I wouldn't want this thing flying at me. 511 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:11,080 Sounds like a swarm of angry bees. 512 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,080 And then drag it right into the neck of our dummy. 513 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,080 And we'll see what happens at that speed with those 514 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:18,080 propellers. 515 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,080 Oh! 516 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:26,080 That was a perfect hit. 517 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,080 And it was going pretty quick. 518 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,080 Oh! 519 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,080 It doesn't seem to me that anything at all happened to 520 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,080 the neck. 521 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,080 Take a look at the high-speed footage of the multi-rotor 522 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:38,080 hitting the neck. 523 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,080 You can see the props bending right out of the way, 524 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:45,080 even in the face of something as soft as neck flesh. 525 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,080 Yeah, clearly they were designed to do that. 526 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:52,080 Yep, the fly it out of the box quadcopter didn't make a 527 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:53,080 dent. 528 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,080 But next up, the kit model. 529 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:56,080 Ah-ha! 530 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,080 That was much scarier. 531 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,080 More likely to be used for large deliveries, 532 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,080 it's heavier, has more power, six rotors, 533 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,080 and sturdier propellers. 534 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,080 Let's see what it can do. 535 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,080 Oh! 536 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,080 Oh, that's no good. 537 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,080 Take two. 538 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:16,080 It's going right for me. 539 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:17,080 Oh! 540 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:18,080 Oh! 541 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:19,080 Oh! 542 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:20,080 Oh! 543 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:21,080 Oh! 544 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:22,080 Oh! 545 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:23,080 Ha-ha-ha! 546 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,080 Sorry about that. 547 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,080 I'd rather not experiment on each other. 548 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:32,080 The larger model is proving trickier to handle. 549 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:33,080 Aww! 550 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:37,080 But eventually, Jamie gets it going where he wants it. 551 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,080 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! 552 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:40,080 Ah! 553 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:41,080 Nice! 554 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:45,080 Well, bigger multi-rotor, bigger propellers, 555 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:49,080 nice fat hit right here in the main. 556 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:50,080 Nothing. 557 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,080 No penetration. 558 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,080 I just say that, aside from being amazing pieces of technology, 559 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,080 these multi-rotors are genuinely spooky to be around. 560 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,080 One, they sound like a hive of angry bees. 561 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:02,080 Oh! 562 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,080 Two, I am genuinely physically afraid of them hitting me, 563 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,080 but apparently that fear is without any reason, 564 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,080 because we've been smacking them into our neck 565 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,080 without any injury whatsoever. 566 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:15,080 So where does that lead us? 567 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,080 Come on, with the mythbusters. 568 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,080 We're going to sling our camera platform into it. 569 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:24,080 This has eight rotors, weighs 16 pounds, 570 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,080 and the propellers are not made of plastic 571 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:28,080 that bends out of the way. 572 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:31,080 No, they're made of carbon fiber. 573 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:36,080 I'm genuinely scared about what this is going to do to this neck. 574 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:38,080 Scared and hopeful. 575 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:55,080 But the team is dumping the two realistic mid-range models 576 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:59,080 and going for broke with the mythbusters' own 577 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,080 custom-made camera-carrying behemoth. 578 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:05,080 I thought the other two multi-rotors were scary. 579 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,080 Cue the team's expert pilot, Duncan, 580 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:12,080 and this myth's final chance for Gory Glory. 581 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:13,080 I was wrong. 582 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,080 That thing is terrifying. 583 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,080 This large multi-rotor is a different beast 584 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,080 than what we've been handling earlier. 585 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,080 All right, shall we do this? 586 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:22,080 You ready? 587 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:23,080 Ready. 588 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:25,080 It's much bigger and heavier. 589 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:28,080 Once it starts to move into the neck, 590 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:32,080 it doesn't want to just bounce off because it's so heavy. 591 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:36,080 So I think this is going to actually do something to our neck, 592 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,080 something bad. 593 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:39,080 Bad. 594 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:50,080 Look at that! 595 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:51,080 It's bleeding. 596 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:53,080 That's bad! 597 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,080 Dude! 598 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,080 There you have it, kids. 599 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:09,080 It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye or a vein. 600 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,080 You put your finger there, you'll be fine. 601 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,080 I'm not sure. 602 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,080 So what have we proven after all this mayhem? 603 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,080 I think we've actually proven two different things. 604 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,080 On one hand, the smaller multi-rotors you can buy at the store 605 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,080 are pretty darn safe and they're designed to be that way. 606 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,080 But this is a new hobby, 607 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,080 and there are lots of people building larger and larger multi-rotors 608 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,080 to handle bigger and bigger payloads. 609 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,080 And when those multi-rotors get bigger, 610 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:42,080 the dangers they present are absolutely real. 611 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,080 I know we've been looking at a worst-case scenario, 612 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,080 but I think we've got to call this thing plausible. 613 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:47,080 You agree? 614 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:48,080 I agree. 615 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,080 You know, as a general rule, 616 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:54,080 I always try not to put my neck near large, heavy, fast-moving objects 617 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,080 with spinning blades on them. 618 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,080 I think that's a good general rule. 619 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:00,080 Let's get out of here. 620 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,080 Let's go. 621 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:15,080 Back at Beale, the guys are ready to carry out the final test 622 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,080 on the mythically difficult to fly U2. 623 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,080 But only one of them gets to go. 624 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:27,080 Well, you know, for crying out loud, 625 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,080 you're a fanatic about this stuff. 626 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,080 You collect these things. 627 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:32,080 Yeah, I do. 628 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:36,080 So I can't in good conscience deny you the pleasure 629 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,080 of doing something like that. 630 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:40,080 I really appreciate that, sir. 631 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:41,080 Thank you very much. 632 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:42,080 You owe me one. 633 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:43,080 Oh, I totally owe you one. 634 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:45,080 Absolutely. 635 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:47,080 Yeah! 636 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:50,080 Jamie, the gentleman steps down. 637 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:53,080 A very happy Adam steps up. 638 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:54,080 I'm pretty excited. 639 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,080 Can you tell? 640 00:28:56,080 --> 00:29:00,080 For the defining, not quite hands-on test. 641 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,080 Now it's go time to figure out just how hard this plane will be to fly. 642 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:04,080 I won't be flying it. 643 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:05,080 No, no, no. 644 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:07,080 I'll just be helping to assess that. 645 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,080 It is an unbelievable day here in Northern California. 646 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,080 There is barely a cloud in the sky. 647 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:32,080 It's incredibly clear. 648 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,080 It is a perfect day for flying. 649 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,080 So Adam, you can hear the engine starting to spool up. 650 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:03,080 Oh, yeah. 651 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:05,080 Once that's happened and we have sufficient RPM, 652 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:08,080 I'll add a little bit of jet fuel here. 653 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,080 Okay, here we go, folks. 654 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:16,080 Adam's got to be freaking out about now. 655 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:19,080 I'm not sure if it's going to be a good start for anything. 656 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:27,080 At this point, you need to make sure that the boost lever is aft 657 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:31,080 and your T-block there under your left rib cage is one notch open. 658 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:35,080 Yes, it is currently one notch open. 659 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,080 The boost lever is still aft. 660 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,080 I'll tell you one thing. 661 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,080 This plane is such a unique and problematic thing to fly 662 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:48,080 that it requires a lot of people to make sure it's all perfect before it takes off. 663 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:50,080 Alright, the Bogo crew has pulled the pin, 664 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:52,080 so the Bogos will fall away as we take off. 665 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,080 We're flying Q5, you know, like you're clear flying. 666 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,080 All the checklists have been checked. 667 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:00,080 We are just seconds away from taking off. 668 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:04,080 Alright, here we go. 669 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:06,080 Brake release, full power. 670 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,080 Here we go. 671 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:12,080 Here we go. We are taking off. 672 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:16,080 Oh man, that is a lot of horsepower. 673 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:19,080 That's a... wow, we're already lifting. 674 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,080 That's crazy! 675 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,080 Wow! 676 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,080 Man, that's deep. 677 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:28,080 Wow! 678 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:30,080 We are already lifting. 679 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,080 We're back yard to the right. 680 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:39,080 This is part of a takeoff that keeps the U2 above the base. 681 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:42,080 We're sort of spiraling straight up. 682 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:49,080 Holy cow! 683 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,080 That was so fast! 684 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:06,080 We're turning on a dime as we spiral up into the air, 685 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:08,080 climbing very rapidly. 686 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:14,080 After a tricky takeoff and rapid initial ascent, 687 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:17,080 Oh my God, the view is beautiful. 688 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:22,080 Major Bartholomew and Adam get a chance to sit back and relax. 689 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,080 Right now we just passed the top of Monteverst. 690 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:28,080 until they attain cruising altitude. 691 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,080 We're transitioning now from 160 knots, 692 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:34,080 climb to a .715 mark cruise. 693 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:37,080 Three quarters of speed of sound. 694 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:44,080 This is officially the highest off the ground I have ever been. 695 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:51,080 We're coming up on 60,000 feet, 12 miles above the surface of the Earth. 696 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:55,080 The sky has gotten to be a very, very dark blue. 697 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:58,080 What an unbelievably beautiful day. 698 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:05,080 And from this light, 67,500 feet, 699 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:10,080 the edge of our planet has a definitive curve to it. 700 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:15,080 It is more three-dimensional than I have ever seen it. 701 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:19,080 There we are. 702 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:22,080 It is in gentlemen 70,000 feet. 703 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:30,080 At this point, aside from the six astronauts on the space station, 704 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:34,080 we are the two highest humans off of planet Earth. 705 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:40,080 More than double the height of a standard commercial airliner. 706 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:46,080 Oh, and did I mention I'm wearing a pressurized space suit? 707 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:49,080 Yeah, strapped to a rocket. 708 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:52,080 This is not a bad way to spend your day. 709 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,080 Jamie, I totally owe you one. 710 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:06,080 The complex, exhaustive preparations and taxing takeoff seem a world away. 711 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:12,080 Oh, look at that. Wow. That is San Francisco. That's my home. 712 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:15,080 But this is exactly what the U-2 is designed to do. 713 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:20,080 Spend hours up here looking down, gathering intelligence. 714 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:25,080 The view from a commercial airliner is beautiful. This one is transcendent. 715 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:30,080 It's the maneuvers at either end of proceedings where the pilots are in the big bucks. 716 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:33,080 The challenges in landing this plane are unique. 717 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:37,080 And Adam is about to get a real close look. 718 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:41,080 We'll be back with our landing after this commercial break. 719 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:48,080 Hey, Space Boy, how are you doing up there? 720 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:52,080 I'm doing pretty good, Jamie. The view up here is absolutely astonishing. 721 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:59,080 Looking up makes you realize that you've left the bulk of the Earth's atmosphere. 722 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,080 That's why it's dark. 723 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:08,080 You're looking down at this fragile mist that surrounds our globe that allows us to breathe. 724 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:17,080 What allows me to do so is the ingenuity of thousands and thousands of hard-working men and women 725 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:24,080 who have sought to harness the raw materials that we dig out of the ground 726 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:28,080 into things as astonishing as airplanes and pressure suits. 727 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,080 A privilege. 728 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:41,080 Oh, man. That is a lot of horsepower. 729 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:46,080 Wow, we're already lifting. That's crazy! 730 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,080 Whoa! Wow! 731 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:54,080 Oh, my God, the view is beautiful. 732 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:03,080 Wow, look at that. 733 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:10,080 There's no doubt the high-altitude U-2 is a beautiful piece of aviation technology. 734 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:14,080 Captinated apple pie. 735 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:15,080 Yeah. 736 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:18,080 But the question yet to be answered is, oh, that's delicious. 737 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:21,080 Is it the most difficult to fly and land? 738 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:27,080 These guys fly these planes upwards of 12 to 14 hours at a time. 739 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:28,080 Hmm. 740 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,080 Yep, and after such mammoth flight times, 741 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:36,080 you must have some butt-shimming exercises you do to keep yourself from going non-during long flights. 742 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,080 I call it building your ass callus. 743 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,080 Comes the landing. 744 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:43,080 Ready. 745 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:45,080 We're ready to begin the descent. 746 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:49,080 This is where the rubber meets the runway. 747 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:52,080 You start by dropping the gear so you'll feel a little bit of clunk. 748 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:57,080 And perhaps the biggest challenge facing any pilot anywhere. 749 00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:58,080 Two gear down and locked. 750 00:36:58,080 --> 00:36:59,080 Now I'm going to bring the throttle back. 751 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:05,080 The Dragon Lady lands tail wheel first at a speed that practically stalls the wing. 752 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:10,080 And with only two sets of landing gear in the center of the fuselage, 753 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:12,080 it's like landing a bicycle. 754 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:18,080 The pilot has lowered the landing gear and implemented several procedures to add drag 755 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:23,080 so that it's moving slow enough when we get to the runway that we can actually land. 756 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:24,080 That's not all. 757 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,080 There's the ground effect. 758 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:30,080 The U2's high-aspect ratio wings and commensurate uplift 759 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:37,080 means that on final approach, it tends to float, requiring incredible skill to control. 760 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:40,080 There's also the issue of runway visibility. 761 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:44,080 This is the chase car and it's being driven by an actual U2 pilot. 762 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:48,080 Because the pilot in the plane has such limited visibility 763 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:52,080 that he can't even see the runway when he's down close to it. 764 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:58,080 This pilot is going to be talking him down with foot-by-foot instructions 765 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:02,080 so that he can respond appropriately at the right time. 766 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:08,080 Here we are at our threshold speed, being under 2,300, down to 2,000. 767 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:09,080 And now this is the fun part. 768 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:12,080 This is the part where I earn the big U2 pilot bonus money. 769 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:24,080 Alright, so we have one guy rolling out on final ahead of us. 770 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:27,080 Yee-haw! 771 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:31,080 We are gear down, flaps full, speed breaks out, stalls fixed to flight, 772 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:34,080 lights on and spoilers in the landing position. 773 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,080 Configured and ready for landing. 774 00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:43,080 40 to T. 775 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:46,080 Look at that. 776 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:59,080 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, let it down a little at 4, 3, 2, hold at 1, inches. 777 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:03,080 Ha ha ha ha! 778 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:08,080 Wow. 779 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:09,080 Very nice. 780 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:10,080 Welcome back, gentlemen. 781 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:15,080 He's required by tradition to say very nice whether it is or not. 782 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:16,080 Oh, okay. 783 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:18,080 It's been a lot of fun. 784 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:19,080 Thanks, Adam. 785 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:22,080 Now there's our big old reception committee. 786 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:25,080 Alright, try it a lot. 787 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,080 Alright, editors, if you could give us a little montage 788 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:31,080 of some of the astonishing things we've gotten to do in the course of doing Mythbusters. 789 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:33,080 Welcome back. 790 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:36,080 I'm thinking flying a rocket car across the desert. 791 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:42,080 Watching a rocket sled accelerate to the speed of sound and hit the immovable wall. 792 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:45,080 That was awesome! 793 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:51,080 Sliding down a 200 foot water slide 70 feet through the air into a target. 794 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:54,080 Ah, yeah! 795 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:00,080 This tops all of those by a factor of two. 796 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,080 That was unbelievable. 797 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:06,080 Unrepeatable. 798 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:08,080 Incredible. 799 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:10,080 I'm out of superlatives. 800 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:22,080 I have just spent the last two hours strapped to a rocket, wearing a space suit, flying to the edge of our Earth's atmosphere and seeing my hometown from a vantage point. 801 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:24,080 Wow, it's a great view of the bridge. 802 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:26,080 It is an incredible view. 803 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:29,080 That was completely unique. 804 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:33,080 So Adam, how do you figure we're going to call this? 805 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:39,080 Because, I mean, this is supposed to be the most difficult plane to fly, but we haven't looked at any other planes. 806 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:41,080 Okay, but we did learn this. 807 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:46,080 It is a completely unique airframe, purpose built for a completely unique mission. 808 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:53,080 It requires a more numerous flight crew and a more exhaustive set of protocols than any other plane in the military. 809 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:58,080 And it is the only airborne endeavor besides going to space that requires the wearing of the space suit. 810 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:01,080 This is not a bad way to spend your day. 811 00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:04,080 I think that places it in the plausible category. 812 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:06,080 Okay. 813 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:09,080 Alright, I think it also places it in the ultra cool category. 814 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:10,080 Absolutely. 815 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:11,080 Let's get out of here. 816 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:19,080 So Adam, do you know why she's called the Dragon Lady? 817 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:20,080 No, I don't. 818 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:24,080 Because you don't know whether she's going to land like a dragon or a lady.