0:00:02 > 0:00:08- This is Absolute Genius.- So sit down buckle up and get ready for takeoff.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Each show will introduce you to a different genius -
0:00:12 > 0:00:16an amazing person who had a genius idea which shaped the world.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20And they will inspire us to come up with our own genius idea
0:00:20 > 0:00:22at the end of each show.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25- But will it be any good? - Will it be any good?!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28- It'll be... - BOTH:- Absolute genius!
0:00:28 > 0:00:31On today's show we introduce you
0:00:31 > 0:00:35to a visionary genius and bring one of his inventions to life.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38It's going to be big, it's going to be bold
0:00:38 > 0:00:40and it's going to be a blast!
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Three. Two. One. Liftoff!
0:01:13 > 0:01:17- Today, we introduce a man that had one...- not two...
0:01:17 > 0:01:18but hundreds of genius ideas
0:01:18 > 0:01:21that were hundreds of years ahead of their time.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Like a futuristic flying machine.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Boots that enabled you to walk on water.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28But you and I know him better as a painter.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30But not any old painter.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34He painted one of the most famous pictures the world has ever seen.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37The Mona Lisa.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Come on over here and, please, meet Leonardo Da Vinci.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Ciao, Dick and Dom!
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Yeah, inspired by his genius ides
0:01:46 > 0:01:51we're going to be creating our own genius idea later on in the show
0:01:51 > 0:01:54when we bring one of his inventions to life.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58But first, let's find out a little bit more about the man himself.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Leonardo Da Vinci was born in 1452 near the town of Vinci in Italy.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07His name actually means Leonardo of Vinci!
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Back then there was no TV and no internet,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13in fact, the world was lit by candles.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16There were books, but Da Vinci didn't have time for books,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20the real world was his classroom and nature was his inspiration.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24This was a time before even cars were invented, but Da Vinci wanted to fly.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Yeah he was obsessed with the idea of man flying,
0:02:27 > 0:02:32so he would watch other things that could fly and try and work out how.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36He drew birds cos he wanted to find out how their wings worked.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Then he used what he learned to design a flying machine.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- Demonstrate.- OK. I'll go and grab me bits.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46MUSIC: "Vision On Gallery Theme"
0:02:49 > 0:02:51SIGHS
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Right, that's it! Show me. Now!
0:02:59 > 0:03:05- Whaa!- That's brilliant! Legs are a bit far apart.- I haven't finished!
0:03:05 > 0:03:06It doesn't matter. Did you know that
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Da Vinci had a reputation for not finishing stuff?
0:03:09 > 0:03:13You'd better listen to five more of our weird Da Vinci facts.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15The Genius Top 5!
0:03:15 > 0:03:175! Da Vinci never went to school.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21So no school dinners, no school uniform and no homework.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Shame really, he would have been great in art.
0:03:25 > 0:03:304! Da Vinci often wrote backwards using mirror writing.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Some think that it was a code so nobody could pinch his ideas.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I just think he liked looking at himself in the mirror!
0:03:36 > 0:03:37Ooh, hello, gorgeous!
0:03:37 > 0:03:433! Da Vinci was a vegetarian. Apparently, he loved animals so much,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47he used to buy caged birds just to set them free.
0:03:47 > 0:03:512! Da Vinci invented the pizza after accidentally
0:03:51 > 0:03:54sitting on his cheese and tomato sandwich!
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Only Joking! I've just made that one up!
0:03:56 > 0:04:00And at 1! Da Vinci was a musical genius!
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Not only did he invent some musical instruments,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05he also played them, loads of them!
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Yes, he certainly had the X Factor!
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Congratulations, you're through to the next era.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13# La la la-la la-la... #
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It's fair to say that Da Vinci was pretty good at art.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19He was particularly good at painting people
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and this didn't come about by chance.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23He studied the human body
0:04:23 > 0:04:25better than anyone else had done before him.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Which is why we're here.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Before we bring one of his inventions to life,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33let's tell you one more thing
0:04:33 > 0:04:37that will show you how committed he was to his cause. This one's full on.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Now we all know that underneath the skin is a complex bit of kit,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44arteries, veins, muscle, bones, organs, all sorts.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Like the gory pictures in biology books of human bodies' insides.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- Like this one. - THUNDER
0:04:50 > 0:04:53But how did Da Vinci know what was under the skin?
