0:00:03 > 0:00:04It's a big night.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07We've been looking forward to this for a long, long time.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10It's like going to the hospital
0:00:10 > 0:00:12to see your baby finally being born
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and brought out into the daylight.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26I've ordered three, obviously.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32This is the point that we've all been working for, for the past four or five years.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36So, very, very excited. Difficult to put it into words.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47McLaren is one of the world's leading Formula One companies,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51employing famous drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56But the company's now building its first mass-produced sports car.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Called the MP4-12C.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03It's a tough market, but the company's hoping their clever design
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and innovative engineering will give it the edge over its competitors.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12It's taken five years of intense development to get here,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and the process began as a series of concept sketches.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21We're the guys that sit on the airplane, we don't watch movies, we sketch.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Or, you know, we're sitting in a restaurant,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26we're sketching on the napkin, we sketch on our hands.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Designers, I think that's just
0:01:28 > 0:01:31a normal thing is just to sketch, sketch, sketch.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36Car designers like Frank use all sorts of inspiration.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40I, personally, keep some of my favourite animals in the studio.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Sharks. There's a horse.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Love that. I love shapes.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53This is one of my favourite shapes.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I get a lot of inspiration from looking at sculptures such as that.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57I'm never bored.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Just walking down the street, you can find so many things,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04not just the shops, you can find things on the sidewalk,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07the type of tiles, the paintings on signs.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09There's always something to inspire you.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11I love that guy.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14You think we're kids because we're allowed to have
0:02:14 > 0:02:16these toys in front of us.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17That's the nature of any designer.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19You'll find they have a toy shop around them.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21The Fokker Dr1. This is my favourite plane.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And Frank's inspiration doesn't stop with his toys.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28If you look at the animal kingdom,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31you'll see a lot of animals that are built for speed.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35You can really relate to all the energy being coiled over the rear wheels,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38especially because that's the driving part of our car, in the back.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43As an animal, a cheetah or whatever, they're driving off the rear legs most of the time.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45That's an element that we're starting to find,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47starting to bring in to the design.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52Animals that have gone through hundreds of thousands of years of evolution are still around,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54still look extremely beautiful.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Nobody says that a cheetah doesn't look beautiful.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01It's an optimised design of what works.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04While Computer Aided Design, or CAD for short,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06helped conceptualise design,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09the next stage is to create something physical.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Now I'm taking you into the design studio.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15It's probably the most restricted area
0:03:15 > 0:03:17in the McLaren Technology Centre.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Very rare that people come in here, even within McLaren itself.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24So, what I'll show you is what we actually do in here.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29And what you're going to see is the clay model.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33And, contrary to popular belief, it's actually done by people who built it by hand.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37So, mostly they're trained sculptors who are very, very efficient
0:03:37 > 0:03:40at creating a physical object from a sketch.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43And they're masters at what they do.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45McLaren are incredibly secretive
0:03:45 > 0:03:48when it comes to showing off their clay designs
0:03:48 > 0:03:50because they are constantly experimenting
0:03:50 > 0:03:53with the finer shapes and contours for their cars.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57To actually be here looking at the car like this is unheard of.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59We don't let anybody in.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02For us it's a joy to come in and see the baby sort of being developed.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05This is almost as if it's in the womb of the mother.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07The advantage of clay,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10it's been around for the whole history of car design,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12is because you can actually put it on the model.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15And if you put too much on, you can take it off.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16If you need more, you can put it on.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20It's almost a labour of love. You have to get very close to the model
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and feel how the transition from a hard radius
0:04:23 > 0:04:25goes to a softer radius.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27We can't do that on a computer screen.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29It's almost as if you can design the car blind.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31You don't have to see it, you have to feel it.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34And by feeling it, you feel if it's right or not right.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42There are no rules to where inspiration can come from.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Whether it's the natural world
0:04:44 > 0:04:47or what designers see around them in everyday life.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51That's when you know you've got it right,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54when everybody looks at it and says, "I wish I could have something like that."
