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00:01Around the world, the race to win wars and explore the universe has created some of the most incredible products ever designed.
00:08And we use them every day, unaware of their amazing origins.
00:14On incredible inventions.
00:17The glider, an aircraft with a battlefield pedigree.
00:25Superglue, how the quest for better gun sights leads to the perfect domestic adhesive.
00:31The Aga Oven, the luxurious stove with a World War II spy connection.
00:36We reveal the amazing history and engineering science behind these incredible inventions.
01:00Flying silently through the air, the modern glider is a tranquil way to enjoy the experience of flight.
01:09But did you know the glider plays an important role during World War II?
01:12For centuries, man looks to the skies and dreams of flying, but has no idea how.
01:19Various strange and wacky contraptions are created with little success.
01:23Even great minds such as Leonardo da Vinci attempted to design a flying machine without success.
01:33Technically, a glider does not require an engine to fly.
01:37It's supported in flight by the reaction of air against its lifting surfaces.
01:41The first gliders to carry people are designed by Sir George Cayley between the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries.
01:50Although they only manage a few brief hops in the air, they certainly pave the way for future development.
02:01Otto Lilienthal is the first person to make repeated successful gliding flights at the end of the 19th century.
02:06And convinces the public that flying machines may one day become a reality.
02:13Then, in the early 20th century, comes the first successful high-altitude glider flight by Daniel Maloney,
02:19followed by the work of the famous Wright brothers.
02:22By the 1930s, gliders that resemble the ones we know today are used for sport.
02:27However, they also have a big role to play during World War II.
02:31The Nazis training pilots for the Luftwaffe, forbidden to have the aircraft by the Treaty of Versailles,
02:37used gliders to train their pilots.
02:40And then, come 1940, the Germans were towing their gliders behind their transport aircraft.
02:47They had ten men, and they used these gliders to attack Eben-Emal,
02:51the great fortress as the Blitzkrieg rolled through Belgium.
02:55And they were very successful.
02:56The Allies also find an important use for gliders.
02:59By carrying heavy equipment and troops to their targets, while landing quietly.
03:08Although no longer used by the military today,
03:11this versatile aircraft still takes on many forms,
03:14from hang gliders to sailplanes,
03:16and is flown by thousands of enthusiasts everywhere.
03:21The Bistrel, a Slovenian-based light aircraft manufacturer
03:24that has been producing gliders since the 1980s.
03:29The production of a glider begins with research and development.
03:34First, 3D models of the aircraft are created.
03:38This allows the R&D team to run simulations on the planes.
03:42Tests include virtual wind tunnels,
03:44which show how aerodynamically effective the glider will be.
03:47The shape developed in the R&D stage is programmed into an 8-axis CNC cutter.
03:59Soft materials, such as polystyrene or wood, are then cut.
04:03These shapes can be either positive or negative.
04:06A positive shape can be directly used to form the shape of the aircraft,
04:10and a negative shape is used as a mold.
04:13These molds and shapes are then turned into real-life airplanes,
04:16using many composite materials,
04:18such as fiberglass for the wings,
04:20and carbon fiber for the fuselage.
04:22The fuselage is also reinforced with Kevlar
04:25that protects the glider's passengers
04:26by preventing the carbon from shattering in the event of an accident.
04:29The sanding, painting, and shaping of the mold
04:34is all done in a vacuum ventilation chamber.
04:45The technicians then apply up to 30 layers of fiber into the mold
04:48or onto the shape and laminate this with epoxy resin.
04:52Composite materials, such as carbon fiber,
04:55are created by weaving carbon or glass fibers into a mat
04:58that can be easily molded or shaped.
05:00When the epoxy resin is applied,
05:02they turn into hard and strong reinforced materials
05:05with an amazing weight-to-strength ratio,
05:07making them ideal for aircrafts such as gliders.
05:14Every aircraft consists of around 5,000 different parts
05:18from over 400 suppliers.
05:21Inspections are vital.
05:25All parts are checked on arrival and receive a barcode.
05:28These barcodes are unique to each part
05:34and even contain important information, such as the weight.
05:46During the final assembly,
05:48all the systems and subsystems of the aircraft
05:50are assembled and fitted.
05:53These range from pedals to the parachute rescue system,
05:56as well as the engine in the case of self-propelled gliders.
06:05Using the barcodes,
06:06a central computer totals up the weight added by each part,
06:09ensuring the glider won't be over the maximum takeoff weight
06:12of 945 pounds.
06:14Every glider is custom-ordered,
06:18so the exact components used differ on each.
06:22They can range from a few basic instruments,
06:24such as height and speed indicators,
06:25to much more sophisticated equipment.
06:28The customer can also specify the location of each instrument,
06:31so the workers drill holes to fit these.
06:33At the end of the assembly,
06:39all the aircraft are given a final ground check.
06:43Whales and tail surfaces are fitted to the fuselage
06:45and aligned with laser measurements.
06:48The glider's weight is compared to the total weight
06:50computed from the different barcodes.
06:52If this weight is accurate,
06:57the glider can then be tested.
07:00Each aircraft is flown for at least five hours
07:02by a highly trained test pilot.
07:04These pilots will perform a wide range of tests
07:07to ensure all systems are working correctly.
07:10The aircraft is then serviced again
07:11in order to return to its zero-hour condition.
07:16When this is complete,
07:17the glider is ready to be sent off to the skies.
07:19The glider, truly an incredible invention.
07:24A smashed vase or broken toy?
07:26Chances are you'll need superglue.
07:29The story of this incredible invention,
07:31after the break.
07:44There's a good chance that at some point in your life,
07:47you've needed to use superglue.
07:49It's an especially handy adhesive
07:51to use on a number of broken objects.
07:53While superglue, also known as cyanoacrylate,
07:56is a common household item today,
07:58have you ever wondered how it was developed?
08:01And did you know that it has a World War II connection?
08:09Adhesives have been made for thousands of years
08:11from birch tar.
08:12But what about the super-sticky glue we know today?
08:17Like so many great inventions,
08:18it's discovered by accident.
08:21In 1942, the scientist Harry Cooper Jr.
08:24researches materials to make a clear plastic gun scope.
08:28In the process, his research group discovers a formula
08:31for a very clear substance
08:32that would stick to anything and everything.
08:35Although it can't be used for the scope,
08:37Hoover never forgets about his new adhesive.
08:41Because it wasn't what he was looking for,
08:43he left it to the side and didn't do anything
08:45until about 1951,
08:47when Kodak, of the Kodak camera fame,
08:50rediscovered it and realized it could actually have a potential use
08:53as a glue.
08:54In 1951, Eastman Kodak took a look again at this product
08:58that they'd made
08:59and decided that this product,
09:01which stuck to everything else,
09:02could be commercialized into a glue
09:04for commercial use within the household
09:06and potentially other uses.
09:09The product that sticks to everything
09:11finally gets to market in 1958.
09:14Now, let's have a closer look
09:16at this game-changing adhesive's chemical properties.
09:19Cyanoacrylate consists of monomers
09:21of cyanoacrylate molecules.
09:22It is an acrylic resin
09:24that polymerizes in the presence of water,
09:27forming long chains that bond surfaces together.
09:30Because of its reaction to moisture,
09:32it turns into plastic in just a few seconds.
09:35That reaction is what makes the superglue
09:37much more fast-acting and stronger than others.
09:40Superglue works and doesn't stick to itself in the bottle
09:42because it's actually a reaction
09:44with the cyanoacrylate and water.
09:47And this reaction requires water to work.
09:50If you keep it in a bottle that has no water,
09:52it won't work, it'll still sit as a liquid.
09:55This is why if you take superglue,
09:58put on plastic bags,
09:59some of the older-style ones,
10:00and stick them together,
10:01you can pull them apart after a few minutes
10:04because there's no water on the surface.
10:06But did you know that superglue
10:08has also saved lives?
10:10It's true.
10:11During the Vietnam War,
10:12soldiers used it as a quick-fix solution
10:14for tending battle wounds.
10:16The Army used superglue
10:18to stick wounds together in the Vietnam War.
10:21It's not advisable to do this.
10:23It was used as a stopgap
10:24because in the Vietnam War,
10:26if you were out in the middle of a jungle and were shot,
10:28the most common reason for you to die
10:31was because you bled out.
10:32It wasn't actually the actual injury itself.
10:35So you needed a means to sort of close up the wound
10:37and hold it together
10:38before the operation could be done
10:40when you were transported to a better medical care.
10:43It's Dr. Koover of Eastline Kodak.
10:45He worked out how to apply it as a spray,
10:48and specially trained surgical teams
10:49were involved with using that in the war
10:52to save lives.
10:55And that's not the only interesting superglue story.
10:58There are some misuses of superglue.
11:01If you remember,
11:02that superglue was actually very quick to form the bond,
11:04so you want it to glue fast.
11:05There was a casino gambler who went into the toilets,
11:08sat down to do his business,
11:10and found that he was stuck to the seat
11:11because someone had put superglue on the seat.
11:14And when he sat down,
11:15it wasn't very long,
11:16and he was stuck to the seat.
11:18He then had to wander out into the casino
11:19with part of the toilet attached to him
11:21to try to get some help.
11:23Mishaps aside,
11:24when superglue is used correctly,
11:26there really aren't many better ways to fix things fast.
11:30Very few accidental discoveries
11:31are so simple yet so versatile.
11:34Superglue,
11:35the incredible invention that sticks.
11:38Stick around,
11:39and we'll show you how superglue
11:41can be used in the fight against crime
11:43when Incredible Inventions returns.
11:45Superglue may have amazing sticking qualities,
12:02but can it help solve crime?
12:04Well, maybe.
12:05There's been a burglary,
12:07but the thief left behind some sunglasses.
12:10We can't see any fingerprints,
12:12so it's up to our intrepid detective
12:14to find the thief's prints
12:15using a coffee percolator
12:17and the power of superglue.
12:20It's called fingerprint fuming,
12:22but how does it actually work?
12:24To begin,
12:24the materials,
12:25a coffee percolator,
12:27a metal tin lid,
12:28a tube of superglue,
12:30and the thief's sunglasses.
12:31Please remember that you shouldn't really do this at home
12:35and that the glue is toxic
12:36and can easily stick to skin.
12:43We take the tin lid,
12:45place a few drops of superglue onto its surface
12:47and carefully pop it into the pot.
12:51We then add the piece of evidence to the pot,
12:54in this case, the sunglasses,
12:55making sure it doesn't touch the glue.
12:59Now we turn on the percolator.
13:04Sit back and wait for the results.
13:07You need to be patient
13:07as the percolator gently warms up
13:09the contents of the coffee pot.
13:12While we wait,
13:13let's explain the science behind fingerprint fuming.
13:16The heat in the coffee pot
13:17will eventually cause
13:18the drops of superglue to vaporize.
13:21Fingerprints are actually composed of sweat,
13:23amino acids,
13:24fatty acids,
13:25proteins,
13:26potassium,
13:26and sodium.
13:27And the glue
13:28is highly attracted to these substances.
13:30So its fumes stick to the prints
13:32and will reveal the trace of the prints.
13:34Or so we hope.
13:36You can see that process in action.
13:40And there you go.
13:42We can now find out who the villain is.
13:45So let's go get him.
13:47Everybody needs to cook,
13:51but some enjoy it more than others.
13:54Whichever camp you're in,
13:56let's agree that it can sometimes be,
13:58well,
13:59trying.
14:00Luckily,
14:00kitchen appliances have evolved
14:01to make the cooking experience
14:03more enjoyable and easier.
14:05But did you know,
14:06one kitchen invention
14:07comes from a mishap
14:08during a science experiment
14:09and is later used
14:11by a World War II spy.
14:14This is the Aga Oven.
14:18The Aga
14:19is one of the greatest revolutions
14:21in kitchen appliances
14:22during the 20th century.
14:23Its inventor,
14:25Nobel Prize winner,
14:25Gustav Galen,
14:26is blinded in 1912
14:28when a pressure test
14:29goes tragically wrong.
14:30After the accident,
14:32Galen undergoes
14:32a long period of recovery at home
14:34with his wife by his side.
14:37He realizes
14:37how exhausting cooking is for her.
14:40Despite his blindness,
14:41he resolves to design a stove
14:42that will make the job easier.
14:44He asked his wife
14:45what the problems were
14:46in the household
14:47and she said,
14:47well,
14:48the fact she's always got
14:49to tend to the range cooker.
14:50I mean,
14:51working on range cooker,
14:52even if you've done it today,
14:53it is a full-time job.
14:54You have to keep it
14:56kind of fired with coal.
14:57You have to watch
14:58the temperature constantly.
15:00So he had been working
15:01on radial heat
15:03and came up with this design
15:06for an oven
15:07which would contain the heat,
15:08which once the heat was in it,
15:10would stay there
15:11and stay at ambient temperatures.
15:13So this is where
15:13the agar came from.
15:14It was the first
15:15like radial heat oven.
15:18Galen develops a unit
15:19with two ovens
15:20and four stove plates.
15:22The agar is invented.
15:25It's introduced in England
15:27during the 1930s
15:28under Agar Rayburn
15:29and Stanley Brands.
15:32At first,
15:33people use charcoal
15:34for steady heat
15:35and soon enough,
15:36the oven becomes popular
15:37for elite households
15:38at the time.
15:40And its connection
15:41to World War II,
15:42master advertiser
15:43David Albevy
15:44begins selling agas
15:45during his early 20s
15:46and quickly makes
15:47quite a name for himself.
15:49When World War II breaks out,
15:50Albevy finds himself
15:51working for British intelligence
15:53in the U.S.
15:54And it's the former
15:54aga salesman's
15:56groundbreaking research
15:57into human behavior
15:58that is adopted
15:58by allied spies
16:00all over Europe
16:00during the war.
16:04Today,
16:04the aga oven
16:05is still seen
16:06as a symbol
16:06of style
16:07and luxury everywhere.
16:09Very few appliances
16:10have had the same
16:10lasting impact
16:11on the way we cook.
16:13And for that reason alone,
16:14it really is
16:15an incredible invention.
16:20But just how
16:21is such an incredible invention
16:22like the aga oven built?
16:24Find out when we return.
16:26At the Colebrookdale Foundry
16:42in Shropshire, England,
16:43the process of building
16:44the aga begins
16:45with fully recycled
16:47and reclaimed scrap iron,
16:48such things as
16:49brake discs
16:50and cast columns
16:51and even old agas themselves.
16:52The scrap is collected,
16:54mixed with alloy elements
16:56and fed into the furnace
16:57with coal fuel
16:58to reach temperatures
16:59of more than
17:003,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
17:03The furnace can melt
17:04five tons of cast iron per hour.
17:08Once melted,
17:09the molten iron
17:09is taken to two of the lines
17:11in a container
17:12or large ladle.
17:18The molten iron inside
17:19is still at a blistering
17:212,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
17:22Using a mixture of sand,
17:27clay, and water,
17:28the molding machine
17:29can create molds
17:30of any oven part,
17:31door front, or top.
17:35The molding machine
17:37makes sand mold negatives
17:38of a pattern
17:39which are then split in half
17:40so that when the two halves
17:41are put together,
17:42they create a cavity
17:43for the molten metal
17:44to be poured into.
17:47The two halves
17:48are clamped together
17:48and sent along
17:49the production line
17:50where the molten metal
17:51is poured
17:52by an auto-pour furnace.
17:56Once the mold
17:57has been filled,
17:58it is moved along
17:58the conveyor belt
17:59where the metal inside
18:00quickly cools.
18:03Once cooled sufficiently,
18:04it is time
18:05to retrieve the castings.
18:06each mold is sent down
18:10to the vibrating grid,
18:11breaking open the sand mold
18:12and the castings
18:14are revealed.
18:16They are inspected
18:17and any remaining mold
18:18is broken off by hand
18:20then placed into bins
18:21to cool down further
18:22to room temperature.
18:23The fresh castings
18:27The fresh castings
18:28are sent to a shot blast
18:30where steel shot
18:31is fired at the castings
18:32to remove
18:33any remaining sand particles.
18:35The brand new oven parts
18:37are sent to a workshop
18:38on site.
18:39There,
18:40using handheld
18:40and pedestal grinders,
18:42workers remove
18:42any blemishes
18:43and rough edges
18:44to give the oven parts
18:45a nice smooth finish.
18:46The finished parts
18:52are then sent
18:53to the Telford factory
18:54where they are prepared
18:55for Aga's famous
18:56enamel finish
18:57and assembly.
19:00The cast iron parts
19:01are coated
19:02with a primary undercoat
19:03and transparent enamel
19:05which will protect
19:05the pieces in the furnace.
19:08Enamel is made up
19:08of tiny particles
19:09of glass
19:10and is sprayed
19:11onto the cast iron.
19:12It is then baked
19:13in a furnace
19:14until it is red hot.
19:16This fuses the enamel
19:19onto the cast iron.
19:21A process
19:22that is repeated
19:23three times
19:24to produce
19:24a smooth,
19:25high-gloss finish
19:26which is very easy
19:27to keep clean.
19:29The door parts
19:30and tops
19:31are all color matched
19:32for each individual module.
19:35Next,
19:35it is on
19:36to the assembly line.
19:38The finished oven parts
19:39are bolted together
19:40and heat-proof sealant
19:41is used to line
19:42the edges
19:43of each component.
19:46The oven starts
19:49to take shape
19:49as all the units
19:50are fitted into place.
19:53The two hot plates
19:55which sit at the top
19:55of the oven
19:56are fitted with
19:57insulated cast iron
19:58and chrome lids
19:59to stop the warmth
20:00from escaping the cooker
20:01when not in use.
20:04The heating elements,
20:05gas or electric,
20:06are fixed on the inside.
20:10The ovens are then
20:11insulated with
20:12silicate wool
20:12before the enameled
20:14outer shell
20:14is fitted.
20:18And finally,
20:19the famous enamel doors
20:20are added
20:20to complete the oven
20:21before it is inspected
20:23and tested
20:23prior to packaging
20:24and sent off
20:25to the customer.
20:28The Aga Oven,
20:30a real incredible invention.
20:35So there you have it,
20:37a glance through
20:38the hidden history
20:38and super science
20:39of some amazing products
20:41we use every day.
20:42the glider,
20:44super glue,
20:45and the Aga Oven.
20:47They may seem
20:48common and ordinary,
20:49however,
20:50these products
20:50help change the world
20:51one incredible invention
20:53at a time.
20:54other人,
20:56we are in the early
21:00on that.
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21:01on the part
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21:02and the last
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21:04together,
21:05so you can cut
21:05into the cleaning
21:06along the way.