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Back in Da Vinci's time, surgeons were allowed access to
0:04:56 > 0:04:59the bodies of dead criminals for medical research.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Artists and students joined in, so Da Vinci must have spent many nights
0:05:03 > 0:05:05cutting bodies up and drawing them.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It goes without saying, don't try this at home.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Can we turn the spooky music off, please?
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Thank you. It was so scary, Derek's dropped his guts.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22So we've learned that Da Vinci was awesome at drawing and painting,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25but he also fancied himself as a bit of an inventor.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27He came up with groundbreaking ideas,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29like a suit to walk on the bottom of the ocean,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33to a machine that would let you fly like a bird in the sky.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34And how do we know all this?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Because Leonardo left behind
0:05:36 > 0:05:40thousands of pages of notes in his secretive journals.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Da Vinci's genius idea was to invent stuff
0:05:43 > 0:05:45that was centuries ahead of its time.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49His secret journals were packed full off incredible designs,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52there were flying machines, a parachute,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55a robotic knight and even a tank.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Check me out! I'll blow you up from the 16th century!
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Which genius idea will we bring to life at the end of today's show?
0:06:01 > 0:06:04There's tons in here to choose from.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07If only Fran was here, our resident scientist, to help.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10This is Fran. She just loves experimenting...
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Aaargh!
0:06:12 > 0:06:15..to help explain the ideas of our geniuses.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18And she's sure to pop up just when you really need her.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Hello. So which one's your favourite idea so far?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Instantly, I think the robotic knight.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- It does look quite awesome. - I don't understand.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32That'd need power and there was no electricity in those days.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36It worked a bit differently. This picture doesn't quite show it.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Come with me and I'll explain.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42So we know that Leonardo was obsessed with machines,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46but also with the human body and what was under the skin.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50So he combined his love of human bodies with his love of machines
0:06:50 > 0:06:52and made a robotic knight.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- Ah!- And how did it work?- The way it worked was, if we look here,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00you can see that just by pulling different bits of string,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04you can make parts of the body move like a machine.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08- Is this a Leonardo or a Fran? - This is a Fran.- Nice. OK.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11But Leonardo did it on the knight
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and instead of string he had rope and a series of pulleys
0:07:13 > 0:07:17and he could make the arms move and the robot sit and stand up.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20The idea of a robotic knight is genius,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23but I think our genius idea could be even bigger and better.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Come on, Fran.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Andy, you can go.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32Stairs! Oh!
0:07:32 > 0:07:34CLUNKING AND CLATTERING
0:07:37 > 0:07:40It was time to aim a bit higher.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- I like the look of the parachute. - It looks good.- It's OK.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45What's so amazing about a parachute?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48In Leonardo's time, more that 500 years ago,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51no-one had even flown before. There were no planes, no helicopters,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53so everything is amazing about this idea.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57- How would he know that would work? - He didn't. He had no idea.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00But he was confident that it would work
0:08:00 > 0:08:02because he based all do his theories on nature.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07He would have watched leaves falling off a tree. And it's the same thing,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10when an object's falling, it's falling through air.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14And that air pushes up against the object and makes it fall slower.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18With a parachute there's a massive area for the air to push against.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20The air pushes against it a lot
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and makes the parachute and the man fall much slower.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28So to test Fran's theory, we headed off to a nearby tower.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Watch your head, Dick!
0:08:31 > 0:08:35So you've made us walk up 205 steps to the top of this tower. What for?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Because we have here a small version of Leonardo's parachute.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40It's the same shape as the plans?
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Yeah. And we've also got a small version of a person
0:08:44 > 0:08:45that's going to be thrown off
0:08:45 > 0:08:49- with the parachute. And you ready for this?- Yes.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- It's a Crash Test Dommie. - There you go.- Life-size.- Shut up.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Look at the slaphead on him. Right,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58so what are we hoping to achieve from this?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00We're going to throw it off the tower
0:09:00 > 0:09:04- and hopefully mini Dom will fall safely to the ground.- Very good.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08If this works then you and I are going to be replicating this
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and supersize it and maybe jump out of a plane.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- I forgot about that bit. - Let's give it a go.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- Countdown. - ALL:- Three. Two. One. Go!
0:09:18 > 0:09:22- Go on, Dom! That way!- So diddy Dom got off to a bad start.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And then things got even worse. Ouch!
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- He's head-butted the tower.- Just when it looked like it was all over,
0:09:29 > 0:09:34the parachute filled with air and gave diddy me a nice soft landing.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- Not bad. - That actually went quite well.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- Little Dom, how did you find it? Great!- Fran?
0:09:40 > 0:09:43I was impressed with it. The air caught it
0:09:43 > 0:09:44and it was a gentle landing.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- But it did hit the tower. - Yeah, it did.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49The big question now is do we supersize it
0:09:49 > 0:09:53and do a large scale version of that at the end the show?
0:09:53 > 0:09:56I'm scared of heights. That was fine because there's walls,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00but jumping out of a plane. I'm not jumping out of a plane.
0:10:00 > 0:10:06To be honest, I don't really fancy ending up looking like that. So, no.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Back to the drawing board.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Our attempt at Da Vinci's parachute didn't go down too well,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15but there was one invention that couldn't fail.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- What about if we go big with the tank?- I do like this tank.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21This was really revolutionary.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23No-one had ever seen anything like it before.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27- Looks like a tortoise.- Well, Leonardo was inspired by nature
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and it does look a bit like a tortoise shell.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- Have you got a model of it? - I haven't.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36But I do know somewhere you can go to find out all about tanks.
0:10:36 > 0:10:42- Oh, really? He was from Italy. So, Florence? Rome?- Milan?- Dorset.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I love Dorset! Come on. Come on!
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Dorset, with its stunning coastline and incredible cliffs
0:10:49 > 0:10:54has been an inspiration to artists and writers for centuries.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Luckily for us, it also has a Tank Museum!
0:10:57 > 0:10:58But not any old tank museum,
0:10:58 > 0:11:03this place has got the biggest collection of tanks in the world!
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- It was time to get inspired. - It was time to get serious.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12..98. 99.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13MIMICS EXPLOSION
0:11:16 > 0:11:19One. Two.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21HE GIBBERS
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Left on our own, we weren't getting anywhere with our research.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29We needed a man with a beard who knew a lot about tanks.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Meet Tank Genius and museum curator David Willey.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38What do we need to know if we're think about building a tank?
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Tanks tend to be three main things.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44They're about firepower, a gun, something to attack with.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48They're about protection, so that's your armour plate or whatever
0:11:48 > 0:11:51you put on your vehicle,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53so you're protected inside. And it's about mobility,
0:11:53 > 0:11:58how you get that vehicle to where you want to actually fight.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Would Da Vinci's designs have worked?
0:12:00 > 0:12:01He's got the three principles.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Protection on the outside, he's got a cannon for firepower.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09The only one that might be a bit of a doubt is the mobility,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13because it's human power trying to manoeuvre a big vehicle along.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16So that may be one of the issues you have to look at.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19David had given us the theory,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21but now it was time to see it in practice.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25And where better to learn about firepower, protection and mobility
0:12:25 > 0:12:28than on board a real life tank!
0:12:28 > 0:12:30This is an M4 Sherman tank.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34It weighs 32 tonnes, has a top speed of 24mph
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and can take out an enemy tank at over 1,000 metres.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39It's not something you'd mess with.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44'The noise was a noisy noise!
0:12:44 > 0:12:47'The Sherman was so loud, it made lots of noise!'
0:12:51 > 0:12:55'It wasn't the smoothest of rides but it was definitely mobile.'
0:13:02 > 0:13:08'Fist pump coming up!' Yeah! 'Yeah!!!'
0:13:10 > 0:13:13'Yeah, I was having a good time, too.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16'It was all good research for our Da Vinci tank.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19'And after a few more laps in the Sherman,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22'I was convinced that making a tank was the way forward!'
0:13:24 > 0:13:28That was absolutely mind-blowing! And for me it's sealed the deal
0:13:28 > 0:13:33that we are now going to make our version of Da Vinci's tank.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36And I was really surprised as well that, being in a tank,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39it was a nice steady, stable and quite a clean journey.
0:13:39 > 0:13:47Look, no dirt on my hands. What do you reckon! Oi! Mate!
0:13:47 > 0:13:50'Once Dick had swiped the muck off his chops,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53'he soon came round to the idea of building a tank.'
0:13:53 > 0:13:58Our Genius idea. To build a tank based on Da Vinci's designs.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Our challenge. To test its mobility,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05its firepower and its protection
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Our problem. We hadn't a clue
0:14:08 > 0:14:10- where to start.- Oh, dear!
0:14:10 > 0:14:14We did know that was that Da Vinci's design was a wooden shell on wheels.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17There were no engines then, so it was driven by men
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- turning wheels by hand. - Sounds like hard work!
0:14:20 > 0:14:26He also wanted to fit cannons so it would have been seriously heavy!
0:14:26 > 0:14:30To help us build our version of Da Vinci's tank,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32we've enlisted a genius helper,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35engineer extraordinaire Grant Cooper.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39We're trying to stay as true as we can to Da Vinci's designs, Grant,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42but we want to Dick and Dom-ify it a bit, make it more fun.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45My main concern is that they're using
0:14:45 > 0:14:47humans to turn those wheels by hand.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51I think that'll cause us a few problems over rough terrain.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53I suppose to do that kind of thing,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56you need people with a lot of muscle.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00So, what's your solution instead for hand-power wheels?
0:15:00 > 0:15:04A much more efficient method is using normal off-the-shelf bicycles.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05If we put a couple of those in,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- with you each riding those, that's the best way.- OK.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11We can't put cannons on for firepower,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13so, have you got any ideas for that?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16The whole principle of this
0:15:16 > 0:15:18is to test that you can aim and shoot a target easily,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21so I think if we go with paintball guns...
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Yes! Never done paintballing.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26I like your style. Great. So two boxes ticked.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28The last one is the armoury
0:15:28 > 0:15:33and the general shape of the outside design. What do you think?
0:15:33 > 0:15:38That's one of the really good points about this original design.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40We should just leave that alone.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46So with the designs taking shape, we wasted no time getting to work.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50First up, rolling around on the floor like pigs.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Our first task was to get wood to fit around the steel structure
0:15:54 > 0:15:58that Grant and his trusty helper had assembled.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00We're not really used to hard work,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03so with the tank taking shape, we had a little break.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09But not for long. We needed to get the bikes.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Right. Right. Right!
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Although our budget didn't stretch to caterpillar tracks,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19by fixing our bikes to each other,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22we were confident our tank would be mobile.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26There was no doubt in our minds that our tank would be a huge success.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31But it has to be said that not every invention turns out quite so well.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33It's time for The Not So Genius Idea!
0:16:33 > 0:16:37Imagine a tank that looks like an old-fashioned Penny Farthing!
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Imagine no more, because in 1915 the Russians built it!
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It's the Tsar Tank!
0:16:43 > 0:16:48It was massive! Nearly twice the size of a double-decker bus
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and designed to crush anything in its path.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It turned out to be possibly the worst tank ever!
0:16:54 > 0:16:56It was so heavy that during early tests
0:16:56 > 0:17:00the wheels got bogged down in a muddy hole and it couldn't get out.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04And it remained there rusting in a field for the rest of the war,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06never quite making it to the battlefield!
0:17:06 > 0:17:12So there you have it, the not-so-genius Tsar Tank!
0:17:12 > 0:17:14So that's how not to do it,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18but how had we got on with our Dick and Dom Da Vinci tank?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Well, the moment had arrived.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25- Screws had been tightened. - Tyres had been pumped.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And we were finally ready to show the world our...
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Da Vinci tank!
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Argh!
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Argh! CRUNCH!
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Hold on!
0:17:52 > 0:17:56- No! We're going backwards!- Brakes!
0:17:56 > 0:17:59After a while, we got the hang of it
0:17:59 > 0:18:03and so we took to the road for a cruise.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06- Oi-oi! - BOTH GROAN
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- Argh! It's not easy, is it?- No!
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Watch out! Coming through!
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Look! We're flying without wings!
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- It was all going so well.- Until...
0:18:19 > 0:18:21BOTH SCREAM
0:18:21 > 0:18:23CRUNCH!
0:18:23 > 0:18:25- Right.- Oh, dear.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29The one thing we need working a bit better is the brakes.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- Yeah. And the steering. We've got to work out how to steer.- Yeah.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Apart from that. It's a success.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- It's all good.- It's amazing. - Brilliant.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42The next step is to get the paint cannons and put it into battle.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46But first, let's remove it from this hedge.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Actually, how do we get out?
0:18:49 > 0:18:52So the time had come to test our version of Da Vinci's tank.
0:18:52 > 0:18:58We'd be testing its mobility, its firepower and its protection.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01We felt pretty confident. We felt the spirit of Da Vinci
0:19:01 > 0:19:03was running through our veins. We felt that...
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Get on with it, lads!
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Right, our first task is mobility.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13We're going to try and get Da Vinci's tank around this track.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16This isn't any old track this is like a battlefield.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- The ground is lumpy...and bumpy. - Yeah.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22And it's also raining, so it'll be muddy as well.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24It'll be harder than the car park.
0:19:24 > 0:19:30- 'Things started off surprisingly well.'- That's it.- Shall we stop now?
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Here we go. We've got to try and get round
0:19:33 > 0:19:37the whole course without any problems.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39'It was harder on this surface,
0:19:39 > 0:19:40'but it was surely easier
0:19:40 > 0:19:43'than turning the wheels by hand like in Da Vinci's plans.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46'It has to be said that the tank's suspension
0:19:46 > 0:19:48'could have been a little bit better.'
0:19:48 > 0:19:51The seat's not comfortable either!
0:19:51 > 0:19:59- Oh, man! This is really hard. Here we go. Ditch!- Urgh!- Oh, no!- Stuck!
0:19:59 > 0:20:05- We're stuck.- Wedged right in.- Wedged. - 'So this tank needed pedal power.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07'But where's Sir Bradley of Wiggins when you need him?'
0:20:07 > 0:20:09BOTH GROAN
0:20:09 > 0:20:13'To make matters worse, we were about to encounter
0:20:13 > 0:20:17'a highly technical, very complex mechanical failure!'
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Chain's come off! Chain's come off! DOM LAUGHS
0:20:20 > 0:20:25- Chain's come off.- On the battlefield you can't call in a mechanic.- No.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Whoever's in the tank has to fix it.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Imagine there's a big man with an axe coming towards us.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34'With the chain back on, the challenge continued.'
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- The one thing that's a problem... - BOTH:- Ohh!
0:20:37 > 0:20:41BOTH LAUGH
0:20:41 > 0:20:47- Oh, dear!- We're literally... - I think it's actually stuck.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49I don't know what we can do now,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53cos the chain won't stay on and my bike's totally stuck.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57- So I think that's the end of the test.- Your side's not looking good.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02Yeah, I think mobility... potentially a fail.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Unfortunately, we hadn't managed
0:21:04 > 0:21:07to improve Da Vinci's designs when it came to mobility.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Yeah. Sorry, Leo.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- I think we move on to the next one.- Yeah.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- Yeah?- We've got to get this out of here first.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Any proper man around that can help us?
0:21:20 > 0:21:24One of the most important things about a tank is firepower.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27On Da Vinci's tank design, he had cannons, we have paintball guns!
0:21:27 > 0:21:30What do you think Da Vinci would have made of these?
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- I think he would have called them bad boys.- Yeah.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- That's what I think.- Yeah.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- Paint goes in there, paint comes out here.- Defo.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39DOM WHISTLES
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- Immense power.- Yeah
0:21:41 > 0:21:43'Our challenge was to hit each target
0:21:43 > 0:21:45'three times in under 60 seconds.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47'Simple enough? Well, maybe not.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48'The guns were fixed tight
0:21:48 > 0:21:52'and aiming at the different targets was going to be tricky.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54'Dom was in charge of rotating the tank
0:21:54 > 0:21:57'so that I could aim at the correct target.'
0:21:57 > 0:22:02Three. Two. One. Go! Go on! Go on!
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Right a bit. Down.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- You got 'em?- No!
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- Come on!- Come on!- Got one! Two!
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Three! Next gun!
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Stay there. Got it!
0:22:23 > 0:22:28Done! Next! Back a bit. Right! Right, right, right!
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Right!
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Right! Right! We're nearly there! Come on! Yes!
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- Stop!- Come on!- Yeah!
0:22:39 > 0:22:41It's gone right through it.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- Bull's-eye as well!- Ouch! - I'm very impressed.- Yes.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It was teamwork. We had to keep moving the tank around
0:22:47 > 0:22:48- to get to the right position.- Yeah.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The thing it had its problems
0:22:51 > 0:22:54in that the holes where the guns are, are a bit too narrow,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58so you couldn't actually manoeuvre them round very well.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01But as a team you get it sorted out.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Da Vinci would be quite pleased with that. A good job.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- Right out the other side!- Yeah.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11- So things were looking up. - Protection's the only thing left.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Yeah. We'll get in there. You go in first, I'll join you in a minute.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Go in there.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Right...
0:23:19 > 0:23:21tomatoes.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24- Are you in?- Yep.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Argh! What's that?! Dom!
0:23:30 > 0:23:35- We're under fire!- One last one. Ready?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- Ow!- You all right in there?
0:23:38 > 0:23:40HE GROANS Is it finished?
0:23:40 > 0:23:44- Yeah, run out of tomatoes.- You what? - Run out of tomatoes.- Get!- Oi!
0:23:44 > 0:23:47We know what you're thinking,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50even Granny's mobility scooter could withstand some manky tomatoes.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53We were about to have a nasty surprise though,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55or at least, our tank's armour was.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59(What's that noise?)
0:24:01 > 0:24:04LOW JANGLING AND RUMBLING
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Ready?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09ALL HOLLER
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- Come on, lads!- Ah, stop!
0:24:12 > 0:24:16- Who are you?!- We're his Grace the Duke of York's retinue.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20- Don't be so silly. What's your real name?- Oh, Dave.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24If a medieval army had seen this tank in Da Vinci's day,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26what would they have thought of it?
0:24:26 > 0:24:30- They'd have been scared to death and run for the hills, I expect.- Oh.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33So, what would you do with weapons like that to this?
0:24:33 > 0:24:36If we were brave enough, we'd smash it to bits.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Right, off you go then. Wait!
0:24:38 > 0:24:42- We've got to get out. Silly men.- Silly men!
0:24:46 > 0:24:49What are they like! They look ridiculous.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52DOM LAUGHS
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- Right, lads, give it all you're got!- Charge!
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- Right, stop! Leave it alone! - Silly men!
0:25:20 > 0:25:24- What have you done?! - Carried out orders, sir.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27You've absolutely mashed it!
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- That's the whole front gone. Good job we weren't inside.- Yeah.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34I think if this was in the middle of one of your wars,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36people inside it wouldn't last long.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Right, back to your castle. See you later, lads.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Come on, lads.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46So Dave and his merry men had smashed up our tank then left us
0:25:46 > 0:25:49to explain the mess to Grant.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51But they weren't finished yet!
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Arrows were something that Da Vinci's tank
0:25:55 > 0:25:57would certainly have had to fend off in his day,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00so it would be interesting to see how it fared.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Although the odd one stuck, most bounced off,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07which is down to Da Vinci's designs. The sloping armour really worked!
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Being close to the tank and smashing it to bits,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12it didn't withstand that,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- but people would never have got that close to the tank.- No. Exactly.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- I think it's done a pretty good job. - Hmm. Good armour.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24It was. The tank had withstood the tomatoes and the arrows,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27not the close assault, but two out on three ain't bad.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29So in our books, that's a pass!
0:26:29 > 0:26:32That's the end of our tank experience
0:26:32 > 0:26:35and I think Da Vinci's tank fared pretty well.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37The front got smashed in at the end
0:26:37 > 0:26:41but the point was to find out what an amazing inventor he was.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45And we also found out that he was a great artist, scientist and engineer.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50So, Da Vinci, we can most definitely say, you were an absolute genius.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Grazie, Dick and Dom!
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Saddle up. Time to get back to London.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- Yep.- Hey.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59I wonder how this tank would fare against a modern-day tank?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- Doesn't matter, we're never going to find out.- No.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07BUZZING
0:27:09 > 0:27:10BEEPING
0:27:11 > 0:27:15- Argh!- Quick! Pedal!- I can't! The chain's come off again!
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Argh!
0:27:22 > 0:27:24CRUNCH! Argh!
0:27:24 > 0:27:26HE COUGHS
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Bogeys!
0:27:34 > 0:27:38- It went right through me! Don't wobble it.- I'm not doing anything!
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Just stand still, then!
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Oi! Oi!
0:27:41 > 0:27:43GIGGLES
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd