Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections

Season 1

2008 · 4 episodes

Episodes

1. 

   1. Airbus A380

   8 Sept 2008

   Nicknamed the Superjumbo, the Airbus A380 passenger airliner is the largest in history. It's packed with cutting-edge technology but owes its very existence to the most unlikely connections – a Mongolian bow and a 19th century rocket.

2. 

   2. Taipei 101

   15 Sept 2008

   Heading to Taipei, Richard discovers the secrets of one of the world’s tallest buildings, Taipei 101. How is this tower connected to a birdcage, bamboo, racing yachts, sports cars and seat belts? This journey of discovery takes him from the mines of 18th century England to almost half a kilometre into the sky at some 64 kilometres per hour (that’s around a 37 second trip!)

3. 

   3. Deep Space Observer

   22 Sept 2008

   Richard looks at the history embedded in the Keck Observatory. How could a sand-blaster, a Cold War spy gadget and the invention of refrigerators have led to the creation of this super telescope? And using just a satellite dish and some foil is it possible to set fire to a boat? Richard experiments.

4. 

   4. Super Rig

   29 Sept 2008

   Richard braves the stormy North Sea to visit the incredible Troll-A Platform – the largest object ever moved across the earth’s surface by man – and learns firsthand how a single musical note could have spelt catastrophe for the Troll-A.