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Every one of the team is devoted to this aircraft,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and making sure that it is the best aircraft.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25As this wing unfolds, you'll see how big it is.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27You'll see what a massive task it is to take it out.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32You're actually standing there, and you've got 29 tonne in the air.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The Airbus A380 is the world's largest airliner.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52The plane would even be a tight fit inside Wembley Stadium.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56The wings are over ten metres wider than a football pitch,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and contain nearly a million individual components.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Each set of wings begins life as a collection of raw materials.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14These panels, which will form the outer layer of the wing,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16are made from aluminium,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18because it's resistant to corrosion,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21has a high strength to weight ratio, and is very light.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24The aluminium is loaded onto Europe's largest milling machine,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27which cuts and shapes the metal sheets.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34The A380's wings can lift 560 tonnes of superjumbo
0:06:34 > 0:06:37to an altitude of 12,000 metres.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41This is down to their shape,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44which is created when the carved panels get sucked
0:06:44 > 0:06:48onto a specially moulded bed, and heat-treated
0:06:48 > 0:06:51in the largest oven in the country.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53This helps to fix the aerodynamic shape into place.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57These panels form the outer skin of the wing.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03And in another area of the factory,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07the skeleton that forms the inside of the wing is also being prepared.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11A production line like this needs to operate constantly,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14so there are always different stages of the build
0:07:14 > 0:07:16being worked on at the same time.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19But, ultimately, all the different components will need to go into
0:07:19 > 0:07:21the main assembly jig,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24a massive construction frame, important because it allows
0:07:24 > 0:07:26precise alignment and production,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29with identical outcomes each time.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32First in are the rear spars.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Three long sections that form the spine of the wing.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45These spars are fixed firmly in place to 45 locating pins,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and will bear the whole weight of the wing
0:07:48 > 0:07:51that will rise up lengthways in the jig.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Over the next five days, the team loads 49 ribs
0:07:53 > 0:07:57that run across the wing, which add strength and flexibility.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00These ribs are made from aluminium and carbon fibre composites.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Materials both known for their strength and lightness.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Finally, the frame of the wing is fully assembled,
0:08:12 > 0:08:17and the skeleton is ready to be covered with the huge aluminium panels that form its skin.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Giant automated machines drill holes in the panels,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26around 250,000 per wing set,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28before they are lifted into position.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35After 25 days, the main body of the wing is complete.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39It weighs nearly 30 tonnes,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and is four storeys high lying on its side.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Complex builds like the Airbus A380 wing
0:08:47 > 0:08:48rely on people working together,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51with each team skilled at working on a sub-assembly,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54which is a smaller part of the larger build,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56and every part of the construction
0:08:56 > 0:09:00relies on this meticulous attention to detail and process.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10It must be right first time.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12You can't service it, you can't bring it back.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15You can't complain to the manufacturer that it doesn't work.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Failure in space is not an option.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Space is incredibly special. What we do is quite exceptional, here.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Temperatures in space can fluctuate
0:09:46 > 0:09:49between a very cold minus 200 degrees centigrade,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53to a blistering 150 degrees centigrade.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57And one of the biggest challenges in satellite design
0:09:57 > 0:10:01is keeping the temperature inside it fairly constant.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04This is very important, because it's full of delicate
0:10:04 > 0:10:06and complex electronics
0:10:06 > 0:10:09that would stop working if they got either too hot or too cold.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14So, how do designers and engineers tackle this and solve the problem?
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The secret lies in the use of special materials.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21My name's Katy Smith,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23I'm the thermal architect here,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and I've been working here for just about six years.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30My job is thermal design.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33The build, the test of the spacecraft.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Deep space environment is incredibly hostile.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It's incredibly cold, minus 270 degrees C,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43whereas the sun-pointing surface,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46which could be in the region of 150, if not more.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47And including on that,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50you're in a vacuum, so there's no convective environment.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52You can't reject heat, like you would, for example,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56your cup of tea when you blow on it, removes the heat. Doesn't exist.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59The satellite needs to be able to operate
0:10:59 > 0:11:02within these massive temperature differences.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06If we send spacecraft up into space with no insulation, it wouldn't work.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10You'd have one side with severe damage to the structure
0:11:10 > 0:11:12because of the sun's influence,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14you'd have possible panels dropping off.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17So the distortions caused by the very temperature differences
0:11:17 > 0:11:20would buckle the structure and destroy it.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24And the heat isn't just a problem on the outside of the satellite.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Because these extremes of temperature
0:11:26 > 0:11:30could be disastrous for all the on-board electronics inside.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33They can only operate between a cold minus 10 degrees
0:11:33 > 0:11:35to a warm 40 degrees.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39So, to keep the internal temperature within this range,
0:11:39 > 0:11:44the satellite is wrapped in material called Kapton,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46which is also found in computers and solar panels.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Kapton is the high-temperature layer. It's very robust.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53You can use it in an environment from minus 250 degrees C
0:11:53 > 0:11:58up to a continuous operating temperature of about 290 degrees C.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I think the best way of describing it to a home product
0:12:01 > 0:12:03would be a Quality Street wrapper.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06It's difficult to tear, incredibly light.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09So, for a space environment, it's hugely applicable.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12But Kapton can't protect the satellite on its own.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18What you're actually seeing here is a very thin deposition of aluminium.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21So, here, when you can see the gold outer layer, it's not actually gold.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24What you're seeing is
0:12:24 > 0:12:29the vacuum-deposit aluminium behind the Kapton, like that.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Giving it an amber or gold effect.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38The aluminium-backed Kapton forms a blanket, insulating the satellite
0:12:38 > 0:12:40and preventing heat being lost to deep space.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42While, at the same time,
0:12:42 > 0:12:47helping to stop the sun overheating the electronics inside.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I know it seems kind of counter-intuitive,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55because you've got large amounts of energy coming in from the sun,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58but to balance it out and find a happy medium,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01you have to block some of the sun, dump some of the heat,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03and supply some heat internally.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05It's a really complicated juggling act.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11The Kapton blanket is the first line of defence at keeping the satellite
0:13:11 > 0:13:13at a reasonably constant temperature.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But the electronics inside also create their own heat.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19And this also needs to be dissipated.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24To do this, some very clever engineering
0:13:24 > 0:13:26is incorporated into panels
0:13:26 > 0:13:29that form part of the satellite's structure.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36These panels are covered with a complex matrix of pipes,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and these pipes act as massive radiators,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41dumping heat generated by the electronics,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and keeping the internal temperature constant.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47A heat pipe is a very effective method
0:13:47 > 0:13:51of moving heat from one local region to another.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53There's no working parts, no electricity required,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56so power-wise, it's good.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01But unlike household radiators, these pipes contain ammonia,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04because it boils and vaporises at just the right temperature,
0:14:04 > 0:14:0733 degrees centigrade.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12So what happens is, at one end,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15in the hot, high power dissipation region,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18what will be a liquid at that stage evaporates.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21The vapour then travels up the centre of the tube
0:14:21 > 0:14:23to the cold region, and at this region it condenses.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27It dumps the heat and then travels back down to start the whole cycle again
0:14:27 > 0:14:28in the form of a liquid.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Satellites allow us to send television pictures
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and communicate over vast distances,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41using all the modern technology the world has to offer.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44But they wouldn't be able to operate
0:14:44 > 0:14:48if it wasn't for clever engineering and the use of special materials.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01ENGINE REVVING
0:15:05 > 0:15:07See ya!
0:15:21 > 0:15:24McLaren, one of the world's leading Formula One companies,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28has been building racing cars for nearly 50 years.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35They are now entering the competitive world
0:15:35 > 0:15:36of commercial road cars
0:15:36 > 0:15:42with their first ever mass-produced supercar, the MP4-12C.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49The company is hoping special materials that they use on their Formula One cars
0:15:49 > 0:15:52will give them the edge in the mass-produced car market.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Chief mechanic Neil Trundle knows the importance
0:15:56 > 0:15:58of specialist technology.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00This is MP4/1,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03the first carbon chassis Formula One car ever made.
