World's Top 5 S01E01
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CreativityTranscript
00:00Every day, an incredible 30,000 planes take to the skies around the world, transporting
00:09over 2 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo to every corner of the globe.
00:20Planes are extraordinary, gravity-defying feats of engineering.
00:25But what makes the very top world beater?
00:29We put these mechanical marvels under the spotlight.
00:36Which plane can travel fastest?
00:39I need to really sort of prepare myself now for what really I suppose you could say is
00:42a bit of the ride of your life.
00:44Can fly the highest?
00:46Every time you take off and land, it's a three-storied building that takes off and land.
00:51Which plane has the greatest wingspan or carrying capacity?
00:57You have to understand, I'm not a fighter, I just have to fly with care.
01:04In our search for the ultimate giants of engineering genius, we go on a global search, testing,
01:10analysing, rating, to establish the best of the best.
01:15The world's ultimate superplane.
01:21From among the world's most incredible aircraft.
01:24There are 273,870 different planes in the world.
01:29How are we going to choose the best one?
01:32We've shortlisted five superplanes for scrutiny.
01:37The Antonov 225, Ukraine's monster mover.
01:43The Airbus A380, Europe's Boeing-beating double-decker.
01:49The Global Hawk, America's high-altitude spy plane.
01:54The Eurofighter Typhoon, the world's most advanced jet fighter.
01:59And the Lockheed C5 Galaxy, the workhorse of the US military.
02:05Five outstanding superplanes that have pushed the boundaries of aviation to the limit.
02:11Judging their performance across five key tests, for the first time we reveal the world's
02:17ultimate top plane.
02:19So this really is 21st century aviation technology.
02:25It's time to kick the tyres and light the fires on our five superplanes and push their
02:30throttles to full power as we find out which is the fastest.
02:36Practically dawdling into fifth position, America's leisurely eye in the sky, the Global
02:41Hawk spy plane.
02:43With a top speed of just 800 kilometres per hour, this state-of-the-art drone uses its
02:49limited pace to an advantage as it sweeps up intelligence from high above the earth.
02:55These spy drone planes are so advanced they can cover over 137,000 square kilometres.
03:01That's more than the area of England in a single mission.
03:07Chugging into fourth position, it's Ukraine's heavy hauler, the Antonov 225.
03:14Built to carry a space shuttle on its back, it's claimed over 100 world records, but none
03:19for speed.
03:21At full throttle, the 225 tops out at an almost sedate in aviation terms, 850 kilometres per
03:27hour.
03:28I find it amazing that the space race inspired the generation of such amazing aircraft.
03:36If something like that was to be built today, it would cost $300 million.
03:42Cruising into third, it's the Lockheed Super Galaxy C5M.
03:48Designed to transport the US military and all its hardware, this all-American giant
03:54leaves the Antonov buffeting in its slipstream with a top speed of 871 kilometres per hour.
04:02It's the mainstay of the US military and it's been used in every operation since 1970,
04:07from Vietnam to Afghanistan.
04:09Accelerating into second place, the king of commercial air travel, the Airbus A380.
04:16With a top speed of 1,078 kilometres per hour, this giant of disguise is in a class of its
04:23own.
04:25Despite its enormous size, the Airbus A380 is a fast aircraft.
04:32Blasting over the finishing line and off into the distance, leaving a sonic boom in its
04:36wake, the Eurofighter Typhoon.
04:43With a window-shattering, blink-and-you'll-miss-it top speed of over Mach 2, this state-of-the-art
04:50jet fighter leaves the competition standing.
04:57The plane's speed comes from two EJ200 afterburner engines.
05:01Now, the afterburners squirt fuel into the exhaust gases, it burns, it increases the
05:06pressure and you get 50% more thrust.
05:12Time to take a ride in the world's most manoeuvrable jet fighter.
05:21Lancashire, England, UK home of the Eurofighter Typhoon.
05:28The most manoeuvrable jet fighter ever built.
05:33Twenty of these state-of-the-art aircraft are produced here each year and it's the job
05:38of one man to test them to the limit.
05:41This is Mark Bowman, former RAF fighter pilot and chief test pilot on the Eurofighter Typhoon.
05:49The only time you can really establish whether the aircraft is doing what it's designed to
05:53do is actually to put it up there and take it through its paces.
06:02Part of our job really is not to find the benefits of the aircraft, it's actually to
06:05go and find the problems because those are the bits that ultimately are going to bite
06:09the operator.
06:10You need to see that the aircraft works correctly and also identify quickly where it doesn't.
06:19Mark will be testing a new jet created from over 60,000 components, which together form
06:25the world's most advanced multi-role combat aircraft.
06:30Loaded with cutting-edge technology, its small, front-mounted wings, known as canards or foreplanes,
06:36are pivotal to its outstanding manoeuvrability.
06:40Controlled entirely by fly-by-wire computers, they can rotate through more than 60 degrees.
06:46In flight, they move up to 50 times every second, stabilising the airflow over the wing
06:52and lowering the levels of drag at supersonic speeds.
06:56Keeping them attached to the aircraft requires a highly specialised component with incredible
07:02strength.
07:03The foreplane spigot is the main interface between the side of the fuselage and the actual
07:09foreplane on the Typhoon, and these are the foreplanes at the front of the aircraft that
07:13move up and down.
07:15Whilst in flight, this particular spigot and the rest of the foreplane has to stand
07:20the stress of two elephants on it while flying.
07:23Typhoon foreplane spigot has to be made exactly to the drawing, because this is so important
07:30to the aircraft.
07:31Without the foreplanes, the Typhoon would not fly at all, and it's critical that all
07:35the tolerances are maintained throughout the process.
07:40And it's not just the spigot that comes under huge amounts of stress.
07:44The foreplanes are designed to not only withstand the extreme forces of supersonic flight, but
07:49also be incredibly light.
07:51These components get the biggest forces applied to them on the aircraft, so we've got to make
07:55sure that the process that we've applied gives them the best results from a flying point
07:59of view.
08:01The material of choice is titanium, four sheets of it, bonded together under intense heat
08:07and pressure.
08:10By using the silk screen print facility in the bonding process, what we do is we allow
08:14two outer skins and then an internal structure that gives it that component, that strength
08:19that's required for flight.
08:23Once the components have been screen printed, they're taken into a hydraulic press to be
08:28fused together.
08:31They're heated to an excess of 900 degrees centigrade and subjected to up to 1,500 tonnes
08:36of force for over five hours before the titanium diffusion bonding process is complete.
08:44The end result, a super strong foreplane with a hollow core providing the lightness required
08:49and the strength demanded.
08:53The way we do it actually means that there is actually a joint between the two sheets
08:56of material.
08:57That's what gives the foreplane the strength and the agility for when it's flying and that's
09:03what makes this part of the process so critical.
09:07If we get this wrong and these components have an issue in flight, basically that aircraft
09:12could come down.
09:14Thirty-three months after the start of construction and the Typhoon's components are brought together
09:19here at Wharton Aerodrome.
09:22This is the Typhoon final assembly hangar.
09:25Crammed with state-of-the-art technology, it's where the aircraft's highly intricate
09:29components come together.
09:32We currently have a production scheduled demand of 24 aircraft through the final assembly
09:37business.
09:38We deliver aircraft out of this building at a rate of every two weeks to our flight team
09:44in four hangars.
09:49I'm just looking to get airborne and out to the supersonic corridor.
09:52I'll just confirm they're clear up to Mach 2.
09:55They are, thank you very much.
09:58After a rigorous series of ground checks, the completed Typhoon is ready for Chief Test
10:03Pilot Mark Bowman to put it through its paces.
10:07Clouds, base is good today and therefore we're looking at flying out over the Irish Sea area
10:12up to Mach 2 and some carefree handling, which should just about stress the aircraft to the
10:18full.
10:19Clearly, flying an aircraft like this really is exhilarating, so I need to really prepare
10:24myself now for what really I suppose you could say is a bit of the ride of your life.
10:31Today's exercise will see Mark push the Eurofighter's handling and performance to the limit.
10:37His every input will be monitored by a team of flight test engineers for instant analysis.
10:43It's mostly up to about 60, 70 degrees there, about 400 knots, popping out of the way of
10:48the cloud top.
10:50Mark's first objective is to test the aircraft's handling, a series of manoeuvres including
10:55loops and rolls in which he'll experience forces of up to 9G.
11:01He then climbs to 43,000 feet, testing the aircraft's acceleration to the max.
11:07We're happy with that.
11:09That's very impressive.
11:12Flight test, success.
11:14Since its launch in 1994, the Typhoon has become the world's most advanced jet fighter,
11:20setting new standards in aerial combat.
11:24Two decades on, and the Typhoon is today the mainstay for six air forces, from Britain
11:29to Saudi Arabia.
11:32For the 100,000 personnel involved in the Eurofighter project, the Typhoon is more than
11:37a world-class aircraft.
11:40This aircraft has gone through its infancy, it's now in its adolescence, and I've been
11:43absolutely fortunate to be part of that design process, but let's take nothing away from
11:48where we're going to go in the future.
11:53As an apprentice, I was helping to develop those front canard wings, and now to see it
11:58shooting up in the air, I mean, that's just so exciting.
12:06Coming up, how will our five superplanes measure up when it comes to wingspan?
12:20Five superplanes, but which is the world's best?
12:24Pitting five aeronautical masterpieces against each other in five key categories will reveal
12:31the ultimate winner.
12:33The Eurofighter Typhoon is currently leading the pack.
12:39But how will this speed machine cope in our next category?
12:44Wingspan.
12:46Which of our five superplanes has the greatest?
12:49The superplane this time chasing its tail in fifth position is the Eurofighter Typhoon.
12:58With a wingspan of just 10.95 metres, the Eurofighter misses out on a prize here.
13:07But having small wings is key to this aircraft's incredible agility, and helps it avoid detection
13:15on enemy radar.
13:18The only word I can think of to describe this machine is awesome.
13:24Sliding into fourth place is America's Global Hawk spy plane, with a wingspan almost four
13:30times longer than the Eurofighter.
13:34What I find beautiful about these machines is once you've got this plane up to altitude,
13:39it just soars up there like a kite.
13:44In at third again, and hoping consistency is key to its success, the C5M Super Galaxy.
13:52Currently one of the largest and heaviest planes in the world, it remains one of the
13:56greatest gravity-defying machines ever built.
14:00When you see one take off, you think, no, what are you doing?
14:02That's never going to get airborne.
14:04Oh, but it does.
14:06Cruising in at number two, the Airbus A380, the world's largest jet airliner.
14:13With a wingspan of 79.75 metres, this airborne hotel simply dwarfs anything that comes near
14:21it.
14:22I remember as a kid when I first saw the jumbo jet, and now as an adult seeing the A380,
14:27which is even bigger, how this thing flies is just incredible.
14:34But the steel bird flying into the number one position and completely overshadowing
14:39the competition is Ukraine's Antonov 225.
14:45With an incredible 88.4 metre wingspan, the 225's astonishing size has remained unrivaled
14:52for over three decades.
14:54If you compare it to the first plane, so what the Wright brothers were flying, it would
14:58have taken three of their original flights just to go from one tip of the wingspan to
15:03the other.
15:04Let's take a closer look at the plane that rewrote the rule books, the Antonov 225.
15:15A cold morning in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.
15:20It's 7am, and the biggest plane in the world is being prepared for a top secret mission.
15:33In command, Captain Anatoly Moiseev, a pilot who's developed something of a soft spot for
15:40this aeronautical giant.
15:42When I see this beautiful bird, first time in a day, I say to her, good morning, how
15:51are you?
15:52I love you.
15:53I listen in my head that she says the same, I love you too.
16:02This is the world's only flying Antonov 225.
16:08Built in the Ukraine in the 1980s, she was designed to carry the Buran, the Soviet version
16:13of the Space Shuttle.
16:16But the shelving of the Soviet space programme almost spelt disaster for the 225.
16:24Until a $20 million cash injection from Antonov Airlines saved her from the scrap heap and
16:29saw the world's biggest plane return to the skies.
16:36Today, the An-225 is the monster mover of choice, transporting giant loads from tanks
16:46to turbines around the globe.
16:49To meet demand, she's kept on permanent standby, ready to be dispatched anywhere in the world
16:55with just 24 hours notice.
16:58Inside, her vast cargo hold is accessed by an ingenious system of powerful hydraulics.
17:06Loaded from the front, the aircraft's nose lifts through 90 degrees.
17:11This allows a ramp to deploy, while the entire front section of the aircraft lowers itself
17:16onto the ground.
17:17The wheels should go up and nose down, and usually it looks like a dance of elephant.
17:26When it comes to moving the impossible, the An-225 has been the undisputed world leader
17:32for the past 30 years.
17:35But in the cockpit, she's starting to show her age.
17:38Very simple and very light for control this aircraft.
17:41We have seen this for change power of our engine.
17:46This is a control for flaps.
17:49This is a control for elevator.
17:52This is a rudder.
17:53You know, it's very simple.
17:54It's very simple.
17:57Getting this hulk of a machine into the air requires a wingspan of epic proportions to
18:02generate the required lift, as well as a monstrous amount of thrust.
18:07The power plants of choice, six massive turbo fan jets, each one capable of producing the
18:12same power as 85 Formula One cars.
18:17But fully loaded, she still needs three and a half kilometers of runway to get airborne,
18:23and burns 27 tons of fuel in the process.
18:28But once in the air, this 650-ton beast becomes a very different animal.
18:35I have to understand that I'm not a fighter.
18:38I just have to fly with care.
18:41If I will control with not soft and like this, it will be very difficult for aircraft and
18:48for cargo and for people who, on the ground, because maybe trouble for.
18:56To prevent its vast weight from damaging runways on takeoff and landing, the Antonov has 32
19:03wheels to distribute its incredible mass.
19:06Steered by its heavy-duty nose gear, the central undercarriage consists of 28 wheels, arranged
19:13in two 14-wheel couplings, or bogies.
19:17Of these, four pairs on each side can turn, allowing the world's largest aircraft to perform
19:23a 180-degree turn in a radius of just 60 meters.
19:29With the system checks complete, the An-225 and her crew is ready to take to the skies
19:35on its top-secret mission.
19:37I'm very happy when I flew on this aircraft, because she is very beautiful.
19:43I love her like my family, you know.
19:52Antonov 225 is just biggest.
19:56It has biggest landing gear, biggest wings, biggest wingspan.
20:01It's just biggest in the world.
20:05Coming up, power.
20:08We find out which of our superplanes delivers the biggest punch.
20:14Five world-beating superplanes assessed on their key attributes.
20:20The two-storey Airbus A380.
20:24America's Global Hawk spy plane.
20:27The state-of-the-art Eurofighter Typhoon.
20:31Ukraine's record-setting Antonov 225.
20:35The US military's heavy lifter, the C-5M Super Gagant.
20:40Each are put to the test and rated in five key categories.
20:44We've already revealed the superplane with the longest wingspan and the highest top speed.
20:50So far, the Airbus A380 is in the lead overall.
20:54Next, it's time to find out which of our gravity-defying contenders can fly the highest
21:00as we enter the vertigo-inducing arena of altitude.
21:04Barely breaking through the cloud base in fifth position
21:08is our Ukrainian heavyweight, the Antonov 225.
21:13It's a miracle this giant can fly at all,
21:16so the fact that it can climb to over 11,000 metres is nothing short of remarkable.
21:22The Antonov has six massive engines and they need so much oxygen
21:26that they need to be able to fly at all altitudes.
21:30The Antonov has six massive engines and they need so much oxygen
21:34that above 36,000 feet, the air is too thin for it to be able to burn its fuel.
21:41Steadily rising into fourth position, with not a drop of champagne spilt,
21:46is our luxury double-decker, the Airbus A380.
21:50With its vast wingspan, the super-jumbo produces enough lift
21:55to fly in the thin air of high altitude, where less resistance means maximum efficiency.
22:01Any plane that's got beds and showers on board, it's got to be a winner.
22:07Climbing into third place, with a maximum altitude of 13,259 metres,
22:14is America's gargantuan C5M.
22:18With air-to-air refuelling capabilities,
22:20this beast can stay airborne for as long as its crew can stay awake.
22:25The C5, as far as I'm concerned, defies the laws of physics.
22:31Rocketing into second position, it's the delta-winged Eurofighter Typhoon.
22:36Pushing the boundaries of aerial combat, it tops out at an impressive 16,764 metres,
22:44with the potential to go even higher.
22:47It's agile, it's nimble in the air, and all the engineering is designed purely so it's totally manoeuvrable.
22:54What's not to love about it?
22:56But in pole position, the remote-controlled super-spy plane
23:01that flies twice as high as commercial air traffic.
23:05Claiming its first category win, with the ability to soar at 18,288 metres,
23:11minimising exposure to surface-to-air missiles,
23:14it's America's state-of-the-art drone, the Global Hawk.
23:18It was designed to stay in the air for a very long time and on very high altitudes.
23:24That's why it has very long wings, which produce maximum lift.
23:28Time to head skywards with the world's most expensive radio-controlled plane.
23:35The $200 million American-built Global Hawk is the ultimate intelligence-finding machine.
23:42It's the most sophisticated aircraft of its type in existence.
23:47But at the Manching military airbase in South Germany,
23:51a team of engineers are taking its capabilities even further.
23:56Introducing the Eurohawk, the latest derivative of the Global Hawk.
24:03Captain Westermann is one of an elite group of pilots
24:07hand-picked to fly Germany's latest military hardware.
24:12But his new cockpit is a world away from the fighter jets he's used to.
24:18I have control via this computer, my keyboard and the mouse.
24:23I do not have a stick, I do not have pedals, I don't have a throttle
24:27like I used to have in a manned airplane.
24:30So all the controls that I have are right here in front of me.
24:35In hangar 213, engineers from both sides of the Atlantic
24:40are counting down to the Eurohawk going live.
24:43They have less than 100 days to complete construction.
24:47Working round the clock, they're transforming the world's most sophisticated airborne eye
24:52into an airborne ear.
24:55As they create the ultimate eavesdropper.
24:58Former test pilot Rudiger Knopfel is responsible for the Eurohawk project.
25:03We are not looking for imagery reconnaissance, which is the Global Hawk designed for.
25:08We are just looking for the SIGINT intelligence, which means signals intelligence.
25:13And to listen you need a lot of ears.
25:16And that's why we had to do a lot of modifications beneath the wing.
25:20Today, the Eurohawk engineers are securing the latest piece of top secret
25:25data collecting equipment to the aircraft's long, glider-like wings.
25:30It's a precise job and there's no margin for error.
25:34The slightest damage to the plane's composite structure will render it unflyable.
25:39So all power tools have been shelled.
25:42Equipment installed, it's time for another high altitude flight test.
25:47For Captain Westermann, this means remotely navigating this $200 million aircraft
25:53through some pretty busy skies.
25:55We're flying next to Lufthansa US Airways, probably above them,
26:00but we're going to penetrate their airspace on the way up to our aircraft.
26:04So I'm in constant radio control with the air traffic controller.
26:10Once free of commercial air traffic,
26:14Once free of commercial air traffic, the Eurohawk climbs to an incredible 18,288 metres.
26:22From here, it conducts its aerial surveillance,
26:26transmitting crucial data to key locations across the world.
26:30For mission control, the pilot's commands are beamed to a communications satellite orbiting the Earth.
26:37The commands are then relayed to the Eurohawk,
26:40a process that takes less than one hundredth of a second.
26:44And all the time, the remote-controlled drone is relaying data back to Earth for almost instant analysis.
26:52Once the new face of German reconnaissance is mission ready,
26:56all eyes will be on the Eurohawk as it's put to the test in the skies high above Germany.
27:02The Eurohawk isn't just about spying.
27:04It's about whenever you want to go somewhere too dangerous for a pilot.
27:07And that's why NASA are using the original American version to do things like fly into hurricanes and track huge wildfires.
27:17So the state-of-the-art drone claims its first victory as the highest flying of our five superplanes.
27:25But how much of a punch will each contender deliver in the next category?
27:30It's time to measure their thrust-to-weight ratio.
27:33Just how much can they lift with the power from their engines alone?
27:36A Boeing 747-400 has a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.27, a ratio of one or above, and we're in rocket territory.
27:49In fifth position, despite being the world's most powerful plane, it's the Antonov 225.
27:56Even with 72,000 horsepower at its disposal, this beast's humongous weight means its thrust-to-weight ratio is hammered down to just 0.234.
28:07In Polish we have a phrase for such a plane, ogromny. It means just enormously big.
28:15In at four, the US military's dependable heavy hauler, the C-5M Super Galaxy.
28:22Not even 890 kilonewtons of thrust can make up for this brute's colossal weight.
28:28With a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.24, it requires 1,400 litres of fuel just to take off.
28:39Taking the bottom step of the podium in third place is America's state-of-the-art spy plane, the Global Hawk.
28:46With a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.26, its lightweight engine was chosen for efficiency, allowing the drone to stay airborne for up to 36 hours at a time.
28:58Launching itself into second position is the colossal Airbus A380.
29:04Weighing in as the world's heaviest passenger plane, it requires Herculean amounts of thrust to get airborne.
29:11Its four massive engines provide the power of more than 3,500 family cars, giving this jumbo-beater a highly respectable thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.264.
29:25What I find incredible is that the A380 actually takes less runway to take off compared to conventional jumbos.
29:33But blasting into the number one position, the world's most advanced combat aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon.
29:42With an incredible thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.7, enabling outstanding manoeuvrability and sustained vertical acceleration.
29:51The Eurofighter provides enough thrust to lift almost twice its own weight. That makes it almost a rocket.
29:58So the jet fighter, perhaps not surprisingly, wins, thanks to the incredible thrust at its disposal.
30:06But what's more surprising is the aeronautical giant that powered itself into second position.
30:12So let's take a closer look at the superplane that's setting new standards in commercial air travel.
30:19Changi Airport, home to Singapore Airlines.
30:27The first operator of the giant A380.
30:32This monster of aeronautical engineering is not only the biggest passenger jet in the world, it's also the most advanced.
30:40Its flight deck is crammed with the latest cutting-edge equipment, so before it can take off, it has to be fully equipped.
30:48Before taking it skywards, pilots must undergo hours of intensive simulator training.
30:55Captain Gerard Peacock flew the world's first commercial A380 flight after 19 hours in the simulator.
31:03Handling-wise, I think the A380, despite its size, is extremely versatile in flight.
31:08It has a side stick for flight controls, and for me, this is the first time I'm flying a side stick.
31:14On my previous aeroplanes, I used to use a yoke, the control column.
31:22The A380 uses state-of-the-art computerised fly-by-wire technology.
31:29One small joystick relays the pilot's every input to a flight control computer, which then executes the command.
31:37The system is so advanced, it can detect human error and override the pilot.
31:43If you try and go outside the envelope of flight, if you feel like you want to pull the aeroplane nose up too high or turn into very steep banks, the system doesn't allow you to do so.
31:58The plane has taken French aviation company Airbus over a decade to develop, at a cost of more than $15 billion.
32:07Their goal was simple, to design a plane that could carry more passengers than ever before.
32:14And that's exactly what they achieved.
32:17The first time I fly on the A380, the first time I see the aircraft, awesome.
32:23The seats are bigger, the space is bigger, even the cabin crew seat is a bit bigger.
32:30But this beast's groundbreaking size was a problem.
32:34With two full-length decks and space for 853 passengers, the weight of the A380 meant it would struggle to take off.
32:44Fully loaded, this 560-tonne super-jumbo is the heaviest passenger plane in the world.
32:52To haul such an immense weight into the sky, the A380 features a vast wingspan of 845 square metres that produces some serious lift.
33:03The wingspan, combined with four massive Rolls-Royce Trent 900 turbofan engines providing up to 320,000 pounds of thrust,
33:13is what gets this giant bird airborne and allows it to reach a top speed of over 1,000 kilometres per hour.
33:22It's a very, very nice aeroplane to handle.
33:24The first time I flew an A380, I was pleasantly surprised.
33:28It was so versatile, something I did not expect.
33:31And the landings were extremely easy, I thought, mainly because there's so much ground effect from the huge, massive wing that the A380 has.
33:45Since the launch of the super-jumbo in 2007, over 22 million passengers have flown in an Airbus A380.
33:53And airports all over the world have had to rethink their capabilities to cope with its vast size.
34:02It's okay manufacturing the world's largest passenger aeroplane, but where are you going to park it?
34:10Coming up, carrying capacity.
34:12Which of our superplanes can lift the most weight?
34:16And decision time.
34:17Which of our shortlist is the ultimate world's top superplane?
34:23Coming up.
34:30Five superplanes, but which is the world's best of the best?
34:35Rated in five key categories, which will be revealed as the ultimate winner?
34:41With the enormous Airbus A380 and the agile Eurofighter Typhoon fighting for the top spot, will our final category prove decisive for one of these superplanes?
34:54Carrying capacity.
34:58Just how much weight can our superplanes lift?
35:04Limping into fifth position with a maximum payload of just 1.3 tonnes, it's the Global Hawk.
35:12America's state-of-the-art spy plane that's so full of technology, there's no room for a pilot.
35:19Trailing uncharacteristically in fourth place, it's the pocket rocket that is the Eurofighter Typhoon.
35:27The Eurofighter might only be able to carry 12,500 kilos, but that's still 53% of its weight on takeoff.
35:34That's enough kit to take out six enemy aircraft.
35:38My God, that's amazing, right?
35:40In at third, the colossal Airbus A380, with its ability to lift an impressive payload of 84 tonnes.
35:48And so near, but yet so far, narrowly failing to come first in the final category.
35:54With a maximum payload of 129 tonnes, it's the all-American C5M Super Galaxy in second.
36:02It holds the record for the biggest airdrop of all time.
36:05It holds the record for the biggest airdrop of all time.
36:08It dropped out of its barn doors 86 tonnes worth of payload.
36:15But at the top of the podium, with its world-beating 250-tonne capacity, it's Ukraine's Antonov 225.
36:24The Antonov holds the record for the heaviest item ever airlifted, a gas power plant generator.
36:30So the Antonov steals a second victory from under the colossal lifting nose of the C5M,
36:36the superplane of choice for the US military.
36:39C5 is not a winner in any category, but US military simply could not operate without it.
36:46Let's examine why.
36:49Dover Air Force Base on America's east coast.
36:53Home to 18 massive Lockheed C5s, including eight of the all-new and improved C5M Super Galaxy.
37:03These heavy-duty haulers have been the backbone of the US military for over four decades.
37:10They remain so crucial, the military demands its fleet must be kept 75% mission-ready at all times.
37:19To ensure efficiency, the loading teams are regularly put through their paces.
37:24Today, their challenge is to load and secure three 12-tonne military forklifts before nightfall.
37:30That gives them less than half an hour.
37:32Overseeing the exercise is Air Freight Loader Supervisor Tommy Rose, Jr., a retired US Army reservist.
37:39He takes any failures personally.
37:43If anybody sees anything unsafe, just yell stop, hand signal, whatever.
37:48We'll assess the situation and then we'll press on from there.
37:51You guys got it?
37:52Got it.
37:53All right.
37:54Let's get started.
37:55The enormous C5M has the ability to carry an incredible 129 tonnes of cargo.
38:04Clamshell doors to the rear and a hydraulically lifting nose allow simultaneous loading from the front and back.
38:12But for the plane's ramp to be used safely, it's got to be a bit of a challenge.
38:17Hydraulically lifting nose allows simultaneous loading from the front and back.
38:23But for the plane's ramp to be used safely, it's got to be a bit of a challenge.
38:29When I'm checking this portion of the aircraft out, I'm making sure that all eight pads are contacting the ground.
38:35If the eight pads on the ramp are not contacting the ground, we cannot load this aircraft.
38:41It has to be contacted so we don't break anything as we drive some vehicles up.
38:45Tommy's checks have revealed a problem with the ramp.
38:48Until it can be correctly positioned, this cargo is going nowhere.
38:54Hey, this aircraft is not ready.
38:56The jacks or whatever are not seated down all the way.
38:58One of them, all three of them are good.
39:00One of them is sitting up that high.
39:03As Tommy delegates the redeployment of the ramp, inside the loading crew are adjusting the floor for the arrival of their cargo.
39:11An ingenious rolling conveyor belt system allows them to fill the aircraft with palletised cargo in just 90 minutes.
39:20But when transporting heavy metal, the conveyor belts are flipped, leaving a completely flat surface.
39:28Outside, the loading crew have managed to level the aircraft ramp, and the loading of the military vehicles can finally begin.
39:41Unlike most cargo planes, the entire aircraft is fully pressurised, allowing it to transport 600 troops in the hold alone.
39:51On the flight deck above, there's room for a further 75 troops, plus the six all-important flight crew.
39:59Captain Samuel McAnally has over 2,000 flying hours under his belt, and is aircraft commander on the C5M.
40:07Whenever I step up into the cockpit and get in here, it's like my office, essentially.
40:12It's like, hey, I'm going to work, this is what I do every day.
40:14So, and whenever I come up here, it's like, this feels right, this is home.
40:18I've trained and prepared for this, and it's a lot of fun.
40:22It's definitely awe-inspiring. Whenever you step up to the C5M, you're like, wow, it is so big.
40:27It's essentially, every time you take it off and land, it's a three-storey building that takes off and lands.
40:32The flight deck of the C5 is equipped with a high-tech navigational system,
40:36combining a state-of-the-art global positioning system with a failsafe INU, or inertial navigation unit.
40:44GPS relies on a constant satellite connection to maintain accuracy,
40:49while the INU uses motion and rotation sensors on the plane to calculate the aircraft's speed.
40:56GPS relies on a constant satellite connection to maintain accuracy,
41:01while the INU uses motion and rotation sensors on the plane to calculate the aircraft's position,
41:07orientation and velocity from an initial fix.
41:11This means the INU is completely independent from external aids,
41:15making it a reliable backup should the GPS fail.
41:20Back in the hold, the load team are reaching the completion of their challenge.
41:25A couple of you stay here, and we'll go ahead and start the next one.
41:29Despite the earlier setback, they're securing the final vehicle into position,
41:34with just minutes to spare as darkness descends.
41:38This may only have been an exercise, but any time in the next 24 hours,
41:43the team could get the core to load up for real,
41:46and the C5M will be dispatched on an international mission anywhere in the world.
41:54The C5 is one plane that I want to witness take off,
41:57because I struggle anyway watching planes take off, thinking,
42:00how the hell are you going to get in the air?
42:04Five incredible planes.
42:07Five miracles of aeronautic engineering.
42:11Each of them outstanding in their own right.
42:15Which is the overall best of the best?
42:18In identifying the single plane which dominates the pack,
42:22all-round performance is the key.
42:25So we've totaled the rankings for speed, altitude, wingspan,
42:29carrying capacity, and thrust-to-weight ratio.
42:33And here is the final result.
42:38In fifth place, it's the all-seeing eye in the sky, the Global Hawk spy plane.
42:45At four, the Ukrainian monster that owes its existence to the space race, the AN-225.
42:55Cruising in at three, the plane the US military depend on,
42:59the loyal, hard-working, and incredibly capable C5M Super Galaxy.
43:07In second, tying in points with the Eurofighter,
43:10but with just one category win, it's the Airbus A380.
43:14The largest commercial aircraft in the world, setting new standards in comfort and speed.
43:24But the world's number one superplane,
43:27excelling in everything it was designed to do,
43:30the Eurofighter Typhoon.
43:32The ultimate combat aircraft, delivering performance and manoeuvrability
43:37to a level beyond anything else in the skies.
43:40A true superplane, at the peak of aeronautical design,
43:44pushing the boundaries of flight to extremes.
43:47For me, the Eurofighter is just the best aircraft out there.
43:50It's super fast, it's super manoeuvrable,
43:53and it can beat just anything else in the air.