Rise of the Machines

This episode explodes open the world's largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, to reveal the incredible technology that pushes 600 tons of aircraft nearly 6,000 miles in just ten hours. The A380 is packed with technology to allow it to carry more passengers, in more comfort and with greater fuel efficiency than any jet in its class. How do the A380's shape-shifting wings mimic a bald eagle's flexible feathers? How have the fan-blades inside the A380's super-powered jet engines evolved from the slashing Samurai sword? How did a 3,000-year-old warrior's tunic develop into the ultra-tough yet millimeter-thin skin of this massive aircraft? With 300,000 pounds of thrust and the world's most advanced airplane wings at his disposal, every minute counts as Captain Godel streams through the skies at a speed of 600 miles an hour. Can the Super Jumbo's hidden innovations make up a two-hour delay and allow 300 passengers to catch their connecting flights?

Stunning CGI animation to explodes open the fastest accelerating vehicle on the planet–the Top Fuel Dragster–to reveal the extraordinary technology it uses to propel it to speeds over 500km/hr. In Pomona, California, the world's fastest dragsters are battling it out in the final of the NHRA World Championships. Leading them all is the astonishing Al-Anabi Top Fuel dragster. But can its driver, Shawn Langdon, hold onto his advantage and win the championship? At critical moments, spectacular we will uncover the engineering breakthroughs and reveal the extraordinary lessons from history and nature that helped this lightning-fast vehicle evolve: What connects an ancient Chinese war machine with the dragster's extraordinary acceleration? How did a 20 million year-old flying squirrel inspire a high performance brake? And how does the structure of bamboo keep Shawn safe in a crash?

Stunning CGI animation explodes open one of the world's largest diggers–the Komatsu PC8000–to reveal the extraordinary technology that it depends on to shovel 27,000 tons of copper ore in less than four days. The pressure is on at Copper Mountain Mine, British Columbia. Every month the mine must produce $18 million of powdered copper to fill a shipment bound for Japan. The miners must continually blast the rock to undercover pockets of copper ore and scoop it up to feed the mine's mill. At the heart of this operation is the Komatsu PC8000. Its mission: scoop rock 24/7, 365 days a year using a giant bucket that could hold a Hummer. At the PC8000's controls is mining veteran, Pete Hartinger. Over his four-day shift, Pete must contend with potentially lethal boulders smashing into his Mega Digger, collisions with giant haul trucks, and lengthy delays caused by maintenance.

In Singapore, the oil rig construction capital of the world, a $220 million oil rig has just come off the production line, and oilman Manuel Olea needs it delivered to the Gulf of Mexico pronto. We'll join Captain Viktor Shevlyakov and his crew on-board the MV Treasure as they attempt to transport this 160 meter-high, 13,000-ton oilrig close to 16,000 miles in only 43 days. At critical moments on their journey, spectacular CGI animation will explode open the 50,000-ton supership and plunge us deep inside its DNA. Exploring the engineering breakthroughs within this ocean giant will reveal surprising secrets of how the technology evolved, inspired by extraordinary lessons from nature and history.

CGI animation explodes open a revolutionary new breed of airship–the Aeros Dragon Dream–to reveal the extraordinary technology that it depends on during a series of grueling tests. Exploring the engineering breakthroughs within this helium-filled behemoth will reveal surprising secrets of how the technology evolved, inspired by extraordinary lessons from nature and history. How did the airship's unique buoyancy control system evolve from the swim bladder of deep-water fish? Which breakthrough in rocket engineering enables Corky to spin the airship on a dime? How did the Eiffel Tower inspire the extremely strong yet lightweight airship frame? If the test flight is successful, it will demonstrate how Dragon Dream's radical new design works and will open a new chapter in aviation history. Failure will consign the Dragon Dream to the scrapheap.