0:16:03 > 0:16:04This is an old friend of the family.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The new road car has its genesis in this Formula One car,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11the first to use a lightweight material in the chassis,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15borrowed from the aerospace industry - carbon fibre.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16Because of this
0:16:16 > 0:16:17inherently weak area here,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20the aluminium chassis were twisting.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22When we did the carbon chassis,
0:16:22 > 0:16:27we realised we achieved 100% stiffer chassis than had been made before.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32So, suddenly our car was the leading technology.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Some of the other teams said that it was a fragile material,
0:16:36 > 0:16:37that it would shatter,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40but all the accidents we've had in it
0:16:40 > 0:16:42proved that it was up to the job.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45And since then, carbon chassis have got stronger and stronger
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and safer and safer. But this was the start of it.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Not only was the company's carbon chassis stronger and safer,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54but it was a lot lighter.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Which meant acceleration and handling were greatly improved.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01And by applying these features to the new road car,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04it too is lighter, so faster, and stronger, so safer,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06improving its fitness for purpose.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12All the new road cars start life like this.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14A carbon fibre tub.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21This is the very fist component
0:17:21 > 0:17:23that goes to making the car.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Without the tub, the interior doesn't have anywhere to fit,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27you can't put the crash structure on,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30can't put the engine in, can't put the body panels on.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Everything about this tub is maximised
0:17:32 > 0:17:34to combine as many functions as possible
0:17:34 > 0:17:36and through a single component.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43The tub is made away from prying eyes, in a factory in Austria.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50What I have here is a biax material,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54which means that on one side you have fibres running that way,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and on the other side you have fibres running that way.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00And that's held together by the stitching that you can see here.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Now, by layering this up in different ways,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06by using the triax material and the biax material,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09we can orientate the strength in the direction we want it,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12without adding additional weight.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Pieces of carbon fibre are layered until they form the correct shape.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20This is the part of the process
0:18:20 > 0:18:21that I'm really excited about.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23It's where we combine
0:18:23 > 0:18:26the carbon fibre pre-forms with the resin
0:18:26 > 0:18:29that will hold the whole lot together and form the carbon monocell.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32So we have three different areas of this system.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36We have the pre-form loading section, which you can see behind me.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38We have the transfer system
0:18:38 > 0:18:41which will then take the tool from this area into the press.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43We then have the resin injection system,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and that is where all of the clever bits are done.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52This machine is where a secret process
0:18:52 > 0:18:56injects a resin into the mould, under intense pressure.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Unfortunately, I can't go into too many details
0:18:58 > 0:19:00because it is top secret,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02it's the sensitive area of the tub
0:19:02 > 0:19:05where we really don't want everyone to understand
0:19:05 > 0:19:09exactly how we make what is, effectively, the recipe for the tub.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11This secret system is completely unique to McLaren,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and means a new tub can now be produced about every four hours.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19With this process, we've reduced
0:19:19 > 0:19:23the number of man hours it takes to build the chassis
0:19:23 > 0:19:28from 4,000 on the F1 road car down to four hours on the MP4-12C.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Makes me really proud.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35The secret process has brought the production cost down by 90%.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Specialist technology like carbon fibre
0:19:39 > 0:19:42is increasingly being transferred to commercial use,
0:19:42 > 0:19:43with companies hoping
0:19:43 > 0:19:46it will give them the edge over their competitors.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59The thrust when this vehicle takes off
0:19:59 > 0:20:03is the equivalent of about 12 A380 Airbuses taking off.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05This is a pretty rough ride for the satellite,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and that's what all the design and everything is about.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14This is the bit where we all get
0:20:14 > 0:20:16that little bit of butterflies in the stomach.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Telecommunications satellites orbit the earth,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32allowing us to send television pictures
0:20:32 > 0:20:34and communicate over vast distances.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38They have to be able to operate in the harsh environment of deep space
0:20:38 > 0:20:41for a minimum of 15 years without fail.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44This requires some advanced engineering.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48However, the biggest challenge and most critical point
0:20:48 > 0:20:51is the extreme violence of the rocket launch.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55A satellite is built up of thousands of electronic components.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Every single one has to undergo a series of tests
0:20:59 > 0:21:02to ensure they won't fail, and stop the satellite from working.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Astrium's engineers lead the world
0:21:08 > 0:21:10in satellite design and manufacturing.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Today, a frequency generator,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15which helps the satellite communicate with earth,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18is going through the launch test.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19My name's Gary Stancombe.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I've worked in vibration test and mechanical test at Astrium
0:21:23 > 0:21:24for 15 years now.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I'm just going to do a little bit of taping down to tidy it up,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30and then we'll be ready. OK.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35This test is to check that the component
0:21:35 > 0:21:39will survive the extreme physical impact of the satellite's launch.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44What we're going to do today is subject this unit
0:21:44 > 0:21:48to a sequence of vibration tests to simulate the launch environment
0:21:48 > 0:21:50when the rocket lifts off,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53and those eight minutes which will take it into space.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56It does get a fair old shake,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59so today we're going to subject it to
0:21:59 > 0:22:03a 20 G vibration test.
0:22:03 > 0:22:0520 times gravity.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08So anything in there will feel 20 times heavier.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13Every electronic component is tested in this way,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16sometimes to breaking point.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17These are hard tests, yeah.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20It's a thorough test.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21It has to be.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24We have to ensure that everything
0:22:24 > 0:22:27is going to still be working once the unit gets into space.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31We do see failures, but not too often.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37But it's not just the vibration of the launch that each component has to cope with.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41There are also massive shock waves.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45These happen as explosive charges de-couple each stage of the rocket,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47from the solid boosters,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49the satellite housing and main engine,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52through to the deployment of the satellite itself.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57These are quite substantial shock waves,
0:22:57 > 0:22:58so they need to be tested for.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06OK. And that's the shock test.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Thanks to tests like this,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13the spacecraft can now survive the launch,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and start its life in space.
0:23:15 > 0:23:1835,786 km above us,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21satellites constantly operate,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23transmitting signals down to earth,
0:23:23 > 0:23:28making sure you can watch TV, go online and use your mobile phone.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41I absolutely love the profile of that wing.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42Absolutely stunning.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46It's lovely, really lovely. And you feel really proud when you see that.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58It's an old saying, but there's no hard shoulder at 35,000 feet.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18The Airbus A380 is the world's largest airliner.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23The wings that carry this superjumbo
0:24:23 > 0:24:26need to be able to take enormous loads and stress,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30flight after flight, and still be safe and reliable.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34That's why constant testing for fitness for purpose is crucial.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42As chief engineer responsible for the ongoing development of the wing,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44John Roberts is on his way to the German city of Dresden,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47to visit one of his most important test sites.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I mean, I've got probably the best job in the factory.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56It's a great job, looking after this aeroplane.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59And they pay me for it as well, which is good.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06The Dresden rig is a test structure so large
0:25:06 > 0:25:08it took two years to build.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14You always get a buzz and an excitement
0:25:14 > 0:25:18seeing the sheer scale of this test facility that we do here.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20If you don't get any excitement out of things like this,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22you're in the wrong business.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26And here we are. Welcome to IABG in Dresden.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31What John's engineers are after is proof that the superjumbo
0:25:31 > 0:25:36and its wings are strong enough to last a lifetime of flight.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40To find out, they've spent well over £100 million
0:25:40 > 0:25:44on the largest test rig of its kind ever built.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Achtung, der Versuch wird gestartet.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54The rig is essentially a giant torture machine
0:25:54 > 0:25:56to expose any weaknesses
0:25:56 > 0:26:00in the design of the plane's structure that might develop,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02by simulating the kind of stresses
0:26:02 > 0:26:07a real plane would experience in flight, over and over again.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13The most interesting part of this test
0:26:13 > 0:26:15is the bit which takes all the punishment.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18The aircraft, when it's flying,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20all its loading is being taken up on the wing,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23which you can see up there.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26So all the punishment is being driven into the wing structure,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and this is a demonstration of what it looks like
0:26:29 > 0:26:31while it's actually in flight.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38A computer system drives a network of 180 hydraulic rams
0:26:38 > 0:26:40that bend and distort the wings.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45It bends, doesn't it?
0:26:45 > 0:26:49You can never fail to be impressed on seeing something like that.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Computer modelling of real journeys means that,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54in this simulation,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56flight times can be reduced
0:26:56 > 0:26:57to only the bits of the journey
0:26:57 > 0:27:00where the plane is particularly stressed,
0:27:00 > 0:27:01like turbulence and landing.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09This would be a window which an ordinary passenger
0:27:09 > 0:27:11might be looking out along the wing.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13In the test here, the end of the wing
0:27:13 > 0:27:18is moving up by over four metres during normal flight cycles,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and down, when it's on the ground, by nearly two metres.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25People always look out along the wing and see it bouncing up and down in turbulence,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29and thinking "Is this something that I should worry about?"
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Well, we test it with the assumption it happens all the time.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34No, you don't need to worry about it.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40And precise engineering ensures the wings bend in exactly the right way.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44The ability of the wing to take huge punishment
0:27:44 > 0:27:47is down to the design of its structure.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50It needs to be light, but also very strong.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Inside, this structure is like a skeleton,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56with ribs and spars, which provide stability and support,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and also withstand external forces.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02The ribs and spars are made from aluminium and carbon fibre composites,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06materials known for the flexibility, lightness and strength.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12And this test is the pinnacle of a whole testing programme,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14to prove the plane is safe to fly.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17In terms of proving the aircraft is safe,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21you have to put together a portfolio which shows everything
0:28:21 > 0:28:25from the individual little valve that sits within the wing
0:28:25 > 0:28:27through to the complete structure test.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31We always joke that when the paperwork is heavier than the aeroplane,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34you're about close to getting it right.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Tests like this are being carried out all the time,
0:28:37 > 0:28:42to help engineers make great designs come to life.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk