0:00:02 > 0:00:04MUSIC: Ride Of The Valkyries by Richard Wagner
0:00:06 > 0:00:09For as long as we've looked to the skies,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11people having dreamed about flying like birds.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16The Wright brothers proved that powered flight was possible,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19making history in America in 1903.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And where they led, other daredevils followed.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33One of those pioneering aviators was this man - Harry Ferguson,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36the genius inventor from County Down who's world-famous for his tractors.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40But, long before he revolutionised agriculture,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44back in 1909, our Harry was the first man to design,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46build and fly an aircraft in Ireland.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53I'm Dick Strawbridge, and we're on a mission to make and fly that little
0:00:53 > 0:00:55plane from the early 20th century.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59William, you're on, sir.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Our test pilot will bravely follow Ferguson into
0:01:03 > 0:01:04the grey skies of Ulster.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Are you ready, William? No, but let's go.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09It's the chance of a lifetime.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11It really, really is.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12Stop there.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16We're searching out the final few craftsmen,
0:01:16 > 0:01:21engineers and technicians with the traditional skills to recreate
0:01:21 > 0:01:22Harry's plane.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24It's never been done before,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and I'm really not sure if it's even possible.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Dangerous, maybe, but one thing's for certain -
0:01:30 > 0:01:31we're going to give it a go.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Welcome aboard The Great Flying Challenge.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50These are the fields.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54We're flying over the spot, just near Hillsborough,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58where Harry Ferguson took his first flight, New Year's Eve, 1909.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01He was a brave man and a brilliant engineer,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03not unlike the man beside me here, William McMinn.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05You couldn't be talking about me. You think I am?
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Hold on, mate. You've built your own aircraft,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09you're going to build Harry's plane with us.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13You're going to be our test pilot. You are the right man for the job.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Well, I think you're being very generous, but, yes,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18I have built a couple of aircraft,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and I have about 1,200 hours flying time
0:02:21 > 0:02:22and plenty of experience.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26If you look out this window,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29we're actually flying over Harry's home place.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31That's his farmhouse? That's his farmhouse.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33You know, he's one of 11 children,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and that's where he learned about farming.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38And, by all accounts, he didn't like the hard work,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41which could be the reason why he came up with the old tractor and
0:02:41 > 0:02:43plough system he's so famous for.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Well, I think if you're an engineer, it's in your blood.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48And he didn't want to be standing in a field.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50It wasn't doing his mind any good.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53He needed to be making things and taking things apart.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59That's the long field. He brought the Ferguson Flyer to that field to
0:02:59 > 0:03:02show his family. He took off out of that field,
0:03:02 > 0:03:07flew across the lake, and landed in a field just at the other side.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Harry started building his plane in the autumn of 1909,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18spurred on by the first flight across the English Channel by the
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Frenchman Louis Bleriot.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25But that success was a rare feat,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and many early aviators were killed or badly hurt.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36In fact, Harry was lucky to survive several crashes in the years after
0:03:36 > 0:03:37his maiden flight.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41There are trees, hedges and everything around here.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Would you be happy flying a plane down there?
0:03:43 > 0:03:44No. It's far too small for me.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47HE LAUGHS
0:03:47 > 0:03:50But, obviously, his plane flew at 35mph.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53We're sitting, at the minute, at 90mph.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55That's a big difference. Everything happened a lot slower.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Harry brought his plane to the farm after he had flown it for probably
0:04:03 > 0:04:07a year, 18 months, so he was confident flying it, he knew how it
0:04:07 > 0:04:10performed, and that showed you the make-up of the man.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17And after our trip over Harry's old flight path,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19William is in inspired form.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Are you up to the challenge? Yes, I'm up for the challenge.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I'm going to be the only person in a long,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32long time to have flown the same plane as Harry.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34And I can tell you what it's like,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I can tell you what it feels like in the air and, you know something?
0:04:37 > 0:04:39It's a dream. You've got a lot of work to do, fellow.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41You have a lot of work to do.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49He was reared with three sisters and seven brothers, on the 100 acre
0:04:49 > 0:04:51family farm near Dromore in County Down.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Born Henry George Ferguson in 1884,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58but known the world over as Harry.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02He went on to become a famous industrialist -
0:05:02 > 0:05:07the man responsible for the wee grey Fergie tractors.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11That's all well known, but our story begins with a boy who dreamed
0:05:11 > 0:05:12of escaping the farm...
0:05:13 > 0:05:17..a teenager who went on to race motorcycles and cars,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and a man who, at the age of 25,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23had earned his place in history, as the first Irish aviator.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Driving past the city airport,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34it's incredible to think that the entire aviation industry...
0:05:35 > 0:05:37..started with those flying machines,
0:05:37 > 0:05:38a little over 100 years ago.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41But if I'm going to turn back the clock
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and actually build Harry's plane,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45I'm going to need expert help.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Thankfully, there's a man with a plan just up the road, in Hollywood.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I did try to get into the RAF...
0:05:51 > 0:05:55I've tracked down retired architect and Ferguson expert Michael Clarke.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59How many people do you know, Michael,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02that have written books about Harry Ferguson before tractors?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Oh, I don't think there's any before me.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Right, so you're the world authority on Harry Ferguson.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10I'm the world authority on it, if you believe that.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12I do believe it. That's why I'm here!
0:06:12 > 0:06:15How did you produce diagrams and maps
0:06:15 > 0:06:19that you believe represent his aeroplane?
0:06:19 > 0:06:22The only small drawing was published
0:06:22 > 0:06:24in Flight magazine after, you know,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28he'd established being the first Irishman to fly, indeed,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30only the third in Britain to fly.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33That was the only drawing that there was,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37but there was a lot of descriptions of the detail of it, you know,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41written descriptions, printed with it. Plus, fortunately,
0:06:41 > 0:06:42a lot of photographs appeared.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Michael's drawings were made after extensive research, which included
0:06:49 > 0:06:53first-hand accounts from those who worked for Harry and by surveying
0:06:53 > 0:06:55replica aircraft never intended to fly.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01We even have catalogues of the time, that...
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Oh, right! Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04Hold on, I did see some catalogues.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08What do these show us? We have a catalogue from this guy TWA Clarke,
0:07:08 > 0:07:09who Harry dealt with.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11So Harry would have used this man.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14He bought propellers from him. Almost certainly. Yes.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19He would. This was one of the few people in those days who covered all
0:07:19 > 0:07:21the things that aeroplane manufacturers needed.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24You name it, it's in it. Well, we've got sizes, shapes,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27construction material.
0:07:27 > 0:07:33Do you think we are able to build Harry's plane from this information
0:07:33 > 0:07:34that will fly?
0:07:34 > 0:07:36There's no reason why not.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I mean, if you make it to those drawings I'm pretty confident, yes,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41you'll get it to a state where it can fly.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44I'm loving this. What you're telling me is you've got enough confidence
0:07:44 > 0:07:46that all your work to date is going to be turned into
0:07:46 > 0:07:49a Harry Ferguson monoplane. I hope so.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51You've said it here now. I don't need to hear any more.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54I'm allowed to take this with me, am I? Yes, of course you are.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Now, I'm not giving any guarantees or anything.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I don't want any claims if it doesn't work.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01THEY LAUGH
0:08:01 > 0:08:03I actually heard it here first.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06It's definitely going to work. Oh, it is definitely going to work. Yes.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Yes. And I'm looking forward to it.
0:08:09 > 0:08:15Belfast was an industrial powerhouse when 25-year-old Harry Ferguson
0:08:15 > 0:08:17decided he was going to fly.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21He would have been surrounded by old-school craftsmen
0:08:21 > 0:08:25and, over a century on, we need the same skills and materials too.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Irish linen to cover the plane,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33cables, fixings and an undercarriage,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37plus the metalworkers and carpenters capable of doing the work.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41It's a tall order, because many of those trades have been lost.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43But some survive...
0:08:43 > 0:08:44just.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Alistair Duffin says he's the last of the Mohicans -
0:08:47 > 0:08:51the very last traditional boat builder left in the city.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Alistair! Hello, sir.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Hi. Good to meet you.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Lovely to see you. OK, where's the water?
0:08:59 > 0:09:01We have a boatyard and no water, mate.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04An awful lot of skill goes into making or fixing one of these,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07isn't there? Yes, it's an old skill that's sort of dying out.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11How many people around Northern Ireland do you reckon can do this?
0:09:11 > 0:09:13The fishing thing at Portaferry and
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Ballyhalbert would still make
0:09:15 > 0:09:17this type of boat. But they're about
0:09:17 > 0:09:18the only ones that do it now.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21We're not being rude here, but how many years have you been doing it?
0:09:21 > 0:09:23THEY LAUGH
0:09:23 > 0:09:26I personally have been doing it for about 50 years.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I came to you sort of thinking I need to find a man with the skills
0:09:29 > 0:09:33to build like this. What's the chances of you giving me a hand?
0:09:33 > 0:09:35I'll try. Right, look at this.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38This is a minor issue for a man like you.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41Well, it's not a boat.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Harry Ferguson. Oh, it's Harry... He's the tractor man.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49He's the tractor man. Do you get a nice warm feeling that it's the sort
0:09:49 > 0:09:50of thing you could build?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Yeah, it would be a challenge but, you know,
0:09:53 > 0:09:54that's what life's all about.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58I think the wings will be the most awkward bit to do.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01The size, as well as everything else. The size of them.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I would have to think what I was doing.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05If you look at the size of these struts... Yeah.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07They're very light. 5/8ths.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09That's just over half an inch.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11You know, we're talking no size at all.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It's like building a boat, to a certain extent.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17You know, you have your frames and then you have your cross members,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20which have to go in and be glued.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24I think more of an interest to me is what is made of?
0:10:24 > 0:10:28It's probably made out of silver spruce, the same as that boat there.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30If you can get it done in about three weeks,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I think we're on schedule for doing something similar to what Harry did.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Well, it's a challenge.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37It's a challenge.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39You get me the wood,
0:10:39 > 0:10:40and we'll have a go at it.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47We were once the linen capital of the world.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52But the industry that turned the landscape blue
0:10:52 > 0:10:55with flax flowers in summer...
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and which provided work for thousands on the land
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and in the mills all over the country
0:11:00 > 0:11:02has shrunk since Harry's day.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Many of the earliest aircraft were covered in linen,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12so that's why I've tracked down one of the last factories where
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Irish linen is still in production.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Harry Ferguson - you know, what sort of quality of linen would
0:11:20 > 0:11:21he be able to deal with?
0:11:21 > 0:11:22Well, you've got to bear in mind
0:11:22 > 0:11:24that Harry is going to have come
0:11:24 > 0:11:25from a linen world.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27He's going to have slept in linen,
0:11:27 > 0:11:28he's going to have worn linen,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32eaten off linen, he's even going to have dried himself with linen.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34So there would have been no other fibre
0:11:34 > 0:11:37that would have even crossed his mind.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40That looks like a blanket. It is a traditional fever blanket.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Linen's antibacterial,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43and it's wicking so it takes the sweat away from you.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47So they would have wrapped you up in that when you were dying of the flu.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Really? Take the sweat away from you. So that's a nice heavy one.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53I think this is linen. This looks like linen to me.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56That linen there is obviously made for tableware.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58These would be shirtings and sheetings.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Right, what about strength?
0:12:00 > 0:12:01Cos, you know, for aeroplanes,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I'm worried - this thing's got to leave the ground. Are these...?
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Linen is really, really strong.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10It gets stronger when it's wet as well, but...
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Wool has a filament of that big.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Cotton has a filament about that big.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Linen is this big.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18So that's the actual length of the fibres?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21That's the actual fibre that's in it. That's what makes it so strong.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23That's why it's used a lot,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26or has been used a lot, and still is, in aeroplanes.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29For our aircraft, what is the linen I need to use?
0:12:29 > 0:12:34Well, if I was Harry coming in here I think I would have gone for what's
0:12:34 > 0:12:36known as eight bar eight.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38It's one of our oldest fabrics.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42It's sort of like the balance of strength over weight.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And those are the key characteristics that we'll wrestle
0:12:45 > 0:12:48with repeatedly over the course of our build.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Can we make Harry's plane light enough to fly,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53yet strong enough to keep William safe?
0:12:54 > 0:12:58It's a big problem that held back the earliest aviators too,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02and their ingenious solutions are on display in Bedfordshire.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I'm on my way to look at some magnificent flying machines
0:13:06 > 0:13:08from the earliest days of flight.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12The Shuttleworth Collection is home to the oldest flying aeroplane
0:13:12 > 0:13:15in the world. It may look primitive,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18but there's a very good chance Harry would have used it as a blueprint
0:13:18 > 0:13:19for his own build.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37What an amazing collection! Where do you get all the planes from?
0:13:37 > 0:13:38Well, they've come from everywhere,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41really. But, you know, for example,
0:13:41 > 0:13:42this Blackburn, here, was found
0:13:42 > 0:13:44in a haystack in 1947. A haystack?
0:13:44 > 0:13:47A haystack, yeah. And they get restored to flying condition,
0:13:47 > 0:13:48and away we go.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51But when we look at these old aircraft from the beginning of
0:13:51 > 0:13:53flight, there seems to be no rules.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56No, they didn't really know what a good aeroplane was supposed to
0:13:56 > 0:13:59look like. So they just copied other people, they made them in all shapes
0:13:59 > 0:14:01and sizes, some flew better than others.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07Beginning of the 20th century -
0:14:07 > 0:14:10everybody wanted to fly, didn't they?
0:14:10 > 0:14:13They did. The Wright brothers flew in 1903, then there was a bit of a
0:14:13 > 0:14:18pause, and then things started to take off in Europe a few years later
0:14:18 > 0:14:20with various designers coming up with aeroplanes,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and there was a Frenchman
0:14:22 > 0:14:26called Louis Bleriot who was one of the most successful of that time.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29He was the first man to go across the Channel? He was, yeah.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31In 1909, in the summer,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34in a machine pretty much identical to this one.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36This is a 1909 Bleriot,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39and it's the oldest airworthy aeroplane in the world.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42So this still flies? Yes.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Harry Ferguson knew this plane too.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47He would have seen it for himself at air shows in France,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49just before starting to build his own plane.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55How does it work? If you notice, the wings are very, very curved
0:14:55 > 0:14:57to help it create lift.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00And they're slightly upswept and what we call dihedral.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02It's quite a big wing, isn't it, in surface area?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Yeah, but it's fat rather than long and thin.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08The other thing he has is wing warping,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10to control the aeroplane laterally.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Can I see that happen on this?
0:15:12 > 0:15:14That's how you control it - bend the wings?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Yes. For the roll control on the aeroplane.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19So what you have is the front spar of the aeroplane is stiff cos it
0:15:19 > 0:15:21needs to support the lift. Right.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23But the rear spar is made to be flexible,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25so that the pilot can move it.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And the pilot's control is inside,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31but if I move this you can see this moving the wing
0:15:31 > 0:15:35and it changes the angle of the outer wing.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37The wing has to be strong enough, it has to move enough.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42Yes, it has to be strong to take the lift forces, but also be flexible
0:15:42 > 0:15:45enough at the rear to be able to twist differentially like that,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48to make the aeroplane roll from side to side.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Just like all these elegant aeroplanes
0:15:50 > 0:15:52from the dawn of powered flight,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Harry Ferguson's plane was a rare and special thing.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59We're going to actually build a version of Harry Ferguson's plane.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Do you think we can do it? Yes.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03You can do it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07You've got some drawings and some idea of what it was like
0:16:07 > 0:16:08and it does work.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12And this is what we'd love to achieve.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22The Bleriot flies beautifully in the right conditions.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24With little or no wind, it's stable.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28In stronger winds it's downright dangerous, just like Harry's plane.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34It's going to be quite a risky business for William.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35Well, nowadays we do manage risk.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39We decide when it's safe to do something and when it's not.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Back in Harry's day, they just took the risks.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44But my advice would be don't fly any higher than you're prepared to fall.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46HE LAUGHS
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Harry cut his teeth as an engineer
0:16:54 > 0:16:58working at his brother's car business in Belfast.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Most of the models he worked on survive only in old photographs.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07And yet, surprisingly, that same market for custom-built,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10beautifully engineered vehicles lives on.
0:17:10 > 0:17:18I'm in deepest County Down and I'm searching for a world-famous
0:17:18 > 0:17:19motor racing car manufacturer.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22I'm searching for it. It is here.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25They've been known throughout the world for years,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27and I think they can help me.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36How come I didn't even know you existed?
0:17:36 > 0:17:37Look at this place!
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Yeah, it's a special place. But, you know, Crossle is a well-kept secret.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42We've been here for...
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Well, since 1960.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47The Crossle name, as a racing car manufacturer, is much better known
0:17:47 > 0:17:49in places like the USA, even in France,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51than it is here in Northern Ireland.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53And that's because most of the cars were exported.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55They've been driven by some pretty well-known people.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Nigel Mansell drove one, on his way to stardom.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00You're actually still manufacturing this car, are you?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Yes. This is the Crossle 9S, built originally in 1966.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07It's a two-seater sports racing car.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11This car goes back in the golden era of beautiful racing cars.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13But they get raced? They certainly do, yeah.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16And this may look like an old racing, but it's a quick car.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18This will see off modern supercars.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21And all those skills are here?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24We build racing cars in the same way that we've done for many years.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27And the team that we have here are highly skilled craftsmen and they're
0:18:27 > 0:18:29very proud of their work.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Look at this.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33It's a thing of beauty.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Just over 21 feet long.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38The bit I think that you're going to be to help me with, I'm hoping,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41is the whole undercarriage and the metalwork.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44It will have to have the right balance between rigidity and weight.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Yeah, absolutely. You'll notice I can't find any other suspension
0:18:48 > 0:18:52anywhere. No, it looks as if it's designed for stiffness rather than
0:18:52 > 0:18:55for flexibility. And I don't see any way to steer this front wheel,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58by the way. I guess he would have been landing this on grass.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Yes, he would be. Of course,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04that's even worse because any little holes or little ruts can put shocks
0:19:04 > 0:19:07onto it. That's what I'm thinking, yeah.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08OK. Well, we'll take a look at that.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10We can do some calculations, I guess.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12But, yeah, it'll be interesting.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15But if you look her, what I'm interested in, see the axle? Yeah.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Notice the way the actual wires go through a hollow axle.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20OK. Well, why's that?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22DICK LAUGHS
0:19:22 > 0:19:23When it comes to steering this,
0:19:23 > 0:19:28the wings bend when you actually warp them.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Right. So the wings are made to bend and, by the way,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34I haven't got to this page yet, but you may as well have a quick look at
0:19:34 > 0:19:36the other part of the commitment, here.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40This is the wing warping actuating rod.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41Sounds impressive. It is.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45It's the lever for bending the wing so it turns.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48When was the last time you made a wing warping lever?
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's not every day we would hear that term, let alone make one.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53You won't be able to say that very soon.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04It took just six weeks for Harry's craftsmen to construct his plane,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and our man, Alistair Duffin, is cracking on.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09I recognise that. That's the tail end, isn't it?
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Yeah, that's the tail end. Difficult?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14No. It's a lot easier than what I thought it was going to be.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17What can I do to help? You can cut some of these, if you like.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Do you trust me? Yeah.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21This is how I made...
0:20:22 > 0:20:25..these bits, because they're all different lengths. Right.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26So, two bits of plywood...
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Right. One fits that end, one fits that end.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33And you put them in, and you draw a line...
0:20:35 > 0:20:41..then you take that and you transfer that onto a piece of wood.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44And, of course, if it needs to be longer or it needs to be shorter...
0:20:44 > 0:20:45You can lengthen or shorten.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47That is so simple.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48I love it.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59You put that in - it goes in like that - whenever I lift this.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02Simple as that.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Simple as that. That's it.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15We still need to find a workshop -
0:21:15 > 0:21:18somewhere to start the next part of the build.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23What I need is somewhere with a plentiful supply of skilled aircraft
0:21:23 > 0:21:27engineers, all willing to work long hours for no money.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28Doesn't sound likely, does it?
0:21:28 > 0:21:32But, actually, there's all that and more just up here,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36at the Ulster Aviation Society, at the old RAF air base, Long Kesh.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45You come into the hangar, the first thing you see is a Spitfire!
0:21:47 > 0:21:48Unbelievable.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Everywhere you look, there's historic aircraft.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Helicopters, planes - I've only seen some of these in books.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Ray, where do you get these from? Good morning, Dick.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Welcome to the society's collection. Oh, man! I'm so jealous!
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Where did you get a Buccaneer?!
0:22:04 > 0:22:08We got that from the Ministry of Defence, for ?8,500.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10You've just bought it? Yes.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12And that included the delivery flight from Scotland
0:22:12 > 0:22:13to Northern Ireland.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15So it's complete? Absolutely complete.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17The engines and all are still in it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20It almost looks like a toy, doesn't it?
0:22:20 > 0:22:22It does. But this was an actual war bird -
0:22:22 > 0:22:24took part in the Suez crisis.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26And actually destroyed an
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Egyptian aircraft in 1956.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Not such a toy.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30So not such a toy.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33All these aircraft together - how do you keep this going?
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Who does this? Well, we have a set of about 50 volunteers,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39and they preserve them and restore them,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and keep them in pristine condition.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44There's an awful lot of engineering in these aircraft.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Where do you get the skills, the right people to do this?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48We have people who come to us,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and they come from all walks of life.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52We have solicitors, we have architects,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54we have investment brokers,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56we have lorry drivers.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The passion is they love aircraft,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and once they start to work on an aircraft you can't pull them away.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06That's a Doodlebug. Absolutely correct.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Do you know how I know that? No.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Second World War, my grandfather, bomb disposal,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11was the first man to make safe a doodlebug.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Wow. That is something. This is part of my family history.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16That is something.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21If I was looking for somewhere to build Harry's plane,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25is there anywhere better than this? Look no further. This is the place.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27We should be able to replicate it.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29But as to whether it will fly or not...
0:23:33 > 0:23:37In Alistair's workshop, a master craftsman labouring away.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40Echoes of Harry.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And with the airframe finished ahead of schedule,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53William beats a path to Alistair's door.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54That looks fabulous!
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Do you still want to fly it?
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Oh, yeah. It's surprising that it's a lot bigger in length.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01Do you think it'll fly?
0:24:02 > 0:24:04It'll have to fly, that's for sure.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06The finish is superb.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Not too bad, no. It's surprising how big...
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Yeah. It's so long, is the thing that catches you out.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Well, I tell you, it looks superb.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It really does. How do you find this, as far as rigidity,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21building it off the plan? The plans are very accurate.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23The plans are very good to work off.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25I like the way you've done the A-frame. Is that glued?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27That's glued. That's glued, because
0:24:27 > 0:24:29you're going to be putting something in, over there.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31And if I glued it and pinned it,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I might disturb where you're going to put your pins.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37The wood, to me, looks really good as far as finish.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38And as far as strength,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42it's all triangulated which is normal engineering practice.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I don't know what it's like for weight, and I suppose...
0:24:45 > 0:24:46Try lifting it.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50We're lifting it against the A-frame, but...
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Yeah, there is a bit of weight in it, OK.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54It's surprising, just...
0:24:55 > 0:24:56I didn't think it would be so heavy.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Well, there's quite a lot of wood in it. Yeah.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01I wonder what the weight is like in the front.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02Let's have a look in that.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05This is a hefty bit of wood, there's no doubt. Yeah.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06Oh...
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10You can feel the weight in that OK.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13You getting worried? Yeah, I am worried.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14It's heavier than I imagined.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16There's not a lot you can cut out, you know?
0:25:16 > 0:25:18It's as per plan.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20The heaviest bits of timber, probably,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23is the A-frame and some of the ash in the back.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25You know, you could put a lighter timber in,
0:25:25 > 0:25:30but I don't want to see you coming down and the fuselage breaking.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34It has to be strong. That's my seat, so it has to take me.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Over in Hollywood,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43they're getting the measure of Harry's undercarriage.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Every modern workshop, you've got all these tools around the place.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50And I think what'll Harry be doing? You know, what's his workshop like?
0:25:50 > 0:25:53100 years ago - must have been difficult.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57But then you think his workshop had electricity, he had power tools.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It was one of the most advanced workshops in the country.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04It would have been a bit like this.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06So what are we doing? These bends. Bending it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08So if you want to set the backstop at 25 degrees...
0:26:08 > 0:26:11The front edge of this goes to 25 degrees?
0:26:11 > 0:26:12Yup.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Right. Back towards you.
0:26:14 > 0:26:1839 to the... Back towards you, back, back, back, back...
0:26:18 > 0:26:19And it's 39.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21That's 39 exactly to the yellow, OK?
0:26:21 > 0:26:22Yeah. Spot on.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24Former in.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30This just seems, to me, to be too easy.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Right. Whip it out.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Two of these, one axle - we've got an undercarriage.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45Yup. Good man.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00And in the Ferguson factory in Banbridge,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04the proud tradition of weaving Irish linen is still alive and well.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09We need one of the oldest fabrics the company makes,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12a grade known as eight bar eight -
0:27:12 > 0:27:15light enough yet strong enough to cover Harry's plane.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Is this it? This is it. Eight bar eight.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20I think this is the best option,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22and I think this is what he would have used.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Right. Have you got much of it?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Well, we've got lots of it. How much do you want?
0:27:27 > 0:27:29100 square yards?
0:27:29 > 0:27:30No problem.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37That was easier than I thought.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41So the linen's in the bag.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44And Alistair's airframe has come along beautifully.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47But there's many a slip twixt cup and lip.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Let's hope that's the last time William crashes.
0:27:53 > 0:27:54Next time...
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Harry's plane takes off...
0:27:57 > 0:27:59to its new home at the Ulster Aviation Society.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I probably look like James Bond.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06There's enough string.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08We are at 1,300.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13And I get a spectacular view of Newcastle, in Harry's slipstream.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16He crashed several times, he buckled wheels, he broke wings,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18but the man was stubborn and very brave.