Plane Den The Dengineers

-I'm Mark.

-And I'm Lauren.

-And this is The Dengineers.

The show that puts you in charge of building your very own dream den.

Dens for adventure.

Hello, trap door!

Hanging out with your friends and family.

This den is the best thing ever.

And dens built to fulfil your dreams.

It's more than he could ever have wanted.

Whatever your ideas, the Dengineers team are here

to transform your inspiration into amazing spaces.

Built especially for you.

ALL: This den is done!

Hello!

Yes, you, Lola.

Let's do it.

-That is epic!

-I'm really happy.

It's amazing!

Welcome to The Dengineers.

Today, we are super excited because...

Aircraft 352!

Calling in at Redhill airfield, we are coming in to land

in approximately two and a half minutes.

-Mark?

-Sorry.

Oh, never mind.

We are super excited because we are going to be building a dream den

for an 11-year-old boy called Phillip from Oxted in Surrey

who loves planes even more than Mark does.

Never!

The Dengineer we are going to be surprising today

is plane fanatic Phillip.

I really need a den

because my room is full of model planes.

so, please, Dengineers,

come and help my plans take off.

Phillip is fascinated by planes, especially ones from World War II,

and he wants to be an RAF engineer when he's older.

Making model planes is one of his favourite things to do

and helps to distract him from a condition that he suffers from

called eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease.

Phillip was diagnosed pretty much from birth.

There was always something a little bit different.

And then it really was noticeable when he was slow learning to walk.

Although Phillip's condition means he's often in pain,

he doesn't let it stop him trying new things.

Phillip really, really is an active character.

He's passionate about his cricket,

he performs in the local theatre,

he wants to be doing everything,

which does make it heartbreaking

when you go past the medical room in school and he's curled up

and he's simply physically not able to do anything.

A den would be great for Phillip

because it would really distract him from the EGID that he has,

because he gets very frustrated and in pain a lot

and he can't do as much as he wants to sometimes.

Most adults, they'd struggle to keep a smile on their face,

but not Phillip. He deserves his dream den.

Phillip has always wanted to visit Redhill Aerodrome,

so his mum and big sister, Sarah, have made up an excuse

to bring him to the pilot's hub cafe where we will be waiting.

Quick, quick!

-It's ringing.

-OK. We are ringing Mum to get them to come over.

He answered! No, he didn't.

Don't say that!

Mum, we are in position.

Are you ready?

Brilliant. We'll see you soon. Bye.

Is she coming?

She sounds on it, like Mission: Impossible!

-Really?

-She's like, OK, we are coming.

You are brilliant!

The team spring into action, rigging the cafe with hidden cameras.

There's cake cam, and we've even hidden a microphone in the teapot,

just in time for the family to arrive.

Yeah, if that's OK. I'll go in the middle and then you can see out.

(Hold me up, hold me up!)

-(Can you see?)

-(He's there, he's there!)

Can I get you some drinks while...?

(I think we are ready to go.

(It never gets easier, this bit.)

-(Let's go.)

-(Come on.)

Phillip? How are you doing?

I'm Mark and this is Lauren, and we are from CBBC's The Dengineers.

We're here to tell you that you are going to get to build

your very own dream plane den.

-Really?

-Yeah, really.

-Did you have any idea?

-No.

Oh, you are genuinely shocked, aren't you?

You're a little bit flustered right now.

It's a bit much, isn't it? What have you got to say to your mum

-and your sister for keeping it quiet?

-Well done!

-Well, we'd better get going. Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Come on, then.

-Let's go.

-Come on, let's go.

-See you, Mum. See you, Sis. Well done.

-See you later.

It's crazy because, when Mark and Lauren came through the door,

I just didn't expect it.

I can honestly say I don't think he's ever been

so surprised in his life.

He has dreamt of having this den

and he'd never, ever thought it would happen.

And to see his face was just a wonderful moment.

It would be just great to have a den in my garden

that will have loads of my favourite stuff in.

We head straight to the Dengineers' mobile HQ,

which has some mega-cool, cutting-edge tech

that can bring Phillip's plane den to life.

Phillip, you are now standing in the Dengineers' mobile HQ.

This is where the magic happens.

-Excited?

-Yeah, very excited.

Well, get stuck in.

Do not leave any stone unturned, because this is your opportunity.

It's your den, you are the decision maker.

Go for it. Pick out what you like.

I quite like the control panel.

-Nice!

-Because when we went to this aviation museum,

you got to go in a real cockpit and pretend to fly a plane.

Wow, that's amazing!

What about the type of plane?

What kind of types of planes do you like?

I like the Spitfire.

Oh, the Spitfire!

He even knows the names!

-Love that.

-So you like World War II planes?

Yeah, I love them.

So do you want the den to almost look like the inside of a cockpit?

I imagine it as, at the front,

you could almost pretend to be flying a plane.

That's what I'd really like.

-Oh, amazing!

-That is cool.

I love it already, and I hate flying.

I quite like the suit that pilots wear.

-Brilliant.

-I also quite like the Lancaster bomber.

Ah! Does that still fly now?

-Because it's pretty old.

-There are only two left flying.

Two of those left in the entire world?

-Yeah.

-Wow!

-That's impressive.

And very impressive that you know all this as well, by the way.

-Let's see what else we've got.

-I quite like the logo.

-Yeah, amazing.

-Oh, nice.

I was thinking these proper seats,

then it would make me feel like I was actually in the plane.

And maybe the wallpaper to be sky,

so it's like I was actually in the sky, flying.

Anything else that you like the look of?

-Yeah, I like the propeller.

-I was just going to say.

-Propellers.

We've got to throw a model plane on there, surely.

I think it's pretty jam-packed.

-Do you, Loza?

-It looks amazing.

-So, Phillip, you are happy?

-I'm very happy.

Loza, are you happy?

I am excited.

In that case, it's time for takeoff.

Phillip's mood board is full of ideas for his den.

He wants a World War II-themed plane den,

complete with cockpit and pilot's chair.

He also wants to look the part with his very own flight suit.

But which of the Dengineers designers

will be building Phillip's den?

It's Sege.

Sege has been in the building business for over 30 years.

There's nothing he doesn't know about building dens.

If anyone can make Phillip's plane den ideas take flight,

it's Sege the ledge.

In your ideal den, what would be on your wish list?

How would you want your den to look?

Maybe a Spitfire seat, so you could pretend to fly the plane in the den.

Oh, that sounds good, yeah.

So then you could see out

and it would be like you are flying the plane.

And then maybe the interior could be like the Lancaster.

-You've thought about this design, then?

-Yeah.

You could have, like, a joystick and you could pretend to fly it.

Now, you also like making planes, making model aeroplanes?

-Yeah.

-Would it be helpful if we had somewhere for you

to make those model aeroplanes and perhaps hang them up?

Yeah, it would be good to hang some up in there.

I think what would be really good is if we captured a bit of atmosphere,

a bit of World War II atmosphere, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

-Because you'd sort of feel like you're going back in time.

-What do you think?

-Yeah.

I am really excited about getting on with this one.

-Yeah.

-This is going to be fun!

Inspired by Phillip's love of classic planes,

Sege plans to incorporate both the Spitfire and the Lancaster bomber

in the design of the den.

Phillip will feel like he's in the driving seat

with a specially created cockpit and chair,

and there will be plenty of space for him to build models

at the flight command table.

It's day one of the build.

The team get cracking with clearing the garden,

and there's an old climbing frame to dismantle.

Phillip's dad's at work,

but he's roped in his mum and his sister, Sarah, to give him a hand.

Sarah, you are not doing it right!

Phillip leaves his mum and sister with the climbing frame

while he gets started on the base of the den.

Going to put a frame together, it's called a shuttering.

-And this is going to be the size of the base of your building.

-OK.

So, if you can help me drive some of the screws in so it's nice and firm.

-OK.

-Lovely. Perfect.

I thought it'd be much smaller, but it's actually quite big.

It's a good size, isn't it?

There's going to be plenty of room to have lots of fun in there.

Phillip has completed the wooden frame of his den,

but Mum and sister Sarah are still struggling with the climbing frame.

I'm not going to help them.

Oh!

I thought we'd be sitting inside

and Phillip would be doing all the work.

-Now, we're going to get the digger and start digging this out.

-Cool.

We've found the smallest digger possible,

but it's still going to be a tight squeeze

to get it into Phillip's garden.

I'm a little concerned about the noises coming around that corner

from the digger and whether it's actually going to fit round...

..without demolishing half the house!

Yay!

Highly trained, we are.

And the newest engineer is about to be put in the driving seat.

The digger is doing quite a lot of things at the same time.

If you go right, that'll take that back out.

It's called crowding out.

When you're turning round, your boom's out,

make sure there's nothing around. No people around you, OK?

Phillip quickly gets the hang of the digger and there's no stopping him.

So, Dengineers Adam and Gary can sit back and relax.

-We don't need to be here, really.

-No.

Finish the tea and go home. He's doing very, very well.

It's not just the ground that's been prepared today.

Dengineer Jeff is laying a cable

that will bring electricity from Phillip's house

to the site of the den.

This box on the wall here

allows us to connect our steel wire armoured cable,

which is going to go off to the den, into the house wiring.

When all the connections are made, and it's been tested,

I'll fill it up with resin so it completely waterproofs it.

This will go on top to warn anybody, should they start digging,

that there is a power cable down there.

It's been a good day. A lot of work, but good fun.

And the family have helped a lot.

Phillip, especially, with very little instruction,

and it's just been a really good day all round.

It's day two and Sege and the Dengineers arrive early to unload.

Having the Dengineers here makes me feel happy and excited,

because they are all working on a den for me.

While they crack on, the first job of the day

is to make the bottom of the garden officially Dengineers only.

So, Mum and Sarah, thank you very much for all your hard work

getting the ground and the base all sorted.

Dad, on the other hand, don't want to use the word skiver,

but I'm going to.

-Working hard.

-You were at work.

But, for now, it's time for something very special.

Phillip, would you like to do the honours?

It's Dengineers only.

Dengineers only.

Which means you guys have to get lost.

I'll take them away. Wave them goodbye.

See you, guys. Au revoir.

There's a great feeling of a loss of control not knowing what is going on

behind that blue screen at the moment,

and the temptation to bribe someone to get behind there

and have a peek is quite strong.

I'm very excited about what's happening today,

because Mum, Sarah, and Dad aren't allowed behind the screens and I am.

I think I'm quite happy that the Dengineer's in control.

It's what Phillip's up to round there that's bothering me.

No!

Can you just stop?

With Mum, Dad and Sarah out of the way,

Phillip's den can start to take off

with Sege ready to go full throttle on the den.

Today's a big. exciting day, Phillip.

We've got a lot of the main structure to put up.

A lot of heavy work.

When I was Phillip's age,

I loved everything about the Second World War.

This is kind of like your dream den, as well as Phillip's dream den.

I think it's more my dream den, in fact.

You're not building this for yourself now? Sorry, Sege.

What do you think, Phillip?

-Are you excited?

-Yeah. I'm really excited.

And if Sege loves it, I think I will.

First to go up are the walls.

That's it. Remember, a bit of pressure going down.

DRILL GRINDS

And some big hitters are required.

Step forward, Muscles Layfield.

You can get a lot of rage out using that.

As the main structure starts to come together,

I want to find out more about Sege's design for Phillip's den.

So, tell me, why the curve?

Because the theme is very Second World War,

the shape is based on a Nissen hut.

It was used for housing men, supplies,

all kind of things, really.

And it had a big, curved roof.

Because a curve is a very strong shape.

That surprises me,

because I would have thought a flat top

-would be stronger than the curve.

-No, it's actually not.

This is your flat top.

That's like your roof, OK?

But, if I place that brick on there,

you can see what happens to it.

Very, very weak.

It has no support of its own to speak of, so it just caves in.

However, if I take this card and bend it into an arch, like that.

Into the shape of a Nissen hut,

and then I place this half brick on top...

Ta-dah!

Magical. That is really clever.

And that's why an arch is so much stronger.

It's self-supporting.

The curved, or arched shape of Phillip's roof

means that it is incredibly strong.

If anything were to drop on the roof,

the downward force would be spread equally

through the curve of the roof and down the prefabricated walls

into the ground.

This is the bit you are going to put on the roof, this is the felt.

Very important, keeps the water out, and the weather out.

-How's that?

-That's it.

Keep going. Keep going. Keep rolling.

That's it.

This is turning out to be quite a work-out.

Keep going, nice and smooth.

-Keep going, keep going. That's it.

-And then we can cut that.

LAUREN GROANS

'After all that stretching, I need a rest,

'so I'm off to find out more about what this den will mean to Phillip.'

So, first of all, tell us about Phillip.

He suffers with quite a rare condition, doesn't he?

Yes. It's a condition called

eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease.

He has problems absorbing and eating food.

It means he doesn't put on weight very well

and doesn't grow very well and can be in a lot of pain, at times.

And how does it affect him on a day-to-day basis?

He's still very energetic, but he can be down at times.

That's where, really, this whole idea came in,

because he works with his model planes.

It's therapeutic.

It gives him something to focus on

and it means he's not thinking about the pain.

He really does get deeply distracted by it.

Sometimes, you can just call him and he doesn't respond

because he's just so focused on what he's doing.

Phillip, dinner's ready!

-Nothing.

-Nothing.

-Absolutely nothing.

What do you think the den will do for him,

in terms of managing his illness?

When he does feel ill, he likes to be completely, sort of, on his own.

It will give him somewhere where he can disappear off to

and really just get himself back up to a level

where he's happy to face the world again.

Back at the den, the Dengineers have started on the roof.

OK. We've cut the felt so now it's time to stick it.

Well volunteered, Phillip.

Let me hold this real tight for you.

Pete's up there with you, Phillip.

So he'll show you what to do.

I'll put the dollop on the middle for you

and if you'd like to spread it around in this section here,

we can stick the felt down.

Phillip has done a really good job,

but, apparently, I'm not off the hook,

as he's challenged me to a very different kind of build.

Phillip, you've challenged me to a build.

What's the rules?

The first person to build the Spitfire wins.

OK, then, well, that's good.

Because I am an expert at building Spitfires.

-Sure.

-OK, then.

OK. So, these instructions, yeah?

-Yeah.

-You're not even helping me one bit, then.

Just, like, "Yeah!" What are you doing there?

You are pulling out some people.

What's your normal tactic.

Don't let Lauren distract you.

Right. Sure.

Did you know, if you look over there long enough,

you see a rare endangered bird?

Where?

Oh, I don't know where.

I'm fuming about this.

Right. Forget the man. I'm going to forget the man,

because the man just doesn't want to work.

Where does that even go? What?

Why have you almost finished? I haven't even got the...

The man's almost fallen out of his chair!

Just get that nice and secure.

-Done.

-What?

I mean, I wouldn't want to fly in that.

I am sick of building today.

I'm off.

OLD-FASHIONED VOICE-OVER: It's day three of the build,

and the heavens have opened.

But that won't stop the Dengineers,

who are already hard at work

while I've got a special treat in store for Phillip.

Phillip loves historic planes and he dreams of being an RAF engineer.

So, what I've got in store for him today

he's going to absolutely love.

And it all happens right over there.

Phillip is about to become a junior apprentice

at the Aircraft Restoration Company.

They're experts in restoring and recreating historic planes.

Engineer Mark is showing us the ropes.

He's been building Spitfires for over 20 years.

We've got new wings being made, tail unit being made.

Paint shop. Then everything comes together

and becomes a Spitfire, like that one. Mark 19.

The first job of the day is riveting part of the plane.

DRILLING

So, this is a snap head rivet.

If you look at the top, you see a dome to it, yeah?

WHIRRING

Right. That's your first rivet you put in, in a Spitfire.

Very gently, squeeze the trigger.

-Pull the block square. That's it.

-WHIRRING

Oh, dear. I think that one will have to come out.

Shall I get you a cup of tea, and you two can carry on?

-Yeah.

-Good idea.

I think he'll make a very good engineer.

He soon picks things up, which is excellent, yeah.

Today's going really well.

I got to rivet a new Spitfire and now I'm cleaning a Chipmunk.

-Hello, Phillip.

-Hiya.

I'm Mo, an engineer here at Duxford.

-Looks like you're doing a really good job there.

-Thank you.

Nice and clean.

Well, later on today, I've got to do a test flight on this aeroplane.

-If you'd like to come with me, you're more than welcome.

-Really?

-Yeah. Like the sound of that?

-Yes.

Hang on a minute. What's going on here?

I've gone to make the teas and you two are in a Chipmunk.

See you, Mark. We're going for a flight.

-OK, Phillip. Are you ready?

-Yes.

He's off. It's unbelievable.

You've gone up in an old-school plane.

He's loving it. Look at him! All the way up there.

How high are we?

About 700 feet at the moment.

He's actually experiencing what a trainee Spitfire pilot

would experience. He's waving.

This is different to being on a big jet plane.

It is, isn't it? You can feel every bump, can't you?

It's so cool.

It's like we're floating in the air.

-Yeah. It's real flying, this is.

-Yeah.

He's coming in to land.

That is amazing! Wow!

He has probably had the best time of his life.

-How cool was that?

-That was really cool.

-Was it as good as you imagined?

-It was better.

Now, that's a den day out.

From now on, Phillip won't be able to see his den

until the big reveal tomorrow.

But Sege has one last job for him, involving an old office chair.

I found this in my workshop.

And I think we can upcycle this into a lovely surprise for you.

-How about that?

-Yes.

First up is a bit of demolition.

Strong! Oh, well done!

Next step - paint.

Nice, smooth straight line.

Moving your elbow back.

How does this compare to painting model planes?

Do you have to be more accurate painting model planes?

Yeah, because they are much smaller.

I'm going to use this for something very, very special when it's dry.

It's now a race to the finish line for the Dengineers.

There's still so much to do inside and out.

I like that.

Nice and solid.

I think that is perfect.

The end of day three, can't wait for Phillip to see his den tomorrow.

Progress has been hectic, full-on, but great.

It's the day of the big reveal,

and the Dengineers are making final preparations

before Phillip gets to see his plane den for the very first time.

-Wow!

-You like it?

-This looks incredible.

-It's cool, isn't it?

-Can he actually see through that?

-He can see through it.

-So, from the outside,

-it looks like he's flying the plane.

-Yeah.

-That is incredible.

-It's so, so cool.

Anyway, still got a few things to put together.

-OK. Ready to help me?

-Yeah, always.

-Let's get on.

-All right.

Here's some stuff.

-Lauren...

-SHE IMITATES ENGINE

-Sege, just let her get on with it. She's enjoying herself.

-OK.

That is a really good photo, actually.

He had the best day, I heard.

Oh, my gosh. What have you done?

That is absolutely stuffed.

Just put it down there for now. We'll come back to it.

As the finishing touches are put in place,

Phillip's friends and family are arriving for the big reveal,

and everyone is looking forward to seeing the den for the first time.

Phillip's level of excitement is off the scale.

To know it's just behind there when we have no idea what's there

is just so exciting.

It is his dream den, isn't it?

Can't wait to see his face.

Phillip wanted a den based on his favourite World War II planes,

the Spitfire and the Lancaster.

Sege and the team have created just that.

The bottom of Phillip's garden has been transformed,

giving him a place where he can feel like he's flying,

with a specially created cockpit and pilot's chair.

There is also space to make his model planes,

with a flight commander table.

But will Phillip be walking on air,

when he sees his den for the very first time?

Phillip, family, and friends, are you ready to see the den?

-ALL:

-Yes!

BOTH: Five, four, three,

two, one!

Oh, wow!

My goodness me! Wow! It's incredible.

Phillip, talk to us.

That is so cool.

What's the first thing catching your eye there?

-The Spitfire.

-Dad, what do you reckon?

I think it looks very cool. Yeah. Very jealous.

-Mum, do you like it?

-I think it looks brilliant.

It's absolutely amazing.

It means so much. But we'll never see him again.

He'll be in there all the time.

-Shall we go and have a closer look, Phillip?

-Yeah.

-Oh, that is so cool.

-How good is that?

It looks really old-school. Exactly what you like, isn't it?

Yeah. I like the sign.

It looks really cool.

Right, Phillip. Are you ready to see inside?

-Yes.

-Come on.

Oh, wow!

That is amazing.

How cool is this?

And it's got the command table, as well.

-And...

-Oh, perfect fit!

Oh, that is so cool.

Look, you can hang your models.

Make as many as you want and have them hanging from everywhere.

What we've done is built the inside of the Nissen hut

like the ribs of a Lancaster.

And when you're sitting in that while you're flying

in convoy with the Lancasters.

So, basically, from the outside, it's a Spitfire.

From the inside, it's a Lancaster.

So, you've got your two dream planes in your dream den.

-Can you remember that?

-Yeah.

You can see what we've used it for now.

It's like the World War II pilot's seat,

-because it's, like, leather.

-This is a World War II chest mic,

that the pilots would actually have here to speak to the command centre.

When you're hanging out in your den, and, you know,

you need Mum to bring you, like, a drink or something to eat,

you can actually radio through to her using that.

Oh, that is so cool.

Those models were actually sent to you by the Ministry of Defence.

They heard about what we were doing, how much you loved planes

and thought they'd send them along as a present.

Oh, that is so cool.

And, Phillip, it's us, from the other day.

-Do you like that picture?

-Yeah.

So, Phillip, tell us, are you happy with your den?

I'm really happy with my den.

-Thank you, Sege.

-Oh, my pleasure.

It's been fantastic.

It's been just as much fun for me as it's been for you.

I've had a great time.

That's me in the Chipmunk.

It's just absolutely brilliant.

More than he could ever have wanted.

The whole family's gone.

Oh, Mum! Let's have a hug.

-Aw!

-Come on!

ALL: This den is done!

CHEERING