All language subtitles for The.Mightiest.S03E03.Size.Matters.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-RAWR_track4_[eng]

Sometimes,
size really does matter.

When lives are on the line,

people have places to go,

and the speed of
production is ramping up,

these epic machines
throw every part

of their systems into action,
proving that the greatness

of some of the biggest machines
out there know no bounds.

A big...

...bad-ass,

double-rotored
barbarian of the sky...

We fly the furthest,
we lift the most.

...known for its ability
to carry staggering weight...

...a veteran of
military missions

and disaster relief,

the Chinook is
revered worldwide.

Welcome to
the CH-147F Chinook,

the greatest office
in the world.

The Chinook is one of the most
recognizable helicopters

on the planet, thanks to
its iconic twin rotors.

It's one of the few
aircraft from the 1960s

still in production,

and it's flown
in over 20 countries.

The reason the Chinook
is so important

is that it's versatile.

It can move cars.

It can move artillery.
It can move people.

Whatever you have,
we can move it.

If we can
fit it inside, great.

If not, we'll sling it.

This chopper
is a 24-ton flying fortress

that tears across the sky
at Ferrari-like speeds

of 315 kilometres per hour...

making it the fastest military
helicopter in the world.

The Chinook is the most amazing
helicopter and aircraft

I have ever flown.

The Chinook is built
exceptionally tough,

incorporating several
unique modifications

specific to demanding terrain,

from the sea and the desert
to the ice cold of the Arctic.

This helicopter
is so reliable

in extreme climates
and terrain

that over 20 countries,

including the US, Canada,
Australia, Japan, and Germany,

all trust their missions
to this legendary machine.

The Chinook's story
began in the late 1950s.

The US Army needed
a stronger, faster,

and more
reliable helicopter.

So, Boeing answered the call,
building the Chinook CH-47,

which took its maiden
flight in September 1961.

Chinooks were
deployed to Vietnam in 1965,

quickly becoming
a symbol of military might.

They became the
workhorse of the US Army

due to their ability to
ferry both troops and cargo.

Decades later,
the Chinook saw heavy action

during the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars.

The helicopter
has proved essential

in humanitarian operations.

The Chinook was vital
in relief efforts

during Hurricane Katrina,
and in 2020,

it performed a daring rescue

of over 200 people
trapped by the blazing

California Creek fire.

Over the last six decades,

the Chinook has been
battle and field tested,

and it continues to be upgraded
and refined as a result.

But the one thing

that has never changed
is its twin rotor design.

The CH-147F was designed

for the
Royal Canadian Air Force,

widely considered
the most advanced

and modified version
of the Chinook.

Missions may be high octane,
but so is Chinook maintenance.

It's a high-pressure process

with serious consequences
if things aren't done right.

There's a lot of
stuff on this aircraft

that we have to inspect,
clean, uninstall, reinstall,

and it's what keeps
this aircraft flying.

This job takes a lot of hard
work, a lot of dedication.

It is definitely
not for everybody.

Technicians probe and
examine the Chinooks daily

for damage and parts that may
have come loose during missions.

But after every
200 hours of flight,

the Chinooks are thoroughly
inspected and overhauled.

Not all parts experience
wear and tear at the same rate.

Components critical to flight
safety with shorter lifespans

or faster degradation rates

require more frequent,
in-depth inspections.

Less critical components,

or those with longer
expected service lives,

can be inspected
at longer intervals.

But where you start to get
in your really heavy phase,

where we start
pulling out flow boards,

we pull the blankets down,
we'll take the rotor blades off,

pull the landing gear apart,

we'll remove engines, we'll
pull the rotor heads apart.

We're checking pretty much
everything through here,

checking for cracking,
any of the tubing

for the heating system that's
running through the floor,

because when you're
up in the air,

it tends to get pretty cold,
especially in the winter.

I used to be one of the guys

that flew on these aircrafts,
and you want to make sure

that everything is ready to go

whenever you're
out there flying.

Every part of this
machine is a critical part.

The landing gear,
we'll pull it apart,

look at the bearings,
the bushings, everything,

to make sure that
even the tiniest part,

down to the tiniest screw,
is still serviceable.

I served with
the Canadian Forces

for 12 years,
and every time I see

one of these aircraft go out,

it shows a great sense of pride
for me, and I'm glad that,

even as a civilian, I can
still support our forces.

Today,
at the Garrison Petawawa

in Ontario, Canada,

450 Tactical Helicopter
Squadron is preparing

for a critical mission -

relocating sections
of a bridge system.

Welcome, everyone.
For today's mission,

450 Squadron is tasked to
move that bridging equipment

from the pick-up point
to the drop-off point.

We're expecting three loads.

The sling loads are between
14,000 to 15,000 pounds each,

so it'll be a single-point
centre hook hook-up.

With huge loads waiting,

every part must be checked,

tested, and fixed,
if there's a problem.

I'm going to start by checking
our forward rotor head.

These sync shafts,
they connect

our aft rotor head to
our forward rotor head,

making sure they stay in time.

If this goes, then it's
a really bad day for us.

We're gonna be
checking these lock wires,

making sure that
they're all connected

and our fluid levels
are within limits.

With the Chinook
cleared for the mission,

the flight crew board...

and strap in...

for take-off.

So trying to control this
massive machine

is definitely like trying to
ride a unicycle while juggling.

Flying any helicopter is
generally considered to be

a lot more difficult
than flying a plane.

Flying one of the longest,
heaviest choppers on the planet,

that makes things
even more complicated.

It's nearly impossible for
a single pilot to have

full situational awareness
of the Chinook in flight.

That makes
a second pilot essential

for spotting obstacles,
managing the workload,

and that includes navigation
and communication.

What makes the Chinook
the Chinook,

is absolutely
the crew on board.

To be able to see
all of our obstacles,

to get the cargo
on and off.

Even one of the
largest heavy-lift choppers

in the world is
an albatross in the sky

without
a well-trained crew aboard.

Something that adds
to the complexity

of piloting the Chinook
is its dual-rotor design.

Unlike helicopters with a single
main rotor and tail rotor,

the Chinook has
two large overhead rotors,

a revelation in aeronautical
design for lift and stability.

But if one rotor fails,

the helicopter can
become very unstable,

and uncontrollable,
and even disastrous.

It is definitely a seat
of your pants flying.

It's all about being in tune
with the machine

as you maneuver it.

The Chinook's
distinctive rotors

are the reason
it can accomplish

many challenging
and important missions.

They give it a
high degree of control

and manoeuvrability
and makes hovering -

a key function
of any helicopter -

more efficient.

While the rotors are identical,

they spin in
opposite directions.

As the rear rotor
rotates clockwise,

the front rotor
rotates counterclockwise.

The act of each rotor
moving in these ways

counteracts the force

that would spin the body of
the helicopter uncontrollably

if both rotors spun
in the same direction.

This rotor configuration allows
the Chinook to channel

all of its power into
lift and forward motion.

Though spinning in
different directions,

the rotors are linked
by a transmission

to keep them perfectly timed,
moving at identical speeds,

ensuring that the blades
don't collide.

Contact with each other
or the body of the aircraft

could be tragic.

Our rotor blades
can actually,

in mid-air, if we don't
set them correctly,

make contact with each other.
So, we have to set this -

it's called
'phasing of the blades' -

so our blades will be able
to mesh with each other

and not actually
touch each other.

Out in the field, the
rotors are working perfectly...

7 o'clock, three rotors.

Area is 11 o'clock,
two kilometers.

It's going to be a nice and
gentle approach, guys.

...and the squadron rendezvous
to pick up their heavy cargo.

To lift such
incredibly heavy payloads,

the Chinook is equipped
with three cargo hooks

that are
located on its belly.

The forward and aft hooks
can hold up to nine tonnes.

That's more
than five cars each.

Together, they provide
dual-point suspension

for long or bulky loads,

improving stability
and preventing loads

from spinning or
swaying under the aircraft.

However, the super-tough middle
hook can carry the most weight

at nearly 13 tonnes -
the equivalent of eight cars.

With its powerful
three-hook system,

external loads are rigged

using specialized
cables, slings,

and/or chains appropriate
for the cargo's dimensions,

weight,
and center of gravity.

As the Chinook
hovers above its cargo,

the ground crew hook onto their
target and secure the load.

Just gonna set 'er right down.

Within minutes,

they fly away with
the bridge in tow.

Being able to coordinate
through hand signals to

the ground users allows us to
efficiently hook up and unload,

which minimizes our time spent
in a vulnerable position

and allows us to maximize
the use of the Chinook

to execute the mission.

The Chinook's mighty strength

is due to its
legendary twin engines.

Together,
they produce

a total of nearly
10,000 horsepower.

That's enough raw strength

to carry the weight of a small
house... into the clouds.

The Chinook's engines
are extremely powerful.

These are T-55
Honeywell engines.

They've been powering Chinooks
around the globe since 1961.

The T-55 engine
family has logged

over 12 million hours of
operation across various models,

demonstrating
incredibly high reliability.

Keeping the engines
in top shape is a priority,

as the success of the
mission depends on it.

Biggest part for
the engines for inspections

is checking the conditions
of the hydraulic oil,

and fuel lines,

and the overall conditioning
and security of the engine.

Chinooks are designed
to be as balanced as possible,

but the constant force
of the spinning blades

creates
significant vibration,

vibration that could
shake the engines loose.

Surprisingly, this big engine
is only held in at three places.

It's held in right here,

right here, and there's
another one on the inside

that looks just like this.

If we were not to catch this
and we were to let it go,

we'll have material failure,
which could eventually lead to

this engine
mount breaking off.

Well-maintained engines

lead to smoother flights,

regardless of
the load being lifted.

But it's the twin rotor design
that allows the Chinook

to have a large
and versatile back gate.

It's very important
that we are able

to open up this ramp
in flight

so we can get
a better look at things.

When we are doing para,
it gives us more room

to jump out of the aircraft.

If we're doing helocasting -
that's when we're flying

at five feet over the water
with the ramp down,

allowing our troops to jump
out into the water.

The ramp is an extraordinary
helicopter innovation.

It allows the Chinook to
perform special manoeuvres,

like a pinnacle landing,

where its giant body
balances on its rear wheels.

It can do this on
the knife edge of a cliff,

rooftops, or narrow ledges.

The rear ramp can then be
lowered, so people can rapidly

enter or exit the helicopter
before it flies off.

The ramp is used
frequently through flights,

especially on mission.

So, you have to make sure that
the ramp system works properly

and safely for not only the
flight members themselves,

but also all of
your military troops

coming in and out
of the aircraft.

In flight,

crew might be positioned
at the end of the open ramp,

serving as an extra set of eyes,
operating weapons,

or performing
mid-flight maintenance.

It takes a lot to get used to
working back here.

You have to get used to
turbulence.

You have to get used
to moving.

All while listening and paying
attention to the crew.

We could do a sudden turn
at any moment

and I have to be ready while
I'm walking around back here.

Bridge is dropped off - another
beautiful day in the Chinook.

With the bridge lift
and relocation complete,

the Chinook helicopters

and their teams are ready
to head back to base.

So, we were able to
accomplish today's mission.

The aircraft
performed beautifully,

as we would normally expect,

and enjoyed another
beautiful day in Petawawa.

This chopper has proven itself
in every conflict,

every disaster,
every impossible mission.

The Chinook has saved lives

in places where
nothing else could fly.

It's not just a helicopter;
it's hope with rotors.

The Chinook has
been doing the impossible

for over 60 years,

and will continue to do so
for decades to come.

Every day,
thousands of people

and vehicles line up...

for the more than
400 trips aboard

the iconic white
and green ships

of the Washington
State Ferries.

Welcome aboard
the Washington State Ferry.

Thank you for your attention,
and we hope you enjoy your trip.

