All language subtitles for Building Giants Series 2 Part 7 Worlds Toughest Plane 1080p

Narrator: Weighing over
859,000 pounds fully loaded,

This is one of the biggest heavy
cargo planes in the world --

The antonov 124 ruslan.

Its mission is to haul freight
weighing nearly 265,000 pounds

Thousands of miles
to any place on earth.

What design innovations
allow engineers

To build an aircraft this large,

And what technologies
allow the antonov 124

To transport mega
loads of cargo?

We unlock the engineering
secrets

That make this aircraft
the king of heavy lifters.

From its four super-sized
thrust-boosting engines

To a tough skeleton
forged from light,

Yet super-strong materials,

To reveal what it takes to build
the ultimate super-plane.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Kourou in french guiana,
south america --

Home to the european spaceport,

From which the european
space agency

Launches all of its satellites.

Up to 12 rockets blast off
from this launch pad every year.

They carry into orbit
telecommunication, weather,

And observation satellites
critical for 21st century life

Back on earth.

French guiana's equatorial
position

Makes use of
the earth's slingshot effect,

Which is the energy created

By the planet's rotation
around its axis.

This helps rockets get into
space faster using less fuel.

But the satellites
aren't actually built here.

Prior to a launch,

Each satellite must be shipped
to kourou already constructed.

This high resolution earth
observation satellite,

Costing over $100 million, is
the next craft bound for space.

It's under construction
at this factory

In toulouse, France,
4,163 miles away.

Workers assemble the satellite
in this dust-free,

Temperature-controlled
laboratory.

Project manager sophie lay
needs the satellite in kourou

Within the next 48 hours
in preparation for its launch.

Reliable transportation
is a unique challenge.

The satellite ships in
a custom-built sealed container

That prevents
outside contaminants

From entering
and temperature changes

From ruining
its sensitive components.

Transporting this massive box
to kourou by truck or ship

Could take weeks
and put the satellite

At risk of damage
or malfunction.

Sophie's best option
is to fly it

To the launch site
in a cargo plane.

Yet hauling a box this large
is a huge engineering challenge.

It measures 14 feet wide,
13 feet tall, and 28 feet long.

Together with the satellite
support equipment,

The total cargo load
weighs nearly 93,000 pounds.

The solution is this --

The antonov 124 ruslan.

This revolutionary cargo
aircraft is 226 feet long,

It has wings that span more
than three tennis courts,

And a huge 35,314
square-foot cargo bay.

This mega-plane transports more
super-sized commercial cargo

Than almost any other aircraft
in the world.

The plane is built with
innovative technology

Hidden under the hood

To carry the world's
heaviest air-freight.

Its lightweight fuselage
is strong enough

To carry nearly
265,000 pounds of cargo.

An ingenious kneeling mechanism

Helps load
extra-large shipments.

Powerful and efficient engines
propel the plane further

On a single tank of fuel.

All these elements combine
to make the antonov 124 ruslan

The ultimate cargo plane.

4:00 p.M. --
Toulouse airport, France.

The 124's flight crew prepares
the aircraft for takeoff.

Load master oleksiy pervishko
and his team

Must ensure the plane is
in top condition to fly.

Ahead lies a grueling mission.

First, the crew must load

The nearly 93,000-pound
satellite cargo.

They must then
fly the 124 nonstop

Nearly 4,500 miles
across the atlantic ocean

To reach cayenne, french guiana
10 hours after leaving France.

Next, the crew must unload
the cargo onto trucks.

These vehicles will transport
the satellite one hour

Northwest to kourou,

Where engineers
will prepare it for launch.

The antonov's unique feature

Is its 35,314
square-foot cargo bay.

That's 5,297 square feet bigger

Than those of many rival
heavy lifters.

It's large enough to carry
50 average-size cars.

To create this much room,
the antonov's designers placed

The aircraft's 240-foot-long
wings on top of the fuselage.

But building an aircraft body
strong enough to carry this load

Is a huge engineering feat.

The wings of most commercial
aircrafts connect in a wingbox

In the center of the fuselage.

This strong box supports
the aircraft's body.

By positioning the wingbox
above the fuselage,

The antonov gains
a larger cargo hold,

But risks catastrophic
structural failure.

The antonov's wings,
four engines,

And full fuel tanks weigh
over 330,000 pounds.

This huge load puts massive
stress on the fuselage.

If the aircraft is airborne,

The dead weight of
nearly 265,000 pounds of cargo

Could rip the plane apart.

To solve the problem, engineers
must strengthen

The fuselage ribs directly
beneath the 124's wings.

On traditional aircraft,
engineers rivet together

Thin strips of aluminum
to build tough support frames.

But the size and weight
of the 124

Could overstress the rivet line

And put the plane
at risk of structural collapse.

So, here,
at the antonov aircraft facility

In kiev, ukraine,

Vitaliy zatsekovniy's team
builds lightweight

Mega-components designed
for maximum strength.

Workers fabricate super-sized
load-bearing parts

For the antonov
from these solid blocks

Of aerospace aluminum
called billets.

The special alloy is as strong
as steel,

But three times lighter.

High-powered, computer
-controlled water-jet cutters

Carve each 10-inch-thick
16-foot-long billet

Into rough shapes.

Next, special machines
cut way the excess metal

According to a precise design

To make each component
even lighter.

The finished piece is a perfect
balance

Between strength and weight.

Workers bolt together up
to four cut billets

To make a special load-bearing
structure called a frame.

Engineers install six primary

Reinforcing frames directly
beneath the antonov's wings.

Each frame can support
the weight of more

Than one million pounds.

That's more than double
the combined weight

Of the aircraft's wings,
engines, and full fuel tanks.

For extra strength
when carrying heavy cargo,

Engineers install another
117 secondary frames.

They encase this skeleton
with aluminum panels,

Machined with integrated
reinforcing ridges.

These panels spread the load
forces across the aircraft.

♪

At toulouse airport, oleksiy's
team finishes prepping the 124.

The monster plane is ready
to be loaded up

With its precious satellite.

What technology makes it
possible for this aircraft

To carry giant loads of cargo,

And what is the secret
that keeps this plane

Airborne for thousands of miles
without needing to refuel?

♪

Narrator: In toulouse, France,
the ground crew prepares

The antonov 124 cargo plane

To fly a $100 million satellite
nearly 4,500 miles

To kourou spaceport
in french guiana for launch.

At the satellite factory
in toulouse,

A team lifts
the 22,000-pound sealed box

Containing the precious cargo
onto the back of a low loader.

The convoy has just four hours
to deliver the box

To toulouse airport.

The pressure is on as the 124's
crew

Prepares the aircraft
for loading.

The ruslan's rear doors
swing open to load cargos

Up to 12 feet tall

And 21 feet wide
into the back of the plane.

But this satellite shipping box
is over 13 feet tall.

So, how will the antonov team
get this oversized box

Into the plane?

The answer is due
to its innovative technology.

The 124 has a second
huge loading door.

Three giant hinges connect
the nose section

To the top of
the plane's fuselage.

A pair of hydraulic rams
pushes the nose forward.

In less than 60 seconds,

The front of the antonov
completely opens up

To reveal a doorway
21 feet wide and 14 feet tall,

Just big enough to fit
the satellite box through.

The next step -- lowering
the antonov's onboard ramp.

The antonov's opening is
nine feet above the ground.

Deployed from this height,

The gradient of the 29-1/2-foot
onboard ramp is 20 degrees.

Pushing the 13-foot-tall
satellite box up this incline

Creates a challenge
for the crew.

The top of the box

Could hit the top
of the antonov's cargo bay.

If it clears the gap,
the 28-foot-long box

Will reach its tipping point.

And there's a risk
it could crash down

Onto the cargo bay floor,

Damaging the fragile
satellite inside.

Logistics manager yorann marc
must ensure

The delicate satellite
makes it to kourou in one piece.

The team can't risk damaging
the satellite during loading.

Any malfunction could affect
the rocket launch and land

The crew with a hefty bill.

At the satellite factory
near the toulouse airport,

Workers secure the oversized box
to the low loader.

Once loading is complete,
the ground team departs.

It will arrive at the airport
in just one hour.

The box must not slam into
the ceiling of the cargo bay

Or crash down
onto the floor during loading.

To prepare the antonov
for all types of mega-cargo,

Engineers equip this super-plane

With an innovation
to alleviate complications.

The hydraulic system
helps the antonov kneel down.

The motors power two
five-and-a-half-foot-long

High-tensile steel jackscrews

Attached to the front
landing gear.

When they twist, they rotate
the landing gear forwards,

Jacking down to the ground

Nearly 400,000 pounds
of aircraft.

The process lowers the antonov's
opening to stand

Just four feet above the ground

And reduces the ramp's angle
to just eight degrees.

This should stop the tall box
from hitting the cargo bay

Ceiling as the team loads it.

In toulouse, load master oleksiy
initiates the kneeling system.

Gas turbine auxiliary power
units pressurize the hydraulics.

The screws begin to turn,

The huge aircraft bows down,

And rests its nearly
400,000-pound empty weight

On study outrigger feet.

Oleksiy's team unfolds
the internal ramp.

Next, they add an extension ramp

To make the angle with the cargo
bay floor even shallower.

As night falls, the team
carrying the satellite

Arrives at the airport.

This 155,000-pound crane
lifts the sealed box

From the low loader
onto the ramp.

A winch fixed inside the 124

Slowly pulls the satellite
into the hold.

Now comes the moment of truth.

Will the box fit?

The clearance between the top
of the container

And the ceiling of the aircraft
is extremely small.

The box slips through the gap
with just inches to spare.

The crew loads the three smaller
boxes containing the equipment

Needed to prepare
the satellite for launch.

Next, they use super-strong
steel chains

To secure the cargo
to the 124's titanium floor.

The antonov is loaded up
and ready to go.

Ahead lies the antonov's
next challenge --

Flying nonstop across nearly
4,500 miles of open ocean.

What engineering secret
allows this super-heavy plane

To soar through the skies
without stopping to refuel,

And what technology keeps
the plane

Stable in the most
extreme weather conditions?

[ thunder rumbles ]

Narrator: 5:00 a.M. --
Toulouse airport, France.

Pilots prepare the super-sized
antonov 124 cargo plane

For takeoff.

In its hold -- a special
temperature-controlled box

Carrying a $100 million
satellite

Bound for kourou spaceport
in french guiana.

To get there, the 124 must fly
nearly 4,500 miles

Across the atlantic ocean.

Navigator
anatolii abdulhiev is in charge

Of keeping the aircraft
on course

Throughout the entire journey.

The antonov must carry enough
fuel to complete the trip

Without stopping to refuel,

Since there's nowhere
to fill up over the atlantic.

Building engines
both large enough

To thrust the antonov forward

And efficient enough
to fly long distances

Is a huge engineering challenge.

The antonov's four engines
produce more thrust

Than seven f-16 fighter jets.

They push the monster plane
through the sky

At 528 miles per hour.

But the more powerful the jet
engines,

The more fuel they consume.

A regular jet engine
burns fuel up to 3,632 degrees.

Exhaust gases propel
the aircraft forward

While rotating turbines
connected to compressors

At the front of the engine.

These force more air
into the combustion chamber,

Causing the fuel to burn
at a higher temperature.

This standard system makes
jet aircraft fast

And also very thirsty.

The 124 could run
out of fuel way

Before reaching french guiana,

If fitted with just regular
jet engines.

This aircraft's
propulsion system

Must be super-efficient to
stand

A chance of reaching kourou
on one tank of fuel.

It's here at the antonov's
maintenance hanger

Where engineers give
the planes regular check-ups

To ensure the 124's engines
are working at maximum capacity.

Chief engine mechanic pavlo
kirzhner oversees the operation.

Big overhauls strip away
the engine's outer casing

To reveal their secret
for maximum efficiency.

First, the antonov's designers

Attach a seven-foot-fan
to the front of each engine.

Each fan weighs
nearly 6,700 pounds.

Next, engineers wrap each engine
in a symmetrical ducting system.

The ducting encases half the
length of each 16-foot-long jet.

The antonov's designers then
install an extra turbine

At the back of the engine.

This turns a shaft
connected to the giant fan,

Made from 33 angled blades
of titanium.

The spinning fan pushes more air
into the engine's compressors.

It also blows air at high speed
through the ducting

And out the back of the engine.

This system doubles the engine's
thrust

Without increasing
its fuel consumption

To give the antonov's engines
more bang for their buck.

In toulouse, the ground crew
finished pumping 39,625 gallons

Of jet fuel into 13 compartments
inside the 124's wings.

It's time to go.

The four monster
turbo-fan engines fire up.

The massive aircraft taxis
to the runway.

The pilot accelerates
the antonov 162 miles per hour.

The giant plane
takes to the skies.

But up ahead, new challenges
await the 124 and its crew.

How does this super-plane
stay airborne

During life-threatening
turbulence,

And what secret technology
stops it

From skidding off the runway
when it lands?

Narrator:
Soaring 31,000 feet above
the atlantic ocean,

The antonov 124 mega-plane
carries a $100 million satellite

Bound for french guiana.

The spacecraft ships
in a special dust-proof,

Temperature-controlled box
to protect it from damage.

The box must be delivered to
project manager sophie lay

And sealed
inside this clean room

At the european space center
in kourou

Within five hours
to prepare it for launch.

Onboard the antonov,

Logistics manager
yorann marc checks the status

Of the box's air-conditioning
system every half hour.

The temperature must remain
within strict limits.

Changes in temperature
can damage

The satellite's
sensitive components.

The antonov is 310 miles
from french

Guiana's international airport
in cayenne.

This part of the plane's journey
is the most treacherous.

Here, close to the equator,
wet, warm air from the atlantic

Creates towering thunderclouds
and powerful storms.

Extreme winds buffeting
the antonov

Could shake the satellite box,
break its seal,

And let in damaging dust
and moisture.

Its critical this mega-plane

Maintains a smooth
and level flight

For the rest of
the journey to cayenne.

But in super-strong winds,
the 124's design can leave it

Vulnerable to a dangerous motion
called dutch roll.

♪

This can occur when a strong
wind gust tips and aircraft

To one side.

Wing drag then skews its yaw,

The angle at which it flies
forward through the air.

Pilots can reduce speed
to stop the roll

And maintain stable flight.

But the design of a super-huge
high-wing cargo aircraft

Intensifies the impact
of dutch roll.

It has a low center of mass
and a high lift point.

So, when wind tips the aircraft,
it swings back the other way.

The plane sways back and forth
like a pendulum.

In extreme circumstances,

The stresses on the aircraft
can become too much.

In the worst-case scenario,

Extreme winds blasting
the aircraft

Could shake
loose its heavy cargo.

An unsecured load inside
the antonov

Could have deadly consequences.

April, 2013.

This boeing 747 cargo plane
suddenly stalls and crashes

To the ground
shortly after takeoff.

All seven crew members
on board are killed.

The investigation revealed that
nearly 177,000 pounds of cargo

Inside the plane broke loose.

The aircraft's balance pivoted
backwards,

And the 747 fell from the sky.

The antonov's secret for beating
strong winds

Is linking its control surfaces

To an ingenious automatic
steering system.

A pair of sensors mounted in the
antonov's tail

Measures the aircraft's roll
and yaw.

The data is sent to the computer

Controlling the aircraft's
flight surfaces.

When wind rolls and twists
the plane,

The computer moves
the rudder and elevator

To counteract the motion

And maneuvers the aircraft
back to level flight.

This system works independently
of the pilot

And keeps the antonov stable

In the most challenging
weather conditions.

With the system engaged,

The 124 carves through
the powerful winds

Close to the equator.

The satellite is safe
and secure in the hold.

The antonov is now just
186 miles from cayenne airport,

But new challenges lie ahead.

What is the engineering secret
that brings this massive plane

To a full stop on the runway,

And what is the technology
that allows the crew

To unload cargo super-fast?

♪

Narrator: 125 miles
off the south american coast,

The antonov 124 mega-plane
prepares for landing

At cayenne airport,
french guiana.

Onboard -- nearly 100,000 pounds
of fragile satellite equipment

Bound for the european
space center in kourou.

At the airport,
project manager sophie lay

Waits for the plane's arrival.

Her team is gearing up to load
the satellite onto this truck

To transport it
to the space center

43 miles northwest
of the airport.

Nine thousand eight hundred
forty-two feet in the air,

The 124's pilots
lock in their approach.

The antonov must follow
a precise path

And speed to the runway.

Fifty-nine percent of all
aviation accidents

Happen during
the landing sequence.

The heavier the load
a plane carries,

The faster it must go
to stay in the air

And the faster its speed
at touchdown.

The 124 must maintain a steady
174 miles per hour

To reach the runway.

That's 31 miles per hour faster
than the average passenger jet.

Stopping a super-sized aircraft
travelling at this speed

On the runway
is a big engineering challenge.

♪

On the brakes
of a traditional aircraft,

Calipers grip a solid steel disc
on the vehicle's wheel axle.

When the calipers engage,

The friction turns
the axle's kinetic

Or movement energy into heat.

The system is perfect
for stopping light

And slow-moving vehicles.

The nearly 728,000-pound antonov
touches down

With a kinetic energy
of over 230 formula 1 cars

Travelling at full speed.

Turning this amount of energy
into heat

Could soften the steel
brake discs by so much

That they won't be able
to stop the antonov

From hurtling off the runway.

The dense jungle surrounding
cayenne's two-mile-long

Landing strip
adds to the pressure.

Overrunning the runway
could end in disaster.

2012 -- moscow.

Car dash cam footage captures
the moment

A tupolev tu-204 aircraft
overshoots the runway

And slams into a road
at 118 miles per hour.

Five crew members aboard
the plane lose their lives.

Investigators conclude the jet's
brakes failed during landing.

To prevent an accident
like this,

Designers build
in a super-heat-resistant

Braking system to bring
this mega-plane to a stop.

♪

Here, at antonov's
maintenance hanger,

A critical inspection
of this aircraft's landing gear

Reveals the machine's secret
for shedding heat.

Chief mechanic petro danylov
leads the maintenance team.

The 124 has 20 51-inch wheels
at the rear.

Each 350-pound wheel is attached
to a four-foot-long axle.

Each axle has five brake discs.

Vents on the wheel hub
channel air onto the discs.

♪

The antonov's designers
build in a special material

To cool the brakes even more.

They swap conventional
steel brakes for carbon discs.

Carbon absorbs far more
heat energy than steel,

So the material
won't melt when braking.

They stack five discs
onto each of the axles

Holding the antonov's
20 rear wheels.

[ tires screech ]

Spreading the heat energy
produced by friction

Over more discs

Makes the system
even more resilient.

The brakes pulse on and off
to prevent tires

From locking up
and skidding on wet runways,

Bringing the plane
to a full stop.

♪

At cayenne airport, the mighty
cargo plane comes into view.

Its time for the antonov's
brakes to do their job.

♪

[ tires squeal ]

The plane's 20 51-inch rear
wheels touch down on the runway.

The brakes heat up
to 1,022 degrees

As their steel calipers grip
carbon discs to slow the plane.

♪

The giant 124 decelerates

And taxis towards the terminal.

Now comes the antonov's
final challenge --

Unload the satellite
onto the waiting convoy

As fast as possible.

What special technology
allows this plane

To shift bulky cargo quickly,

And will the antonov's
precious delivery

Make it to the space center
in one piece?

Narrator: At cayenne airport
in french guiana,

The antonov 124's crew prepares
to unload the mega-plane's

Precious satellite cargo
onto waiting vehicles.

The satellite must reach this
clean room

At the european spaceport
37 miles away in kourou.

The operation must run like
clockwork to get the satellite

To the clean room
within the next three hours.

First, load master
oleksiy pervishko

And his team must unload
the lighter boxes

Carrying the satellite's
support equipment

Through the plane's rear doors.

Using a forklift to shuttle
the boxes

Individually from the cargo

Hold to the convoy
will take too much time.

The antonov needs a way

To unload directly
onto the waiting trucks.

An engineer's designed
this heavy hauler

With a special piece
of technology

To allow
for super-fast offloading.

At the end of the antonov hanger
in kiev,

Maintenance checks reveal
this aircraft's secret.

A pair of overhead gantry cranes
travel

Along 154-foot
ceiling-mounted rails

That run the full length
of the cargo bay.

Each crane is equipped with two
15-horsepower electric winches.

Working together,
the four winches can lift up

To 66,138 pounds.

At cayenne airport,
the first convoy truck

Reverses into position
beneath antonov's tail.

The crane extends to the tail
section as the rear doors open.

The winch cables extend
over 20 feet to the ground.

This allows the plane to unload
from the cargo bay

Straight onto the back
of a truck.

The first challenge
for oleksiy's team

Is to lower the support
equipment boxes one by one.

♪

♪

Moving the support equipment
takes one hour.

The next challenge --
unloading the satellite box.

♪

The plane once again flips
up its nose

And kneels on the ground.

Oleksiy deploys the antonov's
built-in ramp.

His team constructs
the ramp extension.

Another three-kilowatt winch
holds the box's weight

As the crew
guides it down to the ramp.

A 65-foot-tall crane
lifts the precious delivery

Onto the back of a low loader.

Mission accomplished.

The satellite convoy
hits the road

♪

And arrives at the european
spaceport right on schedule.

Over the next four weeks,
scientists test

And refuel the satellite

Before loading it onto a
164-foot-tall ariane 5 rocket.

[ speaking foreign ]

Six weeks after delivery,
the satellite blasts into space.

It will fly and map the earth
from 656,000 feet

Above the surface
for the next 20 years.

The antonov 124 ruslan is bigger
and carries heavier cargo

Than any other fleet
of transport plane in the world.

Built into its mighty frame are
a series of ingenious inventions

That make it the pinnacle
of mega-life plane design.

Super-strong
and light components

Keep the fuselage rock-solid.

Giant jackscrews kneel the plane

To carry
enormous loads of cargo.

Thrust-boosting turbo-fan
engines

Push the plane through the sky
with maximum efficiency.

Gyroscopes
and super-pressurized hydraulics

Keep the aircraft steady
in the strongest winds.

And carbon disc brakes
bring this monster plane

To a complete stop.

This giant aircraft carries
the biggest, bulkiest air

Freight further
than almost all its rivals.

The antonov 124 ruslan
is built to be the ultimate.