Weird But True (2016–…): Season 2, Episode 3 - Race Cars - full transcript
Kirby learns about race vehicle design and Charlie learns about being a race car driver in preparation for an upcoming soapbox derby competition. Focusing on dragsters, they learn about aerodynamics and tricks to increase speed.
CHARLIE: Hey,
guys. Charlie here!
You know my sister, Kirby!
Today we're hanging
out thousands...
...of feet in the
air in a biplane!
KIRBY: Weird
but true, in 2007...
...flight engineers figured
out how to run an airplane...
...on french fry grease!
CHARLIE: It's time
for Weird But True!
(theme music plays)
KIRBY: What does it mean?
CHARLIE: It's probably nothing.
KIRBY: Or everything!
CHARLIE: Hey guys,
we're glad you're here.
The weirdest
thing just happened.
We were down here crafting.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Crafting away.
CHARLIE (off-screen):
Normal day.
KIRBY (off-screen): Very normal.
CHARLIE (off-screen): Until.
BOB (off-screen): Mail's here!
KIRBY: Mail's here.
CHARLIE: The mail's here.
Thanks, Bob!
Oh, man. It's so much.
Let's see we've
got, Paper Monthly .
Science Weekly .
Crafter's Daily .
Ooooo, what's this?
TIMMY (off-screen):
You are cordially invited to
attend a birthday party for me,
your little cousin
Timmy, this Saturday.
CHARLIE: Sweet!
TIMMY: Presents welcome,
except Charlie and Kirby,
just bring yourselves.
KIRBY: Wait, what?
CHARLIE: Yeah, what?
KIRBY: What's wrong with
our presents, Timothy?
CHARLIE: We always thought
we gave the best presents.
PATRICK: A cockroach!
CASEY: Oh, purple slime.
BOB: Oh, what is this?
KIRBY: Now we're thinking,
it might be possible.
CHARLIE: Hear us out.
KIRBY: That people
don't like our presents.
CHARLIE: And maybe.
KIRBY: Just maybe.
CHARLIE: That if they ask
us not to bring presents
to their birthday parties,
they might stop
bringing presents to
our birthday parties.
KIRBY: Imagine a
world without presents!
BOB: Hey, guys.
We got you a present.
PATRICK: Nothing!
(scream)
(evil laugh)
(scream)
(evil laugh)
(scream)
KIRBY: We gotta save
our gift giving reputation!
CHARLIE: And the only way is
to forget this invitation, and
bring the best present in the
whole entire world.
KIRBY: 100%.
CHARLIE: So,
we're thinking, what does
little cousin Timmy love?
KIRBY: Something little.
CHARLIE: Something cousin-y.
KIRBY: He loves
Big Bill the Biplane .
It's this kid's show.
He never misses an episode.
CHARLIE: So probably
something airplane related?
KIRBY: Why not?
CHARLIE: Perfect. Let's do it.
That means today we're
unraveling the world of.
KIRBY (off-screen): Airplanes!
CHARLIE (off-screen): Airplanes!
CHARLIE: Got it?
KIRBY: Got it.
CHARLIE: So, it turns out
that Timmy's not alone.
Flight is something
that humans have always
been interested in.
The ancient Greeks believed
in the legend of Icarus,
a man who made wings
out of wax and feathers,
but flew too
close to the sun.
Or there's the legendary king
of Persia, who attached eagles
to his throne to travel all
around his kingdom.
These are just myths.
KIRBY: Yeah!
Like made up stories.
CHARLIE: But the real
story of human flight features
some legendary characters, too.
Just ask these guys.
KIRBY: Shoes off!
No liquids!
No! Liquids!
CHARLIE: We've seen everything
come down this conveyer belt.
KIRBY: Weird but True,
this one guy, he tried
to sneak on a bag full
of like 600,000 eels.
CHARLIE: Eels!
So, we know a thing or
two about everything,
and I can tell ya.
It was these guys,
the Montgolfier brothers,
were the first to
make human flight happen.
KIRBY: Joseph!
CHARLIE: Jacques?
KIRBY: A balloon, full of air!
CHARLIE: What a genius idea!
KIRBY: The hot air balloon.
Our idea will change the
course of human history!
CHARLIE: And it did.
KIRBY: For a little while.
The first passengers on their
hot air balloon were a sheep,
a duck, and a rooster.
CHARLIE: About 100 years
later, this hot-shot German
engineer, Otto Lilienthal,
decides to take things
in a different direction.
KIRBY: Agnes!
CHARLIE: Otto?
KIRBY: A hot air balloon?
CHARLIE: What a terrible idea!
KIRBY: How about
this, zee glider.
CHARLIE: What a genius idea!
KIRBY: My idea will change
the course of human history!
CHARLIE: And it did.
KIRBY: For a little while.
CHARLIE: Until shortly
after that, a couple of
bicycle mechanics from the
United States, the
Wright brothers, they're like,
"Hey, let's take things
a different direction."
KIRBY: Wilber?
CHARLIE: Orville!
KIRBY: A glider.
CHARLIE: What a terrible idea!
KIRBY: How about this,
the powered airplane!
CHARLIE: What a genius idea!
KIRBY: Our idea will change
the course of human history!
CHARLIE: That one did change
the course of human history,
because it led directly to the
airplanes of today.
And this mess.
KIRBY: People,
come on! No liquids!
CHARLIE: And that's how we got
from mythology to airplanes.
KIRBY: And now it's our
turn, to build the next
great flying machine!
CHARLIE: The perfect gift.
How do we do that?
KIRBY: I don't know, but
I think there's a book
back here that'll help.
CHARLIE: Ah, "Miss
Prissy's Principles of
the Prim and Proper."
KIRBY: Positively perfect.
CHARLIE: Peruse
a portion? KIRBY:
Plenty pertinent.
CHARLIE: Let's
see, how to look interested,
compliment a baby, not burp.
Chapter eight,
how to give a gift.
Let's check it out.
The perfect gift is personal.
It reflects the gift
givers attentiveness
to the preferences
and palate of the recipient.
And, also, generous.
Often, endowments of
the gift giver's time, effort,
and creativity prompt the most
prestigious of presents.
KIRBY: Should we keep reading?
CHARLIE: No time.
Gotta get rollin'.
So, I'm thinking that the
perfect gift for Timmy would
be a homemade, generous,
replica plane model, personal.
KIRBY: Oh my gosh,
one he can fly around.
CHARLIE: In our backyard.
KIRBY: And do
a bunch of tricks with.
BOTH: This is gonna be so cool!
KIRBY: One problem, we
know nothing about planes.
CHARLIE: It's not
a problem, Kirb.
Just like the other flight
innovators, we have to study
flight in like a million
different ways, and
there's only one place to go
if we wanna do this right,
flight school.
We're headed to the
Ocean County Airport in
Bayville, New Jersey,
near the Jersey Shore.
It's home to the Double
Trouble State Park, so it's
the perfect destination for us.
See you there, in a few.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Weird but True.
CHARLIE: Hey,
guys, we made it!
KIRBY: We're at the
Ocean County Airport in
Bayville, New Jersey.
CHARLIE: This isn't
a vacation though, this,
is a full blown mission.
KIRBY: We're here to learn
everything about flying.
From the baddest
raddest pilot we know.
CHARLIE: Jim Lonergan.
(screams)
So Jim's just flying
up in the air casually,
does a double flip,
collects himself
and just flies away.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Hundreds of feet in the air.
CHARLIE: I feel like if
we wanna know how airplanes
fly, Jim's kind of the man.
Wooo!
This is awesome.
This guy's amazing.
Jim Lonergan trick
pilot and expert instructor.
Flying planes since the age
of 19, Jim built the very
first plane he ever flew.
His favorite weird
but true fact is.
JIM: Only one out of every
20 people on Earth have
ever been in an airplane.
CHARLIE: Hey Jim, what can
you tell us about this plane
because this is the coolest
plane I think I've ever seen.
JIM: Well, it is a cool plane.
It was used in World War II
for a pilot to train in.
It's called a Pilot Cadet, its
number is PT17, that stands
for pilot trainer one seven.
CHARLIE (off-screen):
It looks very old.
JIM (off-screen): But it's in
great shape, she flies great.
CHARLIE: What is
required to get these
planes up in the air?
JIM: Well this airplane
right now is in the
perfect state of flying.
Sitting here right now and all
it needs is wind in the right
place at the right speed this
airplane will fly by itself.
So, we have a hurricane,
I forgot to put my airplane
away, hurricane comes,
100 mile an hour wind
comes right down the nose.
CHARLIE: It will take off?
JIM: Airplane goes
up. It's not gonna land, but
it's gonna, it's gonna go up.
KIRBY: But it does
have an engine.
JIM: Absolutely, because
normally we don't have that
strong wind so you need
something to pull
it into the wind.
And that's what the engine
and the propeller are for.
It spins around and it pulls
the airplane forward and then
air comes over the wing and
creates lift and up it goes.
CHARLIE (off-screen): I'm
imagining that you gotta go
over like a bunch of stuff to
make sure that this is okay
to fly in the air though right?
JIM: First thing is,
pilots use checklists.
KIRBY: Okay.
CHARLIE: Yeah.
JIM: For everything.
CHARLIE: Mhmm.
JIM: And I have a
checklist right here.
CHARLIE: Perfect.
KIRBY: Nice.
JIM: With a gazillion things
I know about flying, so.
CHARLIE: Where do we start?
JIM: We can talk
about lift, or.
BOTH: Whoa!
JIM: Aerodynamics, or flight.
KIRBY: There's so many things!
CHARLIE: You can't mess
around with planes I guess.
JIM: There's a
gazillion things.
CHARLIE: Oh man!
JIM: You need to know.
CHARLIE: Alright, guys.
Jim's throwing around
some pretty heavy terminology,
but luckily we have some other
buddies in the
airplane industry who can help
explain things just a bit more.
Eight off to tango,
traffic is a Cessna 1-72.
Runway 25 right,
have a good flight.
So, you wanna know how to
keep planes up in the air?
KIRBY: You've come
to the perfect place.
This is the air
traffic control tower.
CHARLIE: We get 'em up.
KIRBY: We get 'em down.
CHARLIE: Every day.
Any time a plane is
in the air, there are four
main forces acting on it.
You have thrust,
from the propeller or
engine, shoving it forward.
Air resistance or
drag, shoving it back.
Weight, shoving it down.
And lift, shoving it up.
And that lift force
has to be huge because
planes today are enormous.
These are airfoils.
They create a difference
in air pressure above
and below the wing.
We set up a simple
experiment here.
This rectangular wing
generates no lift.
But that airfoil wing, we
do the exact same thing.
It generates lots of lift.
KIRBY: It's physics!
CHARLIE: Uhhh.
KIRBY: Here we go.
1:10, four miles at 2,800.
Cessna sky hawk
report them in sight.
CHARLIE: Back to the action!
So flying seems pretty
scary, but according to Jim,
if you're prepared should be
pretty fun.
KIRBY: Yup. Now that we
got some principals we gotta
take it to the next level.
CHARLIE (off-screen): Jim's
promised us a ride in the Queen.
This is gonna be awesome!
JIM (off-screen):
Alright guys, here we go.
JIM: It's a beautiful view.
It's a beautiful day
for a biplane ride!
CHARLIE: Dude,
Big Bill the Biplane...
...child's play
compared to the Queen.
We're right behind
the propeller here...
...which is zooming around,
giving us that thrust forward.
But it feels like
we're just floating.
That lift is almost
like a cushion holding
us up in the air.
KIRBY: The plane
is working with the wind, and
you can almost feel weightless.
CHARLIE: Weird but true,
at any given time around 500,000
people are in planes in the air.
We got 3 in this one today.
A little bumpy, little bumpy!
JIM: Well, can you
imagine doing a loop?
CHARLIE: Even talking
about it makes my heart race.
JIM: I've got
a surprise for you.
We're heading back to the
airport. Charlie, you are
gonna fly this airplane.
CHARLIE: Are you serious?
I don't know about that, Jim!
JIM: It's all good.
It's all good.
We're going to have a good time,
and you're going to be great!
CHARLIE (off-screen): Jim says
I'm gonna fly the Queen next.
What? Me, fly an airplane?
KIRBY (off-screen):
Weird but True.
JIM: There you go.
Slide yourself in.
CHARLIE: Alright.
Jim, what do we start with?
JIM (off-screen): Reach
forward and grab that stick,
and bring it back to the left.
Okay. Holding that stick,
don't give it the death grip.
Just nice and
easy relaxed. Okay?
If we want to bring the
nose up, if we want to
pitch the airplane up,
we take the stick and you
bring it back towards you.
There you go.
If we want the nose to
go down, we push the
stick away from you.
The tail's coming up,
the nose is going down.
KIRBY: So right now
Charles is moving the
elevator of the plane.
It helps with the pitch or
moving the nose up or down.
JIM: If we wanna make a left
hand turn, take the stick and
move it to your left side.
CHARLIE (off-screen): Okay.
JIM (off-screen): And we're
gonna come back to neutral.
And if we wanna make a
right hand turn, you move
the stick to the right.
KIRBY: These are the ailerons
of the plane, they're on the
wings and they make the plane
roll if we want it to.
JIM (off-screen):
Okay. So there's one more.
If you want to control
the nose to move left or
right, you use the rudder.
Keep your heels on the floor.
The balls of your feet
on the rudder pedals.
Move your left foot
down and you'll see the
right foot comes back.
KIRBY (off-screen):
And this is the rudder.
It controls the
yaw, which means that
it'll point the nose of
the plane to
the right or left.
JIM: See that
throttle? That big ball?
CHARLIE: Yeah.
JIM: Put your hand
right on there.
Good. And that is it.
You can do this.
It's going to be great.
CHARLIE: I think
I got it! Oh buddy.
JIM (over radio):
Here we go, Charlie.
Alright say it,
"I can do this."
CHARLIE (over radio):
I can do this.
JIM (over radio):
Yeah, I can do this.
CHARLIE (over radio):
I can do this.
JIM (over radio): Yes, you can.
Alright, you're on
the throttle with me?
CHARLIE (over radio): Yup.
JIM (over radio):
The stick is yours.
CHARLIE (over radio): Okay.
JIM (over radio): Here we go.
I'm gonna talk you
right through this.
Here's our power.
Don't pull it back
yet, don't pull it back
yet, not yet, not yet.
JIM: Slightly pull
it back. Pull it back.
There. Perfect!
CHARLIE (over radio): Whew!
JIM: Look in your mirror.
CHARLIE (over radio):
Hey, oh! Ohhhhh!
JIM (over radio): That's it.
JIM: All right, keep her
straight. Keep her straight by
using the stick left and right.
CHARLIE: Got it.
JIM: Lower your
nose a little bit.
Yes, very nice. Very nice.
Charlie, you're flying!
How sweet is that?
Very nice.
You can breathe now.
CHARLIE: I am
very alert right now.
JIM: Yes.
CHARLIE: I have never been
so alert in my life, I think.
JIM: You took
that airplane right off the
runway. That was beautiful.
CHARLIE: Great.
JIM: Beautiful.
CHARLIE: You don't even think
about it. It leaves the ground.
JIM: There is a lot
of thrust in this airplane.
We've got all these wings.
Lots of lift. Lots of
power. She goes right up.
CHARLIE: It's like a bike.
Very small movements.
JIM: Exactly.
We're gonna make a nice
easy right-hand turn.
Yeah, there. Now you're
maintaining that bank angle.
Nice! You're nailing it.
Yeah, yeah, Charlie.
Airplane is yours. Roll left.
Keep rolling.
Good. Hold it right there.
CHARLIE (over radio): Wooo.
JIM: That's it. Be patient.
Awesome job.
Roll wings level.
Roll wings level all the way.
Excellent.
Down we go.
CHARLIE (off-screen):
That was unreal!
We're totally ready to
start building our birthday
present airplane for Timmy.
Alright guys, we'll
see you back in HQ.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Weird but True.
BOTH: Hey guys!
CHARLIE: Perfect timing.
We just finished putting
our gift together and
while we were designing it,
we uncovered some
pretty unreal airplanes!
Kirb! Hit the lights.
KIRBY: On it!
CHARLIE (off-screen): And now,
your starting lineup for
the weirdest and most awesomely
true planes of all time!
First, out of
Miami University, developed
with one circular wing,
the Nemeth Parasol!
The portly plane from
St. Louis, Missouri.
Developed to be deployed
from other planes mid-flight,
the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin!
Developed by NASA
to ship supplies
for the moon landing,
the Pregnant Guppy!
And finally,
developed right here in
the wonderful city of Chicago.
The peak of most awesomely
innovative plane technology,
the Super Sky Shooter 1000!
(cheers)
CHARLIE: Ahhhh!
Sky Shooter 1000!
KIRBY: We incorporated
everything we know about
planes and flight.
CHARLIE: We made it
super light so the force
of gravity is small.
KIRBY: You can toss
it to provide thrust.
CHARLIE: The wings have
airfoils to provide lift.
KIRBY: And the nice
rudder to point it in
the right direction.
CHARLIE: So, what
do you think, Kirb?
Take it for a little
test flight to show
how sweet this guy is?
KIRBY: Absolutely, let's do it.
Alright, Charles.
We gotta be gentle, careful,
don't let it hit the ground.
You got it.
CHARLIE: Yes,
just a test flight.
KIRBY: Just one.
CHARLIE: One.
KIRBY: One toss.
CHARLIE: Alright.
This thing is amazing!
(screams)
CHARLIE: Noooo!
KIRBY: What have we done?
CHARLIE: We just ruined the
best birthday present ever!
KIRBY: There's no way
we're gonna fix this mess.
And there's no time
to build anything else.
CHARLIE: We're never
gonna get another present
for as long as we live.
KIRBY: We gotta
think of something.
CHARLIE: Ideas!
KIRBY: Ideas.
CHARLIE: Ahhhh! What a pickle!
KIRBY: A problem.
CHARLIE: A predicament.
Miss Prissy!
There's gotta be something
in that book that we can use.
The perfect gift
is personal, generous,
but also, selfless.
It reveals that the gift
giver's only desire is
to please the recipient,
expect nothing in return.
KIRBY: Oh.
CHARLIE: I
guess expecting presents in
return for giving presents,
kind of ruins the
primary purpose of presents.
KIRBY: And we were more
focused on what we wanted.
The kid's only four.
This is the size of him.
I feel terrible.
CHARLIE: Super terrible.
KIRBY: Super. Duper. Terrible.
CHARLIE: Kirb,
we're not done yet.
The Montgolfier brother's
first hot air balloon was
destroyed in a crash.
It took six years of
redesigns before the Wright
brothers' famous flights.
They never gave up.
KIRBY: We can't give up.
CHARLIE: So, let's get started.
KIRBY: So, Timmy's only four,
the gift's gotta be simple,
generous, and personal.
CHARLIE: How about a fleet
of homemade paper airplanes?
KIRBY: Like a bunch that
he could fly all around.
CHARLIE: That are all
the same color as Big Bill.
KIRBY: Not too flashy, but
ticks off all the other boxes.
CHARLIE: Let's get crafting.
First up, is the
Vortex Thrower.
Super simple, just make
a small cylinder out of
paper and it's good to go.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Next up, is the hoop glider,
it's two circles taped
to a straw and ready to fly.
CHARLIE (off-screen):
Next, we'll make
him a paper helicopter.
A bit more effort with a
couple cuts and folds, throw
on a paper clip and done.
Finally, two great
classic performers, the
Sky King and Suzanne.
And, we're all set!
KIRBY (off-screen): So,
this is our super awesome gift?
CHARLIE: I believe
in Miss Prissy, Kirb.
This is the perfect gift.
KIRBY: I've never been
more nervous to go to a
four-year-old's party.
CHARLIE: I'm pretty sure we
can win Timmy over, 'cause,
guys, it's party time!
Hey, guys! We made it!
KIRBY: Hey!
CHARLIE: We're pretty excited
because we crushed it.
KIRBY: Crushed! It!
CHARLIE: Timmy
loved our presents.
Went totally nuts.
TIMMY: Big Bill!
Big Bill! Big Bill!
KIRBY: He loves our
presents so much he's
missing out on cake.
MAN (over radio):
7-0-7 this is tower you
are clear for flight 2-7.
Winds 3-0-5-7 Plane 2
approach to the left.
KIRBY: So now that we mastered
gift giving, what's next?
CHARLIE: I don't know but I
feel like Miss Prissy is like
a goldmine of opportunity.
KIRBY: Yeah, like why
are salad forks so small?
CHARLIE: Or what do
you do if someone offers to
shake your hand and you just
went to the bathroom?
KIRBY: Does washing your
hands really kill the germs?
CHARLIE: What even are germs?
KIRBY: I don't know
and we'll research later,
but for now, we celebrate.
CHARLIE: Alright
guys, it looks like we got
a new project on our hands,
housing this cake.
But thanks so much
for stopping by!
Come by again when we discover
more things that are weird.
KIRBY: But true.
CHARLIE: We'll see you later!
KIRBY: So.
CHARLIE: I need like
half of this at least.
Captioned by
Cotter Captioning Services
guys. Charlie here!
You know my sister, Kirby!
Today we're hanging
out thousands...
...of feet in the
air in a biplane!
KIRBY: Weird
but true, in 2007...
...flight engineers figured
out how to run an airplane...
...on french fry grease!
CHARLIE: It's time
for Weird But True!
(theme music plays)
KIRBY: What does it mean?
CHARLIE: It's probably nothing.
KIRBY: Or everything!
CHARLIE: Hey guys,
we're glad you're here.
The weirdest
thing just happened.
We were down here crafting.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Crafting away.
CHARLIE (off-screen):
Normal day.
KIRBY (off-screen): Very normal.
CHARLIE (off-screen): Until.
BOB (off-screen): Mail's here!
KIRBY: Mail's here.
CHARLIE: The mail's here.
Thanks, Bob!
Oh, man. It's so much.
Let's see we've
got, Paper Monthly .
Science Weekly .
Crafter's Daily .
Ooooo, what's this?
TIMMY (off-screen):
You are cordially invited to
attend a birthday party for me,
your little cousin
Timmy, this Saturday.
CHARLIE: Sweet!
TIMMY: Presents welcome,
except Charlie and Kirby,
just bring yourselves.
KIRBY: Wait, what?
CHARLIE: Yeah, what?
KIRBY: What's wrong with
our presents, Timothy?
CHARLIE: We always thought
we gave the best presents.
PATRICK: A cockroach!
CASEY: Oh, purple slime.
BOB: Oh, what is this?
KIRBY: Now we're thinking,
it might be possible.
CHARLIE: Hear us out.
KIRBY: That people
don't like our presents.
CHARLIE: And maybe.
KIRBY: Just maybe.
CHARLIE: That if they ask
us not to bring presents
to their birthday parties,
they might stop
bringing presents to
our birthday parties.
KIRBY: Imagine a
world without presents!
BOB: Hey, guys.
We got you a present.
PATRICK: Nothing!
(scream)
(evil laugh)
(scream)
(evil laugh)
(scream)
KIRBY: We gotta save
our gift giving reputation!
CHARLIE: And the only way is
to forget this invitation, and
bring the best present in the
whole entire world.
KIRBY: 100%.
CHARLIE: So,
we're thinking, what does
little cousin Timmy love?
KIRBY: Something little.
CHARLIE: Something cousin-y.
KIRBY: He loves
Big Bill the Biplane .
It's this kid's show.
He never misses an episode.
CHARLIE: So probably
something airplane related?
KIRBY: Why not?
CHARLIE: Perfect. Let's do it.
That means today we're
unraveling the world of.
KIRBY (off-screen): Airplanes!
CHARLIE (off-screen): Airplanes!
CHARLIE: Got it?
KIRBY: Got it.
CHARLIE: So, it turns out
that Timmy's not alone.
Flight is something
that humans have always
been interested in.
The ancient Greeks believed
in the legend of Icarus,
a man who made wings
out of wax and feathers,
but flew too
close to the sun.
Or there's the legendary king
of Persia, who attached eagles
to his throne to travel all
around his kingdom.
These are just myths.
KIRBY: Yeah!
Like made up stories.
CHARLIE: But the real
story of human flight features
some legendary characters, too.
Just ask these guys.
KIRBY: Shoes off!
No liquids!
No! Liquids!
CHARLIE: We've seen everything
come down this conveyer belt.
KIRBY: Weird but True,
this one guy, he tried
to sneak on a bag full
of like 600,000 eels.
CHARLIE: Eels!
So, we know a thing or
two about everything,
and I can tell ya.
It was these guys,
the Montgolfier brothers,
were the first to
make human flight happen.
KIRBY: Joseph!
CHARLIE: Jacques?
KIRBY: A balloon, full of air!
CHARLIE: What a genius idea!
KIRBY: The hot air balloon.
Our idea will change the
course of human history!
CHARLIE: And it did.
KIRBY: For a little while.
The first passengers on their
hot air balloon were a sheep,
a duck, and a rooster.
CHARLIE: About 100 years
later, this hot-shot German
engineer, Otto Lilienthal,
decides to take things
in a different direction.
KIRBY: Agnes!
CHARLIE: Otto?
KIRBY: A hot air balloon?
CHARLIE: What a terrible idea!
KIRBY: How about
this, zee glider.
CHARLIE: What a genius idea!
KIRBY: My idea will change
the course of human history!
CHARLIE: And it did.
KIRBY: For a little while.
CHARLIE: Until shortly
after that, a couple of
bicycle mechanics from the
United States, the
Wright brothers, they're like,
"Hey, let's take things
a different direction."
KIRBY: Wilber?
CHARLIE: Orville!
KIRBY: A glider.
CHARLIE: What a terrible idea!
KIRBY: How about this,
the powered airplane!
CHARLIE: What a genius idea!
KIRBY: Our idea will change
the course of human history!
CHARLIE: That one did change
the course of human history,
because it led directly to the
airplanes of today.
And this mess.
KIRBY: People,
come on! No liquids!
CHARLIE: And that's how we got
from mythology to airplanes.
KIRBY: And now it's our
turn, to build the next
great flying machine!
CHARLIE: The perfect gift.
How do we do that?
KIRBY: I don't know, but
I think there's a book
back here that'll help.
CHARLIE: Ah, "Miss
Prissy's Principles of
the Prim and Proper."
KIRBY: Positively perfect.
CHARLIE: Peruse
a portion? KIRBY:
Plenty pertinent.
CHARLIE: Let's
see, how to look interested,
compliment a baby, not burp.
Chapter eight,
how to give a gift.
Let's check it out.
The perfect gift is personal.
It reflects the gift
givers attentiveness
to the preferences
and palate of the recipient.
And, also, generous.
Often, endowments of
the gift giver's time, effort,
and creativity prompt the most
prestigious of presents.
KIRBY: Should we keep reading?
CHARLIE: No time.
Gotta get rollin'.
So, I'm thinking that the
perfect gift for Timmy would
be a homemade, generous,
replica plane model, personal.
KIRBY: Oh my gosh,
one he can fly around.
CHARLIE: In our backyard.
KIRBY: And do
a bunch of tricks with.
BOTH: This is gonna be so cool!
KIRBY: One problem, we
know nothing about planes.
CHARLIE: It's not
a problem, Kirb.
Just like the other flight
innovators, we have to study
flight in like a million
different ways, and
there's only one place to go
if we wanna do this right,
flight school.
We're headed to the
Ocean County Airport in
Bayville, New Jersey,
near the Jersey Shore.
It's home to the Double
Trouble State Park, so it's
the perfect destination for us.
See you there, in a few.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Weird but True.
CHARLIE: Hey,
guys, we made it!
KIRBY: We're at the
Ocean County Airport in
Bayville, New Jersey.
CHARLIE: This isn't
a vacation though, this,
is a full blown mission.
KIRBY: We're here to learn
everything about flying.
From the baddest
raddest pilot we know.
CHARLIE: Jim Lonergan.
(screams)
So Jim's just flying
up in the air casually,
does a double flip,
collects himself
and just flies away.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Hundreds of feet in the air.
CHARLIE: I feel like if
we wanna know how airplanes
fly, Jim's kind of the man.
Wooo!
This is awesome.
This guy's amazing.
Jim Lonergan trick
pilot and expert instructor.
Flying planes since the age
of 19, Jim built the very
first plane he ever flew.
His favorite weird
but true fact is.
JIM: Only one out of every
20 people on Earth have
ever been in an airplane.
CHARLIE: Hey Jim, what can
you tell us about this plane
because this is the coolest
plane I think I've ever seen.
JIM: Well, it is a cool plane.
It was used in World War II
for a pilot to train in.
It's called a Pilot Cadet, its
number is PT17, that stands
for pilot trainer one seven.
CHARLIE (off-screen):
It looks very old.
JIM (off-screen): But it's in
great shape, she flies great.
CHARLIE: What is
required to get these
planes up in the air?
JIM: Well this airplane
right now is in the
perfect state of flying.
Sitting here right now and all
it needs is wind in the right
place at the right speed this
airplane will fly by itself.
So, we have a hurricane,
I forgot to put my airplane
away, hurricane comes,
100 mile an hour wind
comes right down the nose.
CHARLIE: It will take off?
JIM: Airplane goes
up. It's not gonna land, but
it's gonna, it's gonna go up.
KIRBY: But it does
have an engine.
JIM: Absolutely, because
normally we don't have that
strong wind so you need
something to pull
it into the wind.
And that's what the engine
and the propeller are for.
It spins around and it pulls
the airplane forward and then
air comes over the wing and
creates lift and up it goes.
CHARLIE (off-screen): I'm
imagining that you gotta go
over like a bunch of stuff to
make sure that this is okay
to fly in the air though right?
JIM: First thing is,
pilots use checklists.
KIRBY: Okay.
CHARLIE: Yeah.
JIM: For everything.
CHARLIE: Mhmm.
JIM: And I have a
checklist right here.
CHARLIE: Perfect.
KIRBY: Nice.
JIM: With a gazillion things
I know about flying, so.
CHARLIE: Where do we start?
JIM: We can talk
about lift, or.
BOTH: Whoa!
JIM: Aerodynamics, or flight.
KIRBY: There's so many things!
CHARLIE: You can't mess
around with planes I guess.
JIM: There's a
gazillion things.
CHARLIE: Oh man!
JIM: You need to know.
CHARLIE: Alright, guys.
Jim's throwing around
some pretty heavy terminology,
but luckily we have some other
buddies in the
airplane industry who can help
explain things just a bit more.
Eight off to tango,
traffic is a Cessna 1-72.
Runway 25 right,
have a good flight.
So, you wanna know how to
keep planes up in the air?
KIRBY: You've come
to the perfect place.
This is the air
traffic control tower.
CHARLIE: We get 'em up.
KIRBY: We get 'em down.
CHARLIE: Every day.
Any time a plane is
in the air, there are four
main forces acting on it.
You have thrust,
from the propeller or
engine, shoving it forward.
Air resistance or
drag, shoving it back.
Weight, shoving it down.
And lift, shoving it up.
And that lift force
has to be huge because
planes today are enormous.
These are airfoils.
They create a difference
in air pressure above
and below the wing.
We set up a simple
experiment here.
This rectangular wing
generates no lift.
But that airfoil wing, we
do the exact same thing.
It generates lots of lift.
KIRBY: It's physics!
CHARLIE: Uhhh.
KIRBY: Here we go.
1:10, four miles at 2,800.
Cessna sky hawk
report them in sight.
CHARLIE: Back to the action!
So flying seems pretty
scary, but according to Jim,
if you're prepared should be
pretty fun.
KIRBY: Yup. Now that we
got some principals we gotta
take it to the next level.
CHARLIE (off-screen): Jim's
promised us a ride in the Queen.
This is gonna be awesome!
JIM (off-screen):
Alright guys, here we go.
JIM: It's a beautiful view.
It's a beautiful day
for a biplane ride!
CHARLIE: Dude,
Big Bill the Biplane...
...child's play
compared to the Queen.
We're right behind
the propeller here...
...which is zooming around,
giving us that thrust forward.
But it feels like
we're just floating.
That lift is almost
like a cushion holding
us up in the air.
KIRBY: The plane
is working with the wind, and
you can almost feel weightless.
CHARLIE: Weird but true,
at any given time around 500,000
people are in planes in the air.
We got 3 in this one today.
A little bumpy, little bumpy!
JIM: Well, can you
imagine doing a loop?
CHARLIE: Even talking
about it makes my heart race.
JIM: I've got
a surprise for you.
We're heading back to the
airport. Charlie, you are
gonna fly this airplane.
CHARLIE: Are you serious?
I don't know about that, Jim!
JIM: It's all good.
It's all good.
We're going to have a good time,
and you're going to be great!
CHARLIE (off-screen): Jim says
I'm gonna fly the Queen next.
What? Me, fly an airplane?
KIRBY (off-screen):
Weird but True.
JIM: There you go.
Slide yourself in.
CHARLIE: Alright.
Jim, what do we start with?
JIM (off-screen): Reach
forward and grab that stick,
and bring it back to the left.
Okay. Holding that stick,
don't give it the death grip.
Just nice and
easy relaxed. Okay?
If we want to bring the
nose up, if we want to
pitch the airplane up,
we take the stick and you
bring it back towards you.
There you go.
If we want the nose to
go down, we push the
stick away from you.
The tail's coming up,
the nose is going down.
KIRBY: So right now
Charles is moving the
elevator of the plane.
It helps with the pitch or
moving the nose up or down.
JIM: If we wanna make a left
hand turn, take the stick and
move it to your left side.
CHARLIE (off-screen): Okay.
JIM (off-screen): And we're
gonna come back to neutral.
And if we wanna make a
right hand turn, you move
the stick to the right.
KIRBY: These are the ailerons
of the plane, they're on the
wings and they make the plane
roll if we want it to.
JIM (off-screen):
Okay. So there's one more.
If you want to control
the nose to move left or
right, you use the rudder.
Keep your heels on the floor.
The balls of your feet
on the rudder pedals.
Move your left foot
down and you'll see the
right foot comes back.
KIRBY (off-screen):
And this is the rudder.
It controls the
yaw, which means that
it'll point the nose of
the plane to
the right or left.
JIM: See that
throttle? That big ball?
CHARLIE: Yeah.
JIM: Put your hand
right on there.
Good. And that is it.
You can do this.
It's going to be great.
CHARLIE: I think
I got it! Oh buddy.
JIM (over radio):
Here we go, Charlie.
Alright say it,
"I can do this."
CHARLIE (over radio):
I can do this.
JIM (over radio):
Yeah, I can do this.
CHARLIE (over radio):
I can do this.
JIM (over radio): Yes, you can.
Alright, you're on
the throttle with me?
CHARLIE (over radio): Yup.
JIM (over radio):
The stick is yours.
CHARLIE (over radio): Okay.
JIM (over radio): Here we go.
I'm gonna talk you
right through this.
Here's our power.
Don't pull it back
yet, don't pull it back
yet, not yet, not yet.
JIM: Slightly pull
it back. Pull it back.
There. Perfect!
CHARLIE (over radio): Whew!
JIM: Look in your mirror.
CHARLIE (over radio):
Hey, oh! Ohhhhh!
JIM (over radio): That's it.
JIM: All right, keep her
straight. Keep her straight by
using the stick left and right.
CHARLIE: Got it.
JIM: Lower your
nose a little bit.
Yes, very nice. Very nice.
Charlie, you're flying!
How sweet is that?
Very nice.
You can breathe now.
CHARLIE: I am
very alert right now.
JIM: Yes.
CHARLIE: I have never been
so alert in my life, I think.
JIM: You took
that airplane right off the
runway. That was beautiful.
CHARLIE: Great.
JIM: Beautiful.
CHARLIE: You don't even think
about it. It leaves the ground.
JIM: There is a lot
of thrust in this airplane.
We've got all these wings.
Lots of lift. Lots of
power. She goes right up.
CHARLIE: It's like a bike.
Very small movements.
JIM: Exactly.
We're gonna make a nice
easy right-hand turn.
Yeah, there. Now you're
maintaining that bank angle.
Nice! You're nailing it.
Yeah, yeah, Charlie.
Airplane is yours. Roll left.
Keep rolling.
Good. Hold it right there.
CHARLIE (over radio): Wooo.
JIM: That's it. Be patient.
Awesome job.
Roll wings level.
Roll wings level all the way.
Excellent.
Down we go.
CHARLIE (off-screen):
That was unreal!
We're totally ready to
start building our birthday
present airplane for Timmy.
Alright guys, we'll
see you back in HQ.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Weird but True.
BOTH: Hey guys!
CHARLIE: Perfect timing.
We just finished putting
our gift together and
while we were designing it,
we uncovered some
pretty unreal airplanes!
Kirb! Hit the lights.
KIRBY: On it!
CHARLIE (off-screen): And now,
your starting lineup for
the weirdest and most awesomely
true planes of all time!
First, out of
Miami University, developed
with one circular wing,
the Nemeth Parasol!
The portly plane from
St. Louis, Missouri.
Developed to be deployed
from other planes mid-flight,
the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin!
Developed by NASA
to ship supplies
for the moon landing,
the Pregnant Guppy!
And finally,
developed right here in
the wonderful city of Chicago.
The peak of most awesomely
innovative plane technology,
the Super Sky Shooter 1000!
(cheers)
CHARLIE: Ahhhh!
Sky Shooter 1000!
KIRBY: We incorporated
everything we know about
planes and flight.
CHARLIE: We made it
super light so the force
of gravity is small.
KIRBY: You can toss
it to provide thrust.
CHARLIE: The wings have
airfoils to provide lift.
KIRBY: And the nice
rudder to point it in
the right direction.
CHARLIE: So, what
do you think, Kirb?
Take it for a little
test flight to show
how sweet this guy is?
KIRBY: Absolutely, let's do it.
Alright, Charles.
We gotta be gentle, careful,
don't let it hit the ground.
You got it.
CHARLIE: Yes,
just a test flight.
KIRBY: Just one.
CHARLIE: One.
KIRBY: One toss.
CHARLIE: Alright.
This thing is amazing!
(screams)
CHARLIE: Noooo!
KIRBY: What have we done?
CHARLIE: We just ruined the
best birthday present ever!
KIRBY: There's no way
we're gonna fix this mess.
And there's no time
to build anything else.
CHARLIE: We're never
gonna get another present
for as long as we live.
KIRBY: We gotta
think of something.
CHARLIE: Ideas!
KIRBY: Ideas.
CHARLIE: Ahhhh! What a pickle!
KIRBY: A problem.
CHARLIE: A predicament.
Miss Prissy!
There's gotta be something
in that book that we can use.
The perfect gift
is personal, generous,
but also, selfless.
It reveals that the gift
giver's only desire is
to please the recipient,
expect nothing in return.
KIRBY: Oh.
CHARLIE: I
guess expecting presents in
return for giving presents,
kind of ruins the
primary purpose of presents.
KIRBY: And we were more
focused on what we wanted.
The kid's only four.
This is the size of him.
I feel terrible.
CHARLIE: Super terrible.
KIRBY: Super. Duper. Terrible.
CHARLIE: Kirb,
we're not done yet.
The Montgolfier brother's
first hot air balloon was
destroyed in a crash.
It took six years of
redesigns before the Wright
brothers' famous flights.
They never gave up.
KIRBY: We can't give up.
CHARLIE: So, let's get started.
KIRBY: So, Timmy's only four,
the gift's gotta be simple,
generous, and personal.
CHARLIE: How about a fleet
of homemade paper airplanes?
KIRBY: Like a bunch that
he could fly all around.
CHARLIE: That are all
the same color as Big Bill.
KIRBY: Not too flashy, but
ticks off all the other boxes.
CHARLIE: Let's get crafting.
First up, is the
Vortex Thrower.
Super simple, just make
a small cylinder out of
paper and it's good to go.
KIRBY (off-screen):
Next up, is the hoop glider,
it's two circles taped
to a straw and ready to fly.
CHARLIE (off-screen):
Next, we'll make
him a paper helicopter.
A bit more effort with a
couple cuts and folds, throw
on a paper clip and done.
Finally, two great
classic performers, the
Sky King and Suzanne.
And, we're all set!
KIRBY (off-screen): So,
this is our super awesome gift?
CHARLIE: I believe
in Miss Prissy, Kirb.
This is the perfect gift.
KIRBY: I've never been
more nervous to go to a
four-year-old's party.
CHARLIE: I'm pretty sure we
can win Timmy over, 'cause,
guys, it's party time!
Hey, guys! We made it!
KIRBY: Hey!
CHARLIE: We're pretty excited
because we crushed it.
KIRBY: Crushed! It!
CHARLIE: Timmy
loved our presents.
Went totally nuts.
TIMMY: Big Bill!
Big Bill! Big Bill!
KIRBY: He loves our
presents so much he's
missing out on cake.
MAN (over radio):
7-0-7 this is tower you
are clear for flight 2-7.
Winds 3-0-5-7 Plane 2
approach to the left.
KIRBY: So now that we mastered
gift giving, what's next?
CHARLIE: I don't know but I
feel like Miss Prissy is like
a goldmine of opportunity.
KIRBY: Yeah, like why
are salad forks so small?
CHARLIE: Or what do
you do if someone offers to
shake your hand and you just
went to the bathroom?
KIRBY: Does washing your
hands really kill the germs?
CHARLIE: What even are germs?
KIRBY: I don't know
and we'll research later,
but for now, we celebrate.
CHARLIE: Alright
guys, it looks like we got
a new project on our hands,
housing this cake.
But thanks so much
for stopping by!
Come by again when we discover
more things that are weird.
KIRBY: But true.
CHARLIE: We'll see you later!
KIRBY: So.
CHARLIE: I need like
half of this at least.
Captioned by
Cotter Captioning Services