Ferries are the single largest
tourist attraction in the state,

but more importantly,
they're a lifeline

to many coastal communities
across the region.

It takes the combined efforts

of 2,000 people to
make these trips happen,

carrying commuters
and travellers, cars,

and cargo over this
busy marine highway.

The community
relies on these ferries.

Even a short delay

on a single vessel can
disrupt schedules for hours.

And breakdowns can
strand island communities,

affecting thousands
of people's lives.

With 21 vessels in the fleet,

the Washington State Ferries
serve 19 terminals,

connected by ten routes,

across nearly
300 kilometres of waterways.

We are all over Puget Sound,

all the way up through
the San Juan Islands.

This is the largest
ferry system in the US,

moving over
19 million riders

and 9 million
vehicles a year.

And this legion of
aquatic transporters is led by

one of the biggest
ferry boats in North America,

the Tacoma, a ship
responsible for hauling

5,000 passengers
and about 1,000 cars a day.

The Tacoma is one of three

Jumbo Mark II class
vessels in the fleet.

It's longer than
an American football field.

And at nearly
6,200 tonnes,

it's about 40 times
heavier than a house.

This is a ton of
responsibility

to get these people
across safely,

so we all take it seriously.

The Tacoma is
a monstrous workhorse,

built like a floating tank,
to get people

where they need to go,
safely, rain or shine.

While ferries can

often sail
in all types of weather,

crews have to make
real-time decisions,

causing delays
and cancellations

when extreme high winds,
fog and rough seas hit.

But ferries this big

were built to
take on Mother Nature

and Poseidon simultaneously,

and that
takes a lot of energy.

The vessel has four engines,
16,000 horsepower.

We usually cruise about
17-and-a-half knots,

but we can get it up
to about 21 knots.

A knot,
or 'nautical mile per hour',

is a unit of maritime speed

equal to almost
two kilometres an hour.

Though she may
not be very fast,

she's got more engine power than
the fastest vehicle on land,

a top-fuelled dragster.

But rather than one passenger,
she's responsible for nearly

1,800 people on a single trip.

Below the crowds
of passengers and the cars,

encased in steel,
is the source of her power.

This is where
the ferry is controlled,

where we start it up,
shut it down.

We can take
control at any time.

So, what we have
are four marine-type

locomotive diesel engines.

Originally built for trains,
Electromotive Division, or EMD,

began making engines
for ships and submarines

during World War II.

Over time,
these multi-use engines became

more compact
and powerful enough

for the demanding,
continual use

of marine systems
like ferries.

These engines are running

from 5 a.m. until
1 or 2 in the morning

almost every day of the year,
while battling relentless waves

and currents that want to
push these ferries off course.

They can really
take a beating.

During the 35-minute trip

from Bainbridge Island
to Seattle,

these engines
will consume

almost
950 litres of fuel.

That's nearly
19,000 litres

over the course of a day.

While the engines chug along,

deep in the ship's guts,
a hunt is on for issues

that could
endanger the Tacoma.

Can't be claustrophobic to
work down here in the bilge.

The bilge is the
lowest part of the boat.

It's the internal part
of the ship's hull,

where the bottom curves
to meet the vertical sides,

and it's where the water
and other fluids collect

because, over time,

all vessels take on
some water at some point.

It's dark, it's cold,
everything echoes.

It's not fun
coming down here.

As you can see,
it's wet and dirty, oily.

Modern ships,
like the Jumbo Mark II class,

are designed with multiple

watertight bulkheads to
compartmentalize flooding.

The ability to
seal off damaged sections

is crucial to survival.

These bilge pockets
really don't look like

there's much to them.

It's pretty much just
the bones of the ship.

But they can tell us
a lot about the health

of everything
that's running above it.

A small hole
in a sealed compartment

might never be
a problem due to

its effective
bilge pumps

and the vessel's
inherently stable design.

It has this amazing ability

to return to
an upright position

after being tilted by external
forces, like wind or waves.

In contrast, a massive breach

or damage that compromises
multiple compartments

can lead to
rapid sinking in minutes.

It's really important
to check out our bilges.

Every once in a while,

we have fuel leaks,
jacket water leaks, oil leaks.

Regular inspections ensure

that the health of
the vessel is maintained

and the risk to the public
is greatly reduced.

All right, well,
bilges look good.

And that commitment

never stops for the crew
of the engine room.

What we're looking
at here are the drive motors.

These are the motors
that turn the propeller.

We're taking those diesel
engines, producing electricity,

manipulating it, introducing it
into this drive motor,

turning these propellers -

that's what's pushing
the boat through the water.

The Tacoma has a
fixed-pitch propeller system

with one propeller
on each end of the vessel.

The power from the drive motors
goes to both propellers

at roughly a 90 to 10 ratio,

meaning that 90% of
the power goes to the stern

or the pushing propeller,

while the remaining
propulsive power

is applied to that
forward propeller,

and the forward propeller
is pulling very slightly.

Regardless
of the number of engines

or propellers they have,

ferries are an
indispensable mode of transit

in every corner of the world.

Ferry boats
can trace their roots

from ancient times,

small basic craft
propelled by oars and sticks.

In Europe, one of the first
recorded ferry services

appears to date back
to 1150 in England,

when monks
began charging a fee

for regular trips
across the Mersey River.

Over the centuries,
mechanization and boat size

went hand-in-hand.

Ferries could go further
and carry more weight,

more reliably, with the
arrival of power systems,

like steam
and diesel engines.

In the early 20th century,

ferries became
more specialized,

like Canada's Motor Princess,
the first ferry ship

designed and built
specifically to carry cars.

Around the world,
ferries carry over

4 billion passengers a year,

with a global fleet
of some 15,400

individual ferry boats.

Getting across the water
has come a long way.

And the ships of
the Washington State Ferries

are a prime example
of that evolution.

But operating the
largest fleet in the US...

...requires the largest ferry
maintenance facility, too.

We'll see all of the vessels

roll through this facility
in the calendar year for,

usually, a four-week
maintenance repair period.

So, there's about
60 engines, three per boat.

Some of them have four,

depending on what
they're running

for their
emergency generator.

Typically, we have one
in the shop being overhauled

at a given time.

Having this facility at the
center of the entire operation

means they can offer
routine maintenance checks

and emergency repairs
with 24-7 access

to skilled marine
technicians and engineers.

There's a lot of
attention to detail

that needs to happen, so I take
pride in rebuilding the engine.

And the most
used engines in the fleet

belong to the Tacoma

and her sister ships,
the Puyallup and the Wenatchee.

The Jumbo Mark IIs are
the nation's largest

auto passenger ferries, and
they come here for maintenance.

Part of our preventive
maintenance includes

the scheduled taking of
deflection readings.

Deflection is simply
the bending

or flexing of
the shaft under the load.

The shaft is channelling
so much power from the motors,

over time,
it can wear unevenly.

So, the mechanics
need to make sure

that any bending is
tracked and addressed.

You could wind up
with the aft end

of the crankshaft
breaking off,

and the crankshaft would
no longer transmit power,

so you would wind up
with this engine

being effectively unusable.

And on the open water,
that can't happen.

Okay, the final
reading almost zero.

Yeah, I'm happy with it.
Will record it

for the machinery history,

and it's all within spec;
it's good to go.

Safety on
the water is priority one.

That's why the crew
is always vigilant

approaching one of
Seattle's busiest ports.

With one of the highest

boats per capita
figures in the country,

Seattle's pleasure boat fleet
presents a constant challenge

to the ferries.

Looks like they want
to cross ahead of us.

We've also got another
vessel over here

two points to port.

They clearly want to
pass in front of us,

but I'd like for them
to do it quickly.

With a relentless beast

like the Tacoma on the water,
boats need to be wary

and get out of the way.

So, this is a 460-foot ship,

and we're traveling
at about 18 knots right now,

which is about 21 miles
an hour, which sounds slow,

until you realize
how many thousands of tonnes

the vessel weighs.

Seattle, Tacoma approaching
slip three yellow ops.

No matter their size,

ships don't come with brakes.

So, this is
sort of like a slow-motion

of a jetliner landing.

It's Newton's
first law of motion -

an object in motion
tends to stay in motion.

So, unless the force of that
momentum is counteracted,

it will smash violently
into the dock.

To dock,
the Tacoma's momentum

must be harnessed
with precision.

Under the ship,

the propellers start moving
in reverse,

pushing water in
the opposite direction

the ferry is traveling,

fighting against the momentum
and reducing the Tacoma's speed.

All this results in
the ship stopping so gently,

you don't even feel it bump
when it meets the dock.

We're coming into Seattle,

maintaining safe speed

and making sure
the apron is up.

Passengers
are off the bow.

It's a process that repeats

dozens of times a day.

Thousands of tonnes of
floating steel, engines,

and skilled crews
that work tirelessly

to move more than
50,000 daily passengers.

But for these ferries,
it's all in a day's work.

The mighty Tacoma
heads into the waves once again,

a gentle giant among ferries,

connecting people and
places with power and grace.

In Wolfsburg, Germany,

an army of human...

and robot workers...

...are designing,

moulding, cutting,

and assembling vehicles

for people
all over the world,

and producing 3,000

passenger cars
every day.

That is really
unbelievable to me.

You know, it's like a miracle.

This is the epicentre
of automotive creation,

a 6,500,000
square meter facility -

nearly twice the size
of New York's Central Park.

At the end, Volkswagen is
absolutely unique in the world.

This production
facility can produce

800,000 cars a year.

It's like a new car
completed every 16 seconds

within the factory walls.
It's mind-boggling.

We have 60,000 people in
Wolfsburg,

working in this place.

Its workforce is comparable

to the population
of a small city.

It's like
a city within a city.

Under its many roofs

are 20 kilometres of
automated assembly lines,

with more than 100 workshops,

where they do everything
from painting and construction

to design and testing.

MAN (Translating:) That means
everything exists individually.

But this complex level
of integration,

that's quite unique
in the world, yes.

Here at the press shop,

raw steel rolls into
the factory each day

to be moulded with nearly
8,000 tonnes of force.

MAN (Translating:) We are now in
the world's largest press shop.

The press shop has a total area
of almost 80,000 square meters,

roughly the equivalent
of 11 football fields.

We manufacture a wide variety

of fender parts, hoods,
doors, side panels and roofs.

We can produce the outer shell
of virtually any vehicle.

The press shop is
responsible

for 100% of the parts that

make up the structure of every
vehicle made at Wolfsburg,

and they're produced at
a rate of 60 parts per minute.

The press shop
has some of the largest

metal bending
machines in action,

many as tall as
a four-storey apartment block,

punching, pressing, and cutting
their way through steel

at an unbelievably
fast rate.

MAN (Translating:) Each press
has 15 to 16 total sets,

meaning different parts.

In total, we produce
350,000 parts per day

across the entire press shop.

The press shop's output is
a crucial cog in the overall

manufacturing sequence.

It ensures a smooth flow of
parts to the body shop,

paint shop,
and final assembly.

This level of speed
and efficiency is only possible

because of the
down-to-the-second automation

and robotic labour that
can lift and manoeuvre

heavy steel parts into and
out of the mouths of presses

without any risk of injury.

There is no way
that hand-fed presses

can make parts
that quickly.

MAN (Translating:) Our employees
are primarily responsible

for operating and
monitoring the equipment,

intervening in case of
malfunctions, and, of course,

also participating
in quality control.

For maximum efficiency,

Volkswagen developed
a revolutionary

panel pressing system
called a 'press street'

that links
six presses together.

One of the largest
in the entire Volkswagen group

is Press Street 500.

It's so powerful
that it had to be built

on its own
separate foundation.

Otherwise, buildings on
the other side of the complex

would shake
when it's working.

Otherwise, buildings on
the other side of the complex

Parts fly off the presses,

feeding an unstoppable
assembly process

that begins
in the body shop.

Here, the work
of transforming steel parts

into framed-out cars

is done by 3,500 of
the 6,000 high-tech robots

employed by the factory.
They spot-weld, bolt,

clip, and glue parts
with exceptional accuracy.

Robots
perform approximately 97%

of this assembly process

that creates the structural
foundation of each vehicle.

When it comes
to peak productivity

for repetitive jobs like this,
on such a large scale,

robots are
the only way to go.

These orange
arms are giants;

they're twice as tall
as a refrigerator,

and they can lift
around half a tonne.

Each car is made up
of around 10,000 components

that must be
carefully connected.

This incredibly
efficient process

is made possible by the
intricacies of the design,

which painstakingly
planned each part.

So, first impression
you have is the design.

Ja, that's the
heart of the product.

So, and I think that
is mega important.

Welcome to Valhalla,

Volkswagen's inner sanctum
of research and development.

This is a
secretive design sanctuary,

where the VW Wolfsburg
development team turn ideas

into drivable prototypes.

It's a multi-year creative

and scientific development
process that, if successful,

ends up in the assembly line.

Everything we do here
is super confidential

because we are like the first

in the process of
developing a new car,

and if anything of what
we plan comes to the public,

the others
will do the same.

We analyze how is
the customer looking like,

what do they expect from us,

and when we have
all this knowledge,

it all comes together,
then we start sketching.

From sketches,
to computer-aided designs,

to fully fleshed out,
finely milled clay models,

the design team bring
their creations to life.

And you see
the data, in reality.

It's not just like
a picture on the wall;

it's the truth, you know,
and this is why

we are milling the clay
in full scale.

While you can
work this clay by hand,

milling machines are used to
make the process a lot smoother

and faster.

This is a special
milling machine for design.

It's a closed system.

It's small,
a little bit elegant,

like a sculpture,
like an industrial sculpture.

These machines have
a dynamic range of movement

for perfect
edging and control,

while milling at a rate of
nearly two-and-a-half

kilometres an hour -

a speed that sends
clay shavings flying.

We can get a whole car in
24 hours, a whole new car.

Ja, ja, really.

And when the
production models are complete,

they're sent to
the tunnel for testing.

Wolfsburg has its own
dedicated 17,000 square meter

wind tunnel
efficiency centre.

Inside the tunnels,

prototypes face the
invisible forces of the road.

Aerodynamics is actually a very
important topic for our cars

because the better the
aerodynamics of the car is,

the lower is the
air drag of the car,

so you get more mileage.

Wind flow shows
where air resistance,

or drag, is affecting the
efficiency and range of the car.

Air that swirls and
bounces off the vehicle

reveals the sources
of excess noise

that can make
driving less enjoyable.

And different weather patterns,
from high heat to snowstorms,

test vehicle safety
and reliability

under
the harshest conditions.

Here we are at our fan -

eight meters in diameter,
so really big.

It's got 3.1
megawatts of power.

If we let it turn
one hour at full speed,

twice the energy
I use in a year.

We generate 250 kilometres
per hour on wind speed.

So, if you can imagine,

a hurricane has
118 kilometres per hour,

so it's way faster
than a hurricane.

While hurricane-force
winds are possible,

most tests are happening
at wind speeds

of around
140 kilometres an hour,

mimicking the conditions
of highway driving.

They use smoke to
visualize airflow patterns.

Smoke particles follow
the motion of the air,

showing the team how
air moves around a model,

so they can identify issues,

like the smoke detaching from
the surface, causing drag.

Great results in the tunnels

translate
to well-designed cars

coming together
at final assembly.

Around 15,000 people

work alongside robots
to complete each vehicle.

Cooperation between
people and machines

is becoming more
and more important.

Increasingly, work on a vehicle
or component is carried out

by people and robots,
not separately or in sequence,

but simultaneously
and together.

The employees are supported
by a robot side-by-side,

without
any protective barriers.

This principle is known
as human-robot collaboration.

Robots function in
adaptive, flexible ways,

from bolting, to handing heavy
parts or tools over to people,

either independently
or on command.

I'm currently putting
the cockpit into the car.

The whole cockpit
weighs about 150,

up to 200 kilos.

So, for that whole point,
the machine helps me a lot.

You might think
working alongside robots

would be frightening,

like the robot losing
control or taking over.

But here, both the
human workers and the robots

can now make full use of
their respective strengths.

WOMAN
We insert,

press our button,
and that's it,

and then, the robot
takes care of the rest.

With these nimble assistants,

work happens on time,
every time.

I need around 60 seconds
to finish my job -

to pick up a cockpit,
to bring it into the car,

and to pick up
the next one.

The machines are
really helping me.

The line which I'm
currently on moves with a speed

of eight meters per minute,
so that's quite fast.

We are able to build

420 cars on each shift.

That's extremely
impressive, yeah.

Robots and
people working together

make for light work.

My whole family is in
this big car manufacturer,

and I'm really
proud to work here.

That pride
has been hard-earned.

Founded in 1937,

the Wolfsburg plant was built
to create the people's car,

but the truth was much darker.

The Volkswagen factory
was built for

the Volkswagen Project, for
the German mass motorization.

Everything was just a big
project of Nazi propaganda

because Volkswagen was
founded as a subsidiary

of the biggest
Nazi organization,

the German Labor Front.

Volkswagen became part
of the armament industry.

Between 1940 and 1945,
all kinds of weapons,

of military vehicles
were built here.

More than 20,000
people worked for Volkswagen

against their will,
and among them

were 5,000
concentration camp prisoners.

During the war,
the factory was bombed,

causing tremendous damage.
By 1944,

it was almost
completely destroyed.

But that wasn't the end.

After the war, the British took
over and returned the factory

to automotive production
of the Beetle.

From 1945
was the beginning

of the Volkswagen brand.

They changed
the image of the Beetle

from a Nazi
propaganda project, ja,

to a cult car almost,
to a pop cultural icon.

The Beetle changed
things for Volkswagen.

Its unconventional design,
rear engine, limited storage,

and two doors rather than four

didn't stop it from
becoming a global sensation.

It was affordable,
practical, reliable,

and it offered a very
attractive alternative

to the big American cars of
the post-World War II era.

From a sinister past,

an iconic automobile
brand arose.

Everyone who
works for Volkswagen,

which are more than 700,000
people all over the world,

should know this history

because it brings
a special responsibility.

And at the end, the Volkswagen
factory turned out

to be one of the biggest
car factories in the world.

Volkswagen has worked
very hard to acknowledge

and overcome their past,

an effort resulting
in nearly 50 million cars

produced at
Wolfsburg alone.

Once those vehicles
are completed,

they leave the factory floor

on a nearly one-kilometre
underground artery,

linking production
to the Autostadt,

a state-of-the-art 20-storey

vehicle display and
dispensing system.

MAN (Translating:) Since 2000,
the Autostadt has been

the world's largest
delivery centre.

It takes less than
two minutes for new cars

to be whisked away through this
autonomously operated tunnel.

The tires of the car
never even touch the ground.

MAN
We have two car towers.

Together, they can hold

around 800 vehicles,
so 400 vehicles per tower.

They are 48 meters high
and 23 meters in diameter.

The vehicles are
stored on 20 levels.

Two massive hydraulic arms

ride up and down its length,

lifting, spinning, and
slotting each car into place

in about 45 seconds.

MAN (Translating:) I've been
working here for 25 years now,

which, I think,
speaks for itself.

I'm very proud
to be a part of this.

From the press shop,

through the kilometres of
assembly and final delivery,

Volkswagen Wolfsburg

has proven to be
a well-oiled machine.

It's fantastic.

We're always looking to
the future, you know,

and this is
what I love, you know.

What is the next step,
the next project?

The white sheet of paper,
you know, it's empty.

What is the next step?

It's always super
interesting for me.

Wolfsburg is far more

than one of the largest
automotive factories on earth.

It's the place where history
and technology converge

to shape the future
of the cars we drive.