0:00:03 > 0:00:07Air travel - fast, efficient and safe -
0:00:07 > 0:00:11an everyday fact of life, now.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14But not that long ago, it was a very different story.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Back in the early 1900s, aviation was in its infancy,
0:00:18 > 0:00:23and a County Down man was at the forefront of an international race
0:00:23 > 0:00:25into the skies.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Harry Ferguson, known the world over for his tractors,
0:00:28 > 0:00:32was also the first man to design, build and fly
0:00:32 > 0:00:35an aircraft in Ireland.
0:00:35 > 0:00:41I'm Dick Strawbridge and we're on a mission to make and fly that little
0:00:41 > 0:00:43plane from the early 20th century.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46William, you're on, sir!
0:00:46 > 0:00:50'Our test pilot will bravely follow Ferguson into
0:00:50 > 0:00:52'the grey skies of Ulster.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:53Are you ready, William?
0:00:53 > 0:00:55No, but let's go!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57It's the chance of a lifetime.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59It really, really is.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02About there. DRILL BUZZES
0:01:02 > 0:01:05'We're searching out the final few craftsmen,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09'engineers and technicians with the traditional skills
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'to recreate Harry's plane.'
0:01:11 > 0:01:13It's never been done before
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and I'm really not sure if it's even possible.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Dangerous? Maybe.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20But one thing's for certain - we're going to give it a go.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Welcome aboard The Great Flying Challenge.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35So, we're looking for Slieve Donard?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Yeah, Slieve Donard's over there.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42'The man who's going to fly Harry's plane is taking me for a spin
0:01:42 > 0:01:45'over the gentle farmlands of County Down.'
0:01:45 > 0:01:47What we're going to do is fly over Mourneview.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48See the caravan park?
0:01:48 > 0:01:51And we'll do a left-hand orbit, and then drop down onto the beach,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53and right up the beach. OK.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56'William McMinn is heading for the coast,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59'where young Harry took on one of the biggest challenges of
0:01:59 > 0:02:01'his flying career.'
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Flight demonstrations were growing increasingly popular across the UK
0:02:10 > 0:02:12as a way of attracting tourists.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15It's a lovely stretch of beach.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Once that tide's out, you have loads and loads of sand.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Ideal.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25'The local council offered Harry ?100 prize money if he could
0:02:25 > 0:02:27'fly a minimum of two miles...'
0:02:27 > 0:02:30That's the mountain ahead of us, just so you know. Yeah, yeah.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34'..but he bit off a little more than he could chew.'
0:02:35 > 0:02:38He crashed several times, buckled wheels, broke wings.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40The man was stubborn,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42but he was determined and very brave.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48Harry's first attempts in July 1910 were dogged by bad flying conditions
0:02:48 > 0:02:50for his flimsy plane.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Do you know what caught him out? The mountain.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Once the air was blowing over the mountain,
0:02:55 > 0:02:56he had a lot of turbulence in here.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58We're feeling a bit of turbulence here. Yes.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00He wouldn't have understood turbulence. No, he wouldn't,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03and we are in a much stronger and better-handling aircraft
0:03:03 > 0:03:06than he was. This was all a new environment for him.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10'But Harry's stop-at-nothing attitude came good in August.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12'When the weather was right, he did it.'
0:03:12 > 0:03:13I love the determination.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Well, I think that shows you the character of the man.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20He picked himself up, repaired the plane and away he went.
0:03:20 > 0:03:21Harry was no fool,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and he was going to prove that he could do it.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26He wasn't going to be beat,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28and I think he revelled in that.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'Our team is in the groove.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37'Master boat-builder Alistair Duffin has already built
0:03:37 > 0:03:39'the body of the plane,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43'and he's bringing over 50 years of woodworking skill into play to
0:03:43 > 0:03:45'manufacture our wings.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53'William is also the engineer leading the entire project,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57'but making a vintage replica is well out of his comfort zone.'
0:03:58 > 0:04:03Putting the first cleat or U bracket in, I was very nervous.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06All of my aircraft have really been aluminium and metal,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10so I'm dealing with a new medium, as far as drilling wood.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14But the only way you're going to get it done is start and do it.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'And the boys at Crossle Racing Cars are turning the clock back,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23'and making the undercarriage just like Harry's metalworkers did.'
0:04:24 > 0:04:28So, this is our baby and we're now starting to make it into a plane.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34'It's critical that every part of our plane is built to
0:04:34 > 0:04:35'the highest specification.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38'Harry didn't have to worry about getting permission to fly,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40'but we do.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44'The aircraft will have to be cleared by an expert to get
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'a flight certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59'The most important part of our puzzle is still missing -
0:04:59 > 0:05:01'we need to find an engine.'
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Harry was only 18 when he went to work in his brother's car business
0:05:07 > 0:05:11in Belfast, but by the time he was ready to fly, aged 25,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15he had a growing reputation as a brilliant mechanic.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18But even great mechanics make mistakes,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21and he wrecked a brand-new aeromotor when he was testing it.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Over-revving cost him the best part of ?30,000 in today's money.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26He did find the cash for a replacement,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and we're here in Gloucestershire cos we've managed to track down
0:05:29 > 0:05:31an example of the motor he used,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34and that's not bad, cos they're as rare as hen's teeth.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Vintage car enthusiast Richard Scaldwell is
0:05:40 > 0:05:42as much an artist as a mechanic,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and it's thanks to his passion for keeping old engines alive
0:05:46 > 0:05:51that we can hear what Harry heard.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Your interest in old engines and things, where does it come from?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Where does it come from? I don't know! Yeah.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Have you always been into old ones? They're amazing things to own
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and they are around and somebody's got to own them.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Somebody's got to look after them and do something decent with them,
0:06:05 > 0:06:06haven't they? They're not just engines.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09They are actually functional art to me.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12That's really quite interesting because they are art -
0:06:12 > 0:06:13they are so beautiful. Yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16And is it running? Oh, yeah, it's running. Yeah, yeah.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18It's the only one that you can see running.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Really? Yeah, because the other three engines are all in museums
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and they are not operational.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26'Harry used the same model that now powers
0:06:26 > 0:06:30'Richard's 1914 GN racing car.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:35Richard, that is ridiculously gorgeous.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51There's a little part of me that's horrified that
0:06:51 > 0:06:53an aeroplane engine is in your car instead of in an aeroplane.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54It's the best place for it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It's used all the time.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58It goes racing, it goes hill climbing
0:06:58 > 0:07:00and it goes touring in France.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It's just the most fantastic engine.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05It is also the most beautiful engine you're ever going to look at.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07It's a V8. Yeah. Yeah.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08It's not the first V8.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11There were other V8s before this but, yes.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Air-cooled, it's just over five litres...
0:07:13 > 0:07:15You can almost see it all happening. Well, you can.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17You can see everything on this engine
0:07:17 > 0:07:19because everything is on the outside of the crankcase.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21The pushrods are outside, all the rockers are outside.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23That's why it looks so wonderful.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27We have a little bit of air pressure.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34ENGINE RUMBLES
0:07:34 > 0:07:37This is exactly what Harry would have been listening to! Yeah.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40ENGINE PURRS
0:07:40 > 0:07:41The sound is there. Yeah.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43The smell.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45The heat that we're getting coming off it. Yeah, yeah.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50And all of that in a time when this was so cutting-edge.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Absolutely right. Yeah.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54ENGINE REVS
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Period articles about flying with these engines
0:08:00 > 0:08:04and all the other types of aeroplane engine that they were building,
0:08:04 > 0:08:05they were spraying oil out
0:08:05 > 0:08:08because it's a total-loss lubrication system.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10You put a little bit of oil in,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and most of it gets burnt and what doesn't gets sprayed all over you.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16As the pilot, you could fly for about 15 minutes before you had
0:08:16 > 0:08:19to land and then try and get all the oil out of your clothes.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22They were brave or daft, weren't they? But, you know, wonderful.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26ENGINE REVS AND STOPS
0:08:27 > 0:08:30What's the chances of us actually taking this engine,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32getting it out of your car and shoving it on our aeroplane?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34I'll shove you on an aeroplane, mate(!)
0:08:34 > 0:08:36No, you can't have that engine. No.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40And I don't think you really want to fly behind this engine.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42You know, it appears to be completely reliable
0:08:42 > 0:08:44when you're on four wheels,
0:08:44 > 0:08:45but hanging in the sky,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47I don't think I'd want to do that, really. Really?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49I think it's a bit late for this one.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51I think you might have to use something else.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53OK. All right, I've got to tell you,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55there's a little part of me that wants to use it
0:08:55 > 0:08:57but there's a little part of me saying it's...
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Yeah, I mean, it does seem daft not using it, doesn't it?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02But, yeah, it's staying in my car.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Sorry, mate!
0:09:04 > 0:09:07'Well, with that option firmly off the table,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10'it looks like finding a modern alternative is the way to go.'
0:09:10 > 0:09:13If you hold that in the centre line...
0:09:13 > 0:09:16'Definitely William's area of expertise.'
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Roughly 10.5 inches.
0:09:17 > 0:09:1810.5 inches.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20'William has his hands full with the build,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24'but he'll be busier still when he takes the pilot seat.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28'By today's standards, this is a seriously exposed position,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31'sitting more on the plane than in it,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34'but he wouldn't swap Harry's seat for the world.'
0:09:34 > 0:09:36William! Look what I've got.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Whoa, matey!
0:09:38 > 0:09:39You've been busy!
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Is this a present for me?
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Not yet. Oh, you're a bad man.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45You're a bad man. Look at this!
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Yeah. You wouldn't believe the work we have done on this.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49I do believe it!
0:09:49 > 0:09:50The whole tail end's sorted?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Yes. We have it all hinged, look.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54The rudder moves.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Left and right. Elevator moves.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Up and down. All the hinges done.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59And do you notice this bit?
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Yeah, but hold on, hold on.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Alistair gave you the woodwork and what did you do?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Well, we had to lighten it a little bit.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Does that make a big difference? Yes, we have a concern.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Because we're so far back from the engine,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13any small weight here has a big, big bearing on the balance of the plane.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Right. So, look - we have made it like a piece of cheese.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18We have probably saved about a third of the weight of that
0:10:18 > 0:10:20by what we have cut off it.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31You've had to make everything, all these little...
0:10:31 > 0:10:34We have made everything that you see in this aircraft.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37All the metalwork has been made in here by Steve and myself.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39What was the hardest?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I would say the hardest thing we have had to do is all this bracing.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45We're nearly finished it and every section is, like,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48pulling cables at all the diagonals. It does take time.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Say when. Go.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Are you happy that you've actually made it more rigid, stronger?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Oh, yeah, yeah. If I'd move that,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01the whole fuselage, the whole structure is moving as one.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04It's not twisting... No. ..the whole lot is moving. Yes.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Are you happy with that? Oh, yeah. I am quite happy.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08There's an immense strength in that.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I mean, I'm happy as a pilot that I can say,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13"Yes, this structure's strong."
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It's not exactly the same,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20but you're happy you're in Harry Ferguson's mind-set
0:11:20 > 0:11:22to produce what is a good engineering solution?
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Yes, because the plans have no metalwork,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28so we have to think and we have to design and cut and make.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31How are we going to do it? How can we do it simply?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33So this is the result of all our labour.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Perfect!
0:11:35 > 0:11:37It looks like an aeroplane.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38It looks like a strong aeroplane.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40You know, you've worked so hard,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I think you're allowed to sit on your seat. Aw, thank you!
0:11:53 > 0:11:55You know something? This is perfect.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58William, that is so impressive.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I probably look like James Bond!
0:12:01 > 0:12:02No, that wasn't the thing that came to my mind,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06what I was thinking about there. It's the hat that does it! Yeah.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10'Not so much double-oh seven - more like double-"oh, no".'
0:12:14 > 0:12:18The wings are really taking shape in Alistair Duffin's workshop.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Beautifully shaped ribs, fixed in place,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26and held by sturdy spars cut from Douglas fir.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30It's vital they're light enough, strong enough,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34and safe enough to carry William and our dream of flight.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38They need to be just right if we're going to get a permit to fly.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42This is the first of the wings.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Oh, yeah...
0:12:45 > 0:12:46Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49They're big whenever you see them like that.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Now, that's upside down, obviously.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53I wonder what weight it is?
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I'm going to pick this wingtip up. Go on, have a lift.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57It looks heavy. I'm hoping it's going to...
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01That, now, that is a surprise.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Yeah, it's not as heavy as what it looks.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07No. It's nicely made - it really is.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09And it's quite intricate, whenever you see it.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10Oh, it is - it takes quite a time to do that.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Yeah. The ribs, are those simply interlocked?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Yeah. These are your main spars.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18The main spar has about an inch taken out of it,
0:13:18 > 0:13:19and the height, 25mm. Yes.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22And then these are set in, but they're all glued.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26They're glued into these wee blocks and they are quite strong.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28This is the parts that give the wing the strength.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29That's the strong... Yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32If these break, the plane's grounded. Mm-hmm.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34You'll need a spare wing. We'll need a spare wing.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41'Over at our build headquarters...'
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Crimp when you're ready.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'Steve Lowry is teaching me how to fix bracing wires
0:13:46 > 0:13:47'to strengthen the fuselage.'
0:13:49 > 0:13:53We'll need about 10mm through.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Now, if you can put that into the third hole on the crimper.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00'Steve is William's wing man on the project,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02'making most of the metal fixings.'
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Good.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06I was born in an RAF camp and raised there,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09and joined up, and served my own time in the Royal Air Force,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13and I just got a passion for planes of any shape.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Did you ever think, when you were the young Steve,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19that you were going to be working on something that is so old
0:14:19 > 0:14:21and so different?
0:14:21 > 0:14:22As the young Steve, I had no idea that this
0:14:22 > 0:14:24was how they built planes back then.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Now I appreciate the risks they took
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and the challenges they overcame in engineering
0:14:31 > 0:14:34to make this, basically, pile of sticks fly!
0:14:34 > 0:14:36This pile of sticks is going to fly!
0:14:39 > 0:14:40OK.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I'm on my way to Tandragee for a flying lesson.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I'm trying to get a feel for what young Harry Ferguson
0:14:58 > 0:15:00had to deal with when he climbed into the cockpit of
0:15:00 > 0:15:04his flimsy little plane in 1909.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Is this big enough? That's it. Oh, good.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Good, good.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10PLANE WHIRS
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Harry Ferguson would have been, here, at this stage,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17listening to his engine and nothing else.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19LAUGHTER
0:15:19 > 0:15:22He would have been bricking it. Do you know what?
0:15:22 > 0:15:23I am.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26'My instructor used to farm this land,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29'but Raphael O'Carroll traded the milk cows for microlights
0:15:29 > 0:15:31'and has never looked back.'
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Now, you hold the stick nice and gently. I'm holding it gently.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Right, and I want you to add a wee bit of back pressure,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41just to feel what it's doing.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44There, you see the nose coming up? Oh, yeah. OK.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48A little birdie told me that your learning to fly was
0:15:48 > 0:15:49a little bit like our Harry Ferguson.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Yes, to a degree. There's no doubt, yeah.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56A good friend of mine and myself, we bought ourselves a microlight.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58We didn't have lessons.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01We just taxied ourselves up and down a big 30-acre field.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Yeah, we're going down a bit, so...
0:16:03 > 0:16:05OK, well, we're still in level flight.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07We're doing good and the speed's good.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Wow, you have to be gentle with this.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12The day that I actually took off for the first time,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14I only went up to about five feet,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16and I actually closed the throttle really quickly
0:16:16 > 0:16:19cos it scared the devil out of me,
0:16:19 > 0:16:24and I landed down the ground with a bang.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Listen, you're talking Harry Ferguson here, aren't you?
0:16:26 > 0:16:29There's no doubt. You're talking the same mind-set of... Yeah.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33..you hop, you skip, and then the next thing you know, you're flying.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37'This cosy flight couldn't be further from Harry's experience.'
0:16:37 > 0:16:40The principles are the same on this microlight
0:16:40 > 0:16:42as it would have been on Harry's?
0:16:42 > 0:16:43The principles are the same,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46but you see the way we can try this aircraft, you see,
0:16:46 > 0:16:47on a hands-off situation?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I'd rather you didn't do that.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51He wouldn't be in that position.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54No, he had to... He had to fight the aircraft.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57He had to clean it, he had to fly it and that's where it stopped.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00'He was also perched on top of the plane,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03'exposed to the elements and constant danger.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05'I much prefer this.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:24They do it effortlessly, instinctively -
0:17:24 > 0:17:27birds inspired the earliest aviators,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31who studied how wings flex and move to make flight possible.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Harry Ferguson used that principle of movement on his plane -
0:17:42 > 0:17:45a mechanism known as wing warping,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47where cables physically alter the shape of the wing.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55It sounds like old technology, and very last century,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58but the engineers here at Queen's,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00they know it was an idea ahead of its time.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Wing warping is really beautiful,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05because it takes advantage of something that was already there,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08which is the flexibility of the wings.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11So the idea is that because they're inherently flexible,
0:18:11 > 0:18:16if you force that flex this way, with cables and levers and things,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19what you're doing is you're changing the shape of the wing
0:18:19 > 0:18:21in a way that's going to give you the lift
0:18:21 > 0:18:23in the direction that you want it.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26OK, so Harry harnessed the flexing of the wings to do it.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27Yes.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Why didn't all the aeroplanes from then until now have it?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Cos everybody seemed to have flaps. Oh, yes. Sure.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Why did we go into the flap stage instead of just saying,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38"You know, Harry, bright idea, let's do more of that"?
0:18:38 > 0:18:41As we wanted to go faster, we needed stronger, more rigid material,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43so then we went to flaps.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46However, now that we're moving even beyond that,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48and we're going very, very fast on aircraft,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51now we can, kind of, return to this idea -
0:18:51 > 0:18:53can we look at smart structures and smart materials
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and computer-aided ways of moving the wing?
0:18:56 > 0:18:57Today... Yeah.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00..we have the technology that allows us to go back to
0:19:00 > 0:19:01moving and flexing our wings.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03We do, but we're doing it for a different reason.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Now we're doing it in order to minimise things like flutter,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08or get controllability in very high-speed regions,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10like the transonic regions,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12which is right before you get to the speed of sound.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Are there any aircraft with this?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Or are we soon going to have an aircraft that can actually fly
0:19:16 > 0:19:17by warping its wings?
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Well, there are aircraft that do fly by warping the wings right now.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21They're all experimental.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24NASA is, pretty much, the organisation that is really
0:19:24 > 0:19:27exploring this idea in a lot more detail.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35And up near Limavady, under Binevenagh Mountain,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38our wings are on their way to be clothed in Irish linen.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Many of the earliest aeroplanes were covered in this super-strong fabric
0:19:46 > 0:19:49to make a protective skin over the airframe.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55It was once commonplace here, woven everywhere,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59but now the cloth, and those who work it, are vanishingly rare.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07'Aircraft technician Owen Anderson is one of a bare handful of people
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'capable of covering Harry's plane.'
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Owen, there's some more to cover, sir.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14There you go - there's a rudder. Thank you very much, sir.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Right. Thanking you. Hey. Lots of aircraft in here.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Yes, we've got lots of light aircraft here, up near the front.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Two tug planes to tow the gliders up, a few microlights,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25and, in the back here, we have the club gliders.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26How long has the club been here?
0:20:26 > 0:20:29The club has been here from the early '30s.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Really? Yep. It started down on Magilligan Beach,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35towing up the gliders with a car.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38A large car with a V8 engine towed it up to the cliffs
0:20:38 > 0:20:39and they soared the cliffs.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42What do you actually do in the club? What's your title?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45I'm the Club Technical Officer - a very grand title.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Oh, dear, goodness. Basically, I keep the aircraft in the air.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50I keep the gliders flying.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53So, you do the maintenance as well, the repairs, everything like that?
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I do the maintenance and repairs, a few refurbishments every year...
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I just basically keep old gliders flying as well.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Old wooden gliders that, maybe, would have been abandoned,
0:21:04 > 0:21:05maybe a few years ago,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07I basically try and keep them in existence.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09But this is my latest project.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14These are the wings of a 1955 single-seat glider.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16This glider actually holds the Irish height record -
0:21:16 > 0:21:2127,000 feet from a car-tow on Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Whoa! Mm-hmm. 27...
0:21:23 > 0:21:25That's the height of Everest, nearly. Exactly, exactly.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Is that wood? It's wooden in the front -
0:21:27 > 0:21:30plywood in the front and back here is fabric.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31That's a modern fabric called Ceconite -
0:21:31 > 0:21:34it's a Dacron fabric you iron on with an iron,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37quite unlike what we're going to be working at in the workshop.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39That's quite special, isn't it?
0:21:39 > 0:21:40The workshop, eh?!
0:21:40 > 0:21:41That's the workshop. Yup.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Owen, what can I say, fella?
0:21:46 > 0:21:52I recognise this skeleton but the wing looks phenomenal.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55You have taken this... There must have been masses of work in there.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Lots of work - at least two solid days' heavy work
0:21:59 > 0:22:02just attaching the fabric to the wings.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05The wings have come home. This is exactly right place for them.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06"This is exactly the right place" is right.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09This is where Harry would have been, down at Magilligan Point.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11He would been working on his aircraft as well
0:22:11 > 0:22:14because, bearing in mind, he didn't come up and assemble it
0:22:14 > 0:22:15and fly it straight away.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18He would have worked on the aircraft for a few days
0:22:18 > 0:22:20to get it flight-ready.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25How many people in Ireland would know how to do this?
0:22:25 > 0:22:28At the minute, maybe a handful, if you're lucky.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29What can I do to help?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31OK, I want you to do a wee bit of stitching.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Poke it through here,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and you're going to send it back out this side,
0:22:38 > 0:22:39without poking me in the eye.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Can you see me? No, I cannot...
0:22:41 > 0:22:43HE SCREAMS Yes!
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Send it back through.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Wow, there's enough string!
0:22:48 > 0:22:49It's so long.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51You had it there. You were on it. Go for it.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Is that it? Lovely. Come through now - I want you to do the knot now.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Watch your feet, cos you're standing on the thread.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Keep pulling that, there. You can let go of that loop now.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Hold on tight to that. Yeah, which side do I come from?
0:23:01 > 0:23:02Back to that side there.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Underneath it now.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06I'm worried that... You're doing well.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Now I come down through...
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Mm-hmm, and straight through the loop.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Give it a good pull, cos there's a knot on the needle. Yes!
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Lovely. Just pull this? Give it a good pull.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17First one!
0:23:17 > 0:23:18Perfect.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33William! Stephen!
0:23:33 > 0:23:34How are you?
0:23:34 > 0:23:35There you go.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39You got me a present. Ta-da! What do you reckon?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Lovely. The wheels look quite big compared to the pictures.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Hmm, they might look a bit big but they have strength.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48It's a strong... It's a strong assembly.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50If they're higher because they're bigger,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53it's going to change the angle of the plane. Does that worry you?
0:23:53 > 0:23:55No, as long as that front wheel is off the ground
0:23:55 > 0:23:57whenever that aeroplane is sitting level.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59All it does is protect it the prop.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00Let's see if it fits.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Steve, do us a favour, mate. Grab an airframe. Let's go.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13That doesn't look too terrible.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15I think it looks rather well.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16What about the angle of take off?
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Do we need to lift the tail up and see how that looks? Yeah.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Down. Down a wee bit. Down, down, down. That's great.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Easy, easy, easy, easy.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25No, that's perfect. That's perfect.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27How does that look?
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Close? That's perfect because it's level with the back wall.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Get away! Get away!
0:24:40 > 0:24:41I told you.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43I'm a draughtsman. I've got a level eye.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45ENGINE REVS
0:24:45 > 0:24:49'That lovely old engine from the distant past will never fly again,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53'so what's William decided to replace it with?'
0:24:53 > 0:24:54Talk to me. What have we have here?
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Well, this is a Rotax engine, a 912 - a very, very popular engine.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01A modern engine which I know will take me into the air.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04It has loads of power, and, you see, once I start it, it will run.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07I've got a little feeling that the idea of an old engine
0:25:07 > 0:25:08wasn't cheering you up.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I think you were trying to kill me, putting that old engine in.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Never. Never, never, never! OK, I'm guessing the propeller's there.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15That would be correct.
0:25:19 > 0:25:20You see, the thing about Harry's engine,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23the oil that was fed into it got sprayed all over the place.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25The propeller would have blown it all over him. Correct.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27You've got a closed-system, modern aeroplane -
0:25:27 > 0:25:28the oil stays in the engine.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30This engine is oil-tight.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Yeah. You see, the old engines - that's why pilots wore scarves,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36so that they could take the scarf and clean their goggles.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I never thought of Biggles wearing a scarf to clean his goggles.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43When Harry Ferguson took to the air,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46the skies were open and free to everyone,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49but, a century later, air space is at a premium
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and we need permission to fly.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58'Dr Alexander Ellin is the only engineer in the UK with
0:25:58 > 0:26:02'the experience and credentials to pronounce us flight-worthy.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06'He's here on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority
0:26:06 > 0:26:08'and he's marking William's homework.'
0:26:09 > 0:26:12If I was to have any concern, in my initial view on the fuselage,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15it is the amount of weight you've got down the back end.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Yeah.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18And, you know, your pilot behind the wing there,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20and the engine being lighter,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22and the amount of weight you've got down the back end,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26we're going to be very careful as to where the C of G lies.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30'Finding the centre of gravity is the least of William's problems.'
0:26:30 > 0:26:33If I had any significant concerns at the moment,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35they centre around the wings.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Right. I'm concerned about the way that you've joined
0:26:38 > 0:26:40the ribs to the spars -
0:26:40 > 0:26:43in particular the way that you've weakened the spars to do it.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Is that because there's a slight undercut in the spar
0:26:46 > 0:26:47which is weakening the spar?
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Your spar is about four inches deep.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Well, you've cut into it by an inch at the top,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56and you've put in stress raisers every ten inches along the wing,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and I think that if you were trying to get it through
0:26:59 > 0:27:03a modern airworthiness certification... Mm-hmm. Yes.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04..it would fail.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Yeah. OK. Erm...
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Is it capable of doing the flight that you want to do?
0:27:11 > 0:27:12The honest answer is, I don't know.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17If you asked me to stand up here now and say, is it strong enough?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I would have to say, no, it probably isn't.
0:27:19 > 0:27:25Right. But what we can do is we can use modern computer analysis,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28we can look at the strength of the wing, and we can make...
0:27:28 > 0:27:30use that, then, to make a judgment,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32is it good enough for what you want to achieve?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34OK, but it's going to be your judgement call
0:27:34 > 0:27:35at the end of the day.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Yes, and I don't think it's strong enough,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39I will not authorise the flight test.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45'Next time, will our wings pass the stress test?'
0:27:45 > 0:27:48WOOD SNAPS There it goes.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Do you know what you need?
0:27:49 > 0:27:50What?
0:27:50 > 0:27:5120p for the slot.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57'I go back to school for a virtual flying lesson in Harry's plane.'
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Oh, I'm up in the air. Yes.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Oh, damn!
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Whoa, whoa, whoa. That's blue skies, people.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Are you getting any sensation in there?
0:28:05 > 0:28:06I do feel sick, actually.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Is nobody worried about the fact that I'm heading into space?
0:28:11 > 0:28:14'Let's hope William is a lot better than me in the simulator.'
0:28:14 > 0:28:16You've made me nervous, you really have.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19'And we'll find out what the stress tests mean for
0:28:19 > 0:28:21'our Great Flying Challenge.'
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Alex, good afternoon.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24We've done the testing.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25Right.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27'Is it a pass or a fail?'