Original subtitles

Please don't try anything

you are about to see at home.

We're what you call experts.

Narrator: On this episode

of "mythbusters," Adam and

Jamie...

That is really just creepy

and distasteful.

But scientific.

Narrator: Get the jump on

a blockbuster boom.

Blowing up, please.

Ohh!

Narrator: Can freezing a bomb

Hollywood-style...

We're getting power.

Narrator: And taking cover

in a bathtub...

Ready to go in three...

Narrator: Really save your

life?

Wow.

Oh ho ho!

Narrator: Meanwhile,

kari, Tory, and Grant...

Oh ho!

Oh, whoa!

Narrator: Fly by the seat

of their pants.

I don't think I've ever flown

this close to another plane.

Narrator: Can flying like

birds in a "v" formation...

And we started getting sucked

in towards the lead plane.

Narrator: Save planes

fuel...

Ehhh!

Why are we doing this?

Narrator: And you money?

There's a lot of sexy data

we got going here.

Sexy data... not just the

normal stuff.

Narrator: Who are the

mythbusters?

Adam savage...

Oh!

It's scientific!

Narrator: And

Jamie hyneman.

I'll be darned.

Narrator: Between them

more than 30 years of

special-effects experience.

Together with kari Byron...

Time to wreck this car.

Narrator: Tory belleci...

We only have one shot at

this.

Narrator: And

Grant imahara...

I'm okay.

Narrator: They don't just

tell the myths...

They put them to the test.

Captions by vitac... www.Vitac.Com

first up, Adam and Jamie have

a tub-thumping jump.

This is a story that is about

literally almost kissing your

ass goodbye.

How's that?

This one comes from

"lethal weapon 2."

In the movie, Danny glover sits

down on the toilet in his house

for a regular constitutional,

and hears a click.

When he looks down, he notices

that his toilet's been rigged

with a pressure switch that will

set off a bomb the moment he

stands up.

Are you with me?

Yeah.

I haven't seen the movie.

That doesn't surprise me.

Anyway, he waits there all night

before getting up the courage

to call his partner, Mel Gibson,

who shows up, and they contact

this plan that they will leap

from the toilet into the bathtub

for protection from the bomb.

The bomb squad has this

technique which they use in

the film where they pour liquid

nitrogen on the bomb, slowing it

down for "a few seconds," which

supposedly is enough time for

Mel and Danny to get from the

toilet into the bathtub, covered

with a bomb blanket...

And survive the blast.

I like the fact that there

are several parts to this story,

and the first one is, how fast

can you get from the toilet into

the tub?

Yes.

And the second one is, how much,

if at all, could liquid nitrogen

slow down the detonation of a

bomb?

And, lastly, if you did get

into the tub in time, would it

and the bomb blanket actually

protect you?

Precisely.

So, what say we start with

reaction time?

Set up a toilet and a bathtub

in the proper geometry and just

see how fast we can make it from

one into the other.

Works for me.

All right.

Narrator: So, first, the guys

will attempt some lethal

leaping.

Found us a toilet.

Good.

Narrator: And for that, they

decide to precisely re-create

the scene of the crime.

[ Grunts ]

Oh, man.

So, to replicate the

bathroom, we're using the same

type of bathtub as was used in

the movie... an annoyingly large

and heavy cast-iron one.

That's the real deal.

And I've got to fit in there

with you?

Yeah, unfortunately.

And we've got the same type

of toilet... a one-piece

porcelain one.

We're going to place them the

same distance apart, just like

in the movie, and we've even got

a corner wall so that every last

thing is exactly the same.

Narrator: Everything matches

exactly.

But how will they time the jump

from toilet to tub?

While it's never explicitly

stated, it's pretty obvious that

the bomb in the movie is

triggered by a pressure switch

under the toilet seat, which is

convenient because we're going

to use the same thing to trigger

our timing runs... this little

pressure switch right here.

When we sit down on the toilet,

we will compress the presser

switch, and the system is armed.

At that point, when we get up

from the toilet... boop!... The

timer starts going until we're

in the bathtub, covered with the

blanket.

We'll film it on high-speed.

We'll be able to see exactly how

many seconds it takes us to get

there and if that's enough.

Narrator: And with the final

piece of the puzzle, a 30-pound

bomb blanket just like the one

from the movie, the guys will

just have to get up close and

personal.

Ready?

All right, ready.

And it's gonna be 3, 2, 1,

and then go.

Okay.

3, 2, 1... ugh!

Ohh!

[ Laughing ]

We got to do it one more time.

I missed the blanket.

[ Laughs ]

That is really just creepy and

distasteful.

But scientific.

Narrator: Scientific, indeed.

All right, let's see how we

did here.

Narrator: The jump is even

more hilarious in slow motion.

Your form is excellent.

You're hugging the side...

Narrator: But it's clear that

having Jamie stay low while Adam

deals with the blanket is the

right strategy.

That is unbelievable.

There we go.

We are at two seconds, and two

guys are fully covered in that

bathtub.

Nice work.

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: Two seconds ain't

bad, but to see if they can

improve...

The guys go for the best of

three.

2... 1... Go!

Hey, that was pretty darn

good.

[ Laughs ]

I'm getting all bruised along

this side.

Me too.

Go!

Jamie and i were able to get

from the toilet into the tub

and covered by the bomb blanket

in just under two seconds flat.

Now the question is, will

pouring liquid nitrogen on our

plastic-explosives bomb slow

its detonation down by at least

that amount of time?

If it can, then it would seem

that Mel and Danny could get to

the relative and possible safety

of the bathtub in time.

If it doesn't, then i guess

they'd be vaporized.

Either way, it's going to be

awesome.

Aah!

Narrator: Next, kari, Tory,

and Grant are winging it.

So, what's the myth?

So, I'm sure you've seen

birds flying in a "v."

Yeah.

Okay. Well, supposedly, they

do that because it's more

energy-efficient, which leads

into our myth.

If it works for birds, can it

work for planes?

So, do you actually save fuel

by flying in a "v" formation?

Exactly.

And more importantly, save

money?

Narrator: Birds of a feather

flock together.

And they also fly in

"v" formations.

But does that conserve energy?

And if it does, is what's good

for the goose also good for

planes in the wide blue yonder?

All right. So, i think the

first thing we should do is go

talk to a bird expert.

Let's find out if they actually

do fly in a "v" formation

because it's more

energy-efficient.

Then we can get some

small-scale models of planes,

take them to NASA's water

channel, and see if they do

the same thing.

Sounds like a great plan.

Narrator: It's a two-pronged

plan, and to find out why birds

fly in a "v," kari and Tory head

to crissy fields bird

sanctuary...

Come on, kari.

I knew you were going do

that.

Narrator: Where bird

expert Peter pyle can answer

their feathery inquiries.

Why is it that you see birds

flying in "v" formation?

The birds behind the lead

individual... all birds going

back in the "v"... will save

energy by flying within the

vortices of the wing beats of

the bird in front of them.

Now, you're talking about

riding the vortex.

What does that mean?

Each bird, as it flaps its

wing, creates a vortex behind

that wing.

And the vortex is created

because there's a pressure

differential between higher

pressure below the wing and

lower pressure above, and this

creates an eddy that filters

behind each wing.

Narrator: So, as a wing moves

through air, it creates a

wing-tip vortex.

These low-pressure spinning

cones of air create upwash,

giving the bird behind a boost

and making it easier to stay

aloft.

But do the birds save energy?

Researchers studying this

have filmed birds and have seen

that the birds behind the lead

bird will flap less deeply and

flap less often than that lead

bird will.

So, that's the first clue that

they're saving energy through

flying in that formation.

Narrator: Okay. So, less

flapping means birds do save

energy flying in the

"v" formation, meaning kari

can start on stage 2.

Now, after talking to our

bird expert, I'm starting to

think this myth is looking

really, really good.

But birds are not aircraft.

So, I'm building a model

airplane to take to NASA's water

tunnel so i can see if flying in

a flock formation has the same

benefits for airplanes as it

does for birds.

Narrator: Since planes don't

flap their wings, the team will

examine the aerodynamics behind

a fixed-wing aircraft.

Sand it, paint it, put it in

the tunnel.

Narrator: And after a

luminous paint job, kari's model

is ready to strut its stuff.

Love coming here.

Water tunnel... good find.

Narrator: At NASA,

Steve Smith is on hand to help

figure out the aerodynamics of

the "v" formation.

[ Imitating airplane engine ]

Okay, model's in place.

All right.

So, what are we going to see

here?

Okay.

Well, let's go ahead and turn

the dye flow on.

I can start to see it, like,

create kind of a tube.

Narrator: As the dye flows,

it's clear that there is a

vortex coming off the wing tip

of the front plane.

There's an upward motion

from the spiral that's putting

the following airplane in

upwash.

So, being in the upwash of

the vortex is creating lift and

making it easier for the plane

to fly, therefore becoming more

fuel-efficient.

Exactly.

Narrator: Just like the

aerodynamics of birds in a

"v" formation, the fixed wing

also creates a vortex behind its

wing tip, and the resulting

upwash makes it easier for

the follow plane to stay aloft.

Now, how far back could you

be and still get the benefit?

So, the trailing vortex

actually persists for a long

ways downstream.

In the case of jetliners, it

lasts for miles downstream.

Narrator: And that's the

proof of concept that the

mythbusters need.

Next step is to see if this

model scales up to full-sized

planes.

Narrator: Later, Adam and

Jamie test the tub-thumping

boom.

This whole building... i

think it's going to be pretty

much gone when we're done.

Narrator: But first, kari,

Tory, and Grant are flying high.

And we are off the ground.

There's the liftoff!

So, toilet bomb.

We left this story with the plan

to do some liquid-nitrogen

testing.

But we're not, are we?

No, we're not, because we

looked back at the original

footage, and we missed some of

the parameters.

Neither of us were wearing

bulletproof vests.

Exactly.

And I'm sorry to say, you

weren't wearing your pants

around your ankles.

And i hadn't sat on

the toilet for 12 hours.

Exactly.

So, i think we need to do those

tests again and see how they

actually affect our time.

I'm not going to have to sit

on the toilet for 12 hours,

am i?

I can't imagine that we're

gonna go all that way, but we

should talk to an expert to make

sure it's not too dangerous.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Narrator: A marathon 12-hour

toilet sit would limit blood

flow to the legs and make the

hero's jump harder to achieve.

But is it even safe to attempt

it?

Here's the bulletproof vest,

dude.

Okay.

You realize, for full

accuracy, you're also going to

need to pull your pants down

around your ankles.

Uh, great.

[ Zipper unzips ]

Narrator: And to find out

the maximum time that Jamie can

remain on the throne, Adam

sought out an expert.

Jamie, here's our expert,

Dr. Cho.

He's a neurologist.

Hi, doctor.

[ Sighs deeply ]

So, doc, i have some questions.

In the movie, Danny glover sits

on the toilet overnight,

something like 12 hours,

give or take.

Now, i was thinking maybe I'll

sit on the toilet here for six

or seven.

Is there a problem with doing

that?

It is problematic mainly

because you're actually creating

mechanical pressure on the

nerve, and in a long period of

time, it can damage the nerve

and cause weakness and severe,

severe pain.

A minimal amount of time, maybe

one to two hours, is probably

where you should cut off the

experiment.

Okay. Well, thanks, doc.

Oh, you're very welcome.

Narrator: So, it's only safe

to sit for a maximum of two

hours...

Which is good because the strain

is starting to show.

I've been sitting on the

toilet about 26 minutes, and

the first symptom has occurred,

and that is that one foot,

my left foot, is starting

to tingle.

It's... it's a little numb.

Narrator: After a further

hour of sitting it out, Jamie's

leg's are uncomfortably numb.

All right, sir.

I think we've got all

the parameters in place.

You feeling ready?

Let's do it.

Here we go, buddy.

1...

2...

3...

Lunge!

Narrator: Amazingly, even

with numb legs and pants around

ankles, the guys end up on the

right side of the blanket.

Can i pull my pants up now?

Yes.

Camera off Jamie.

Don't film him.

Terrible.

Narrator: Surprisingly,

the numb-legged jump was only

marginally slower than their

previous best time.

I think it's a good test.

I think two seconds is

the target we want to hit.

With all the parameters we see

in the film, Jamie and i were

able to dive to safety in just

under two seconds flat, which is

a lot faster than i thought it

would be when we started doing

this testing.

Now it all comes down to whether

or not liquid nitrogen can slow

the bomb's reaction down enough

to give us that mythical "few

seconds" that are explained in

the film.

Narrator: Apparently, flocks

of migrating birds fly in

"v" formation to save energy.

But if birds do it, can planes

do it, too?

After their proof-of-concept

test at NASA, the mythbusters

are ready to take to the skies.

So, we've come to the

Tracy airport to test the myth

that flying in a "v" formation

actually saves you fuel.

What a beautiful day to fly.

Let's conserve some fuel.

Now, because this could be

a significant savings, we've got

not one, not two, not three, but

nine planes.

Narrator: Nine planes and

nine pilots, courtesy of the

west coast ravens.

Aerial acrobatics is their

specialty.

And the guy leading them

is Tim cone, a.K.A. "Slick."

So, you're gonna be helping

us fly in this formation to see

if we'll be able to save fuel.

Absolutely.

Now, how dangerous is that?

It's a little more dangerous

than normal formation flying.

We get upside down together in

these formations, but we're not

doing it in the wake turbulence.

So, adding the wake turbulence

is an element that we've been

practicing a little bit, so

hopefully everything will work

out all right.

Narrator: Hopefully is right.

But it might be a bumpy ride.

We have nine planes that are

going to fly in a random pattern

at different altitudes.

We're going to establish a set

speed of 110 knots.

Now, we're going to fly for

10 minutes, and every 30

seconds, I'm going to write down

a data point for their flow

rate and we're going to

establish a baseline, and then

we can compare all our other

results to it.

Narrator: So, first up, all

nine planes will get airborne

for a fuel-consumption baseline.

Feel the need...

The need for data.

Tray tables and seats in

the landing positions.

Narrator: The planes taxi

down the runway and take off

one after the other.

And we are off the ground.

There's the liftoff.

All right.

Let's start the 10-minute

clock...

Now.

Every 30 seconds, I'm going to

take down a data point.

Narrator: With the squad in

random positions, maintaining a

speed of 110 knots, the control

test is off to a flying start.

Flow rate holding around

7 to 7.9 gallons per hour.

This is a great control test.

This is going to give us some

juicy data.

Yeah, you've never heard that

before... juicy data.

Not just the normal stuff.

There's a lot of sexy data

we got going here.

Narrator: Every 30 seconds,

that sexy fuel flow is collected

from each plane as they'll test

against themselves, not the

other planes.

With only a minute to go in

our control test, we're getting

some really consistent results.

We're looking at 6.56 gallons

per hour.

Narrator: And after

10 minutes of non-formation

flying, the test comes to an

end.

Copy that.

Stop data logging.

Okay, that completes our test.

We made it!

Nice flying, g-force.

All right, let's see if next

time we can save some fuel.

Narrator: Back on solid

ground, the results of the

control are in.

So, for the control test in

my plane, cruising along at

110 knots at an altitude of

approximately 4,000 feet, as

you can see in the graphics, we

get an average fuel consumption

of 6.6 gallons per hour.

Narrator: And the data for

the other planes is similar.

Fuel rate varies, but what's key

is that the formation results

for each plane will be compared

against this baseline.

Now it's time to try out a

few formations and see if that

makes a difference.

Narrator: Next up...

Ohh!

Narrator: Can freezing c-4

create enough of a delay to make

a getaway?

We're getting power.

Narrator: With the good cop

sitting on a time bomb, it's

down to some liquid nitrogen,

a quick jump, and a bathtub

to save his buddy.

Adam and Jamie have proven

it takes two seconds for two

men to make the leap.

But can pouring freezing liquid

nitrogen onto a bomb create the

two-second delay needed for a

getaway?

The guys are headed to the top

of the range to find out.

In the movie, they pour

liquid nitrogen on the bomb

behind the toilet in order

to slow it down and give

themselves an extra few seconds.

Now, when we hear that

statement, we figure that the

liquid nitrogen could be acting

in one of two ways.

Either it is slowing down the

c-4's own reaction to the

blasting cap going off and

delaying the explosion, or it's

actually slowing down the

chemical reaction within the

batteries that initiate that

blasting cap going off.

Whichever it is, we're going to

find out here on the bomb range,

'cause we're going to try all

those permutations right here.

Narrator: For that, Adam has

built a disposable rig to pour

liquid nitrogen onto the bomb.

Perfect.

Narrator: But the trickiest

part will be capturing the

detonation delay.

So, the mythbusters' brain trust

has designed this.

We've set up a system whereby

when i press these buttons...

It sends power to this relay

switch right here.

Now, one leg of this relay...

Instantly lights up this

l.E.D. Sign.

Simultaneously, the relay's

other leg sends power over to

this block of c-4... enough

power, in fact, to detonate it.

If there was any difference at

all between the power impulse

and the detonation, we should

see it in the difference between

the lighting of that sign and

the detonation of this

explosive.

Narrator: And the first test

of the system will be straight

c-4 to find the normal

detonation delay.

Okay.

Arming the system.

All right.

This is straight c-4 in 3, 2, 1.

[ Laughs ]

That was lovely.

That was really nice.

Kind of a refreshing "fa-wah!"

[ Explosion ]

Narrator: Refreshingly

explosive.

But was there any kind of delay?

All right.

It took 10 frames between the

light lighting up and the c-4

exploding.

10 frames, we were shooting at

3,000 frames per second, so it's

effectively 3.3 milliseconds

between initiation and

detonation.

Just over .003 of a second?

Yeah.

Narrator: 3 milliseconds

is the standard c-4 detonation

delay.

So, now crack open the liquid

nitrogen.

This is exactly what i

imagined being a mad scientist

would be like when i was a

child.

Narrator: With one cup in the

flask and an identical piece

of c-4 in the dish...

Okay, we're set.

We're ready.

Narrator: The guys retire

to safety, where they wait the

two minutes of the movie for

the c-4 to fully freeze.

Okay, here we go.

In 3, 2, 1, go!

[ Laughs ]

I heard stuff hitting.

Yes. No delay, either.

No delay.

Really?

Well, i mean, maybe a few

milliseconds, but i heard "3, 2,

1, boom."

I didn't hear "3, 2, 1...

Boom."

Narrator: Maybe not, but

perhaps the high-speed camera

caught a freeze-frame delay.

46 frames.

It's 4 1/2 times greater

of a delay when it was super,

super-cooled than when it was

just normal.

Wow.

It still wouldn't help you

get into that bathtub, though.

No.

It's a pretty tiny

difference.

Narrator: .015 of a second

is far from the mythical

two-second delay of the film.

So, what's next?

Now we're going to take a

period-correct battery that's

attached to our bomb that would

absolutely ignite it.

We're going to immerse that in

the liquid nitrogen and see if

that gives us the extra time

that we're looking for.

Narrator: And with one cup of

liquid nitrogen in the flask...

Here we go.

Narrator: It's time for

the '80s-style alkaline battery

to chill out.

It's immersed.

Yep.

Narrator: With the battery

immersed in minus-300-degree

liquid nitrogen, the guys wait

the two minutes of the film.

All right, this is battery

and c-4 immersed in liquid

nitrogen in 3, 2, 1, go.

No boom.

Whoa!

I'll hold it down again.

We're getting power.

The system is still working

'cause the sign's lighting up.

Yeah.

But we seem to have inhibited

the battery's ability to set off

the blasting cap.

Narrator: It looks like

the bomb has frozen up.

But is there another reason

it's not detonating?

You're sure it's properly

wired?

Now what we've got is a bowlful

of liquid nitrogen capped in c-4

and a battery.

We're just going to sit here and

wait until the liquid nitrogen

boils off, and then we're going

to try and blow it up again.

Narrator: After 15 minutes,

the liquid nitrogen has

evaporated.

And now the moment of truth for

the myth is if the delay will

still remain.

Blowing up, please, in

3, 2, 1.

Ohh!

[ Laughs ]

Nice!

That worked beautifully!

Whoo!

[ Laughs ]

Well, you know what that

means for the movie.

That means those guys could have

just strolled right on out of

that building.

They didn't need to worry about

the bathtub or bomb blankets

or any of that stuff.

Totally.

They got a lot more than

a couple of extra seconds.

They got an extra 15 minutes

by my watch.

And we wouldn't have had to

have gotten into the bathtub

together, either.

I guess all that

experimentation was a waste.

Yeah.

Narrator: Not a waste.

At least you'll always have

the high-speeds.

Well, it would appear that

the "lethal weapon 2" bomb

squad's technique for slowing

down a bomb are fare more

effective in reality than

they are in the movies.

When does that ever happen?

Yeah, i know.

But we're not done yet.

There's still quite a few more

pieces to this puzzle that we

have to tease out.

I know.

Let's get to it.

Coming up next on

"mythbusters"...

We put real airplanes to the

test to find out if flying in

a "v" formation is going to save

you fuel.

Are about to see at home.

We're what you call experts.

Can't you tell?

All right. So, we're back.

We're out at the Tracy airport

to test whether flying in

a "v" formation will actually

save you fuel.

But we're not just going to test

"v" formation.

We're also going to test flying

abreast, side-by-side, and

a conga line to see if maybe

there are other formations

that might save you fuel.

Just like the control test,

we'll be flying in these

formations for 10 minutes.

We'll be monitoring how much

fuel is being used.

Once we're done, we'll see which

formation is the most efficient,

most importantly, to see whether

or not flying in a "v" formation

is the best way to go.

Narrator: This myth is all

about the fuel efficiency of

the "v."

But that's not the only

formation that could save fuel.

For a complete set of results,

they'll also test the

side-by-side and the conga line.

But the first formation for our

squad of nine planes is the

mythical "v."

Now, this is the dangerous

part as we move into

"v" formation, because,

remember, we are flying in the

vortices of the airplane in

front of us.

All right, let's start

the 10-minute clock... Now.

Flow rate is now 6.8.

So, right now, each plane is

in the other's sweet spot.

That sounds creepy, but it's

true.

Narrator: And that sweet spot

just happens to be in the

wing-tip vortex of the plane

in front.

And although it creates lift,

it's also very unstable.

We went a little bit too far

in, and we started getting

sucked in towards the lead

plane.

And if you're too far out, yeah,

you get no gain at all.

Narrator: It takes a lot of

skill to stay out of trouble,

but the west coast ravens hold

formation.

Collecting data is a lot more

fun from an airplane.

Here we go.

We're approaching 7 minutes,

and we've got 6.47 gallons per

hour.

Narrator: After 10 minutes,

the test comes to an end.

So, we just finished

the tight "v" formation.

And looking at the numbers, it's

already apparent that flying in

the "v" formation saves you more

fuel than flying without it.

Narrator: But the final

fuel-efficiency results will

stay up in the air because the

squad moves straight into the

side-by-side formation.

Okay. So, this test right

here is going to be

side-by-side, what they call

"ship abreast."

And that's basically wing tip

to wing tip.

There's not going to be

advancing or trying to get

in front of like a "v."

This is basically side-by-side.

[ Laughs ]

There's some turbulence caused

by the planes being so close

together.

I have to say, I'm a little

bit nervous about this one.

I don't think I've ever flown

this close to another plane...

On purpose, at least.

Narrator: Now in formation,

the data collection begins

again.

All right.

We are at about 2 minutes in,

and we're using 6.18 gallons

per hour.

Narrator: But being only

15 feet away from each other is

challenging their concentration.

Oh, yeah... data.

Got to take the data.

I am breathing a little

deeper just trying to calm down.

But the fact that we are

practically on top of each other

side-by-side... it's freaking me

out just a little bit.

Luckily, collecting data is

distracting me.

Narrator: It's a heady mix

of data and danger, and after

10 minutes, it's time for the

final formation.

Right now we are moving into

position to set up for the

conga line.

I hear i have the easy ride

being up in front.

I heard Tory and Grant have a

little rougher time back behind

me.

Narrator: Yep, because as

the planes take their places,

it's clear this isn't going to

be smooth sailing.

We just went from a nice,

easy, smooth flight to a

roller-coaster ride, 'cause

we're now flying through the

other planes' rotor wash, and

it's very turbulent.

Whoa!

Oh, whoa!

Oh ho!

Okay.

Narrator: It's a rotor wash

roller coaster in the name of

fuel efficiency.

2 minutes in, we have 6.35

gallons.

Narrator: But the turbulence

of this test is making the

others look tame.

And i thought line abreast

was scary.

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo.

Whoa!

Now, here's an interesting

thing.

The pilot in front of us is

getting kicked out, and when

they get kicked out, so do we.

So, it's sort of a thing that

you go all the way down the

line.

It's like "bang, bang, bang."

Oh, my... ugh.

Ehhh! Ha ha ha!

I hate the conga line!

Holy crap!

Why are we doing this?

This doesn't seem safe at all.

Narrator: Well, after the

bumpiest 10 minutes of their

lives, the mythbusters can

finally touch down.

Yay. And we are down.

That concludes our conga-line

test, thank goodness.

Narrator: Back on

terra firma, it's time to find

out if any of the formations

saved fuel.

You guys ready to crunch some

data?

Oh, yes, sir.

Narrator: And after a bumper

number crunch, the results are

in.

Now, there is a lot of raw

data, but the results from our

planes tell the story.

Now, the control baselines are

roughly similar, but what's

really interesting is the

formation flying.

In the conga line, the fuel

usage went way up, by as much

as 18%.

In the side-by-side, the fuel

usage was pretty much the same

as control, maybe a fraction

lower, but not significantly so.

But then there's the "v."

Now, both mine and Tory's plane

saved fuel.

We were 5% and 3% more efficient

than the baseline.

But interestingly, even kari's

plane, which was the lead plane,

saved fuel, which is what

studies on birds have also

reflected.

And remember that all our tests

were performed at the same

altitude and the same speed, so

all our data is good and

comparable.

And good data is what it's all

about.

Narrator: Good data.

That can only lead to one

conclusion.

This myth is confirmed.

We saw it work in theory in

the water tunnel.

We saw it work in practice in

the air.

Now, 3% to 5% savings in fuel

actually translates to a lot of

money if you think about it in

the long term.

Narrator: Flying in a

"v" formation may save you fuel,

but there's a flaw.

Is it really practical that

anyone would fly that close,

realistically?

Maybe we should try it again but

this time have our spacing be a

little safer?

See, if you extend the "v"

out further, if you still get

that fuel efficiency?

It would be a lot safer.

Let's try it.

Narrator: Coming up next...

The final flight formation takes

wing.

I definitely like science

better when it's got a view.

Welcome back.

We've been investigating the

bombproof bathtub buddy jump

from "lethal weapon 2," and so

far, we have actually determined

that the techniques used by

the bomb squad in that film

would give you plenty of time

to get from the toilet inside

the protection of the bathtub

under the bomb blanket.

Ohh!

Nice!

That worked beautifully!

Now it's time to figure out

if, once you're in that bathtub,

you could actually survive the

blast.

Behind me, Jamie is leveling

a spot for putting a real coded,

full-sized bathroom in, and then

we're gonna blow it up.

Narrator: It's the final part

of this filmic fable...

Survivability.

[ British accent ] Regard the

hyneman in his natural habitat.

Ensconced within his protective

shell, he nests, creating

a home for future hyneman.

He seems to have noticed us.

Don't make a move.

What do you think?

Is it level yet?

[ Normal voice ] Not even

close.

Okay.

[ British accent ] Well, that

interaction went without

incident.

Phew!

Just remember, the hyneman is

just as afraid of you as you are

of him.

Narrator: With the ground on

the level, it's a simple job of

bringing in the floor...

[ Normal voice ] Close

enough?

Close enough.

Narrator: Knocking up the

walls...

And hauling in buster with

the all-important tub.

Perfect.

[ Grunts ]

Ta-da!

Savage and hyneman

construction company.

[ Chuckles ]

Narrator: They're building

to code, but just like all

mythbusters construction

projects, the ultimate fate

is detonation.

Our little disposable

outhouse is almost done.

Not quite.

I think it needs a coat of

paint.

Ah, perfect.

Let's do it.

Narrator: You might say it's

a bog-standard job.

I know.

It's the worst painting job

ever.

If i were hiring me to do this,

I'd ask me for my money back.

Narrator: And once it's

complete, they can bring in

the can.

Yeah, that feels about right.

Narrator: With the layout

matching the movie, it's time

for their experimental apparatus

to join the John.

I'm about to drill a hole

in this bathtub for our

instrumentation.

The technical term for this

drill bit is "big honking drill

bit."

Narrator: And that makes

a big honking hole in the

cast iron.

There we go.

This here is the plug i just

drilled out of the bathtub for

our sensing equipment to find

out if our dudes would actually

survive this blast.

And i noticed something really

particular about it, which is

it's a lot of cast iron...

A lot of cast iron in the way

between our guys and the blast,

and it's kind of at an ideal

glancing angle.

I am starting to feel cautiously

optimistic that this blast might

be survivable.

Narrator: Adam's optimistic.

But to precisely monitor

survivability, they've got this.

I'm going to install this

pipe cap right here in the hole

at the bottom of the tub, and

inside it actually are two

sensors.

These sensors will give us the

pressure readings and let us

know whether our movie heroes

actually survived the blast in

this tub.

Narrator: And for a

comparison, Adam fits a twin set

of sensors on the outside of

the bath.

All right. Sensors are in.

Narrator: Then Jamie adds his

finishing touches to their

bathroom-bomb backdrop.

Water is very good at

absorbing energy.

Narrator: Yep.

Soon it will look like a bomb

has hit it.

Bon voyage-y.

Now it looks right.

Narrator: Is it a bird?

Is it a plane?

No, it's the mythbusters in

planes flying like birds.

I definitely like science

better when it's got a view.

Narrator: With the

"v" formation confirmed, the

mythbusters are taking to the

air for their twist on this

fuel-efficient formation.

So, we are setting up for

what we're calling the extended

"v."

Now, this is like the tight "v"

with one major difference.

Instead of being one plane

length from the leader, you're

going to be 10 plane lengths

away.

Now, based on our results in

the water channel, we should

see some sort of a difference.

We'll see if that translates

in the practical world.

Narrator: This is a more

real-world scenario.

The tight "v" is far too

dangerous for normal aircraft.

But will increasing the distance

of the "v" still benefit fuel

efficiency?

We're about 200 feet from

the plane in front of us and

the plane behind us.

But being this far away, it's

hard to find that sweet spot.

Narrator: With all the squad

fanned out in their extended

positions, the clock starts

once more.

Now, the interesting thing

out here is that even though

theoretically you should have

the same effect, i don't feel

like we're flying through

someone's wake.

It's pretty smooth.

Being in the vortex in the

long "v" formation isn't as

noticeable.

But you can still tell the

pilots have to make a lot of

adjustments to stay here.

Narrator: Maybe, but when

it comes to applying it to

fleets of passenger jets, this

could be a more practical

formation.

I'm noticing a little bit

more of a variation in the

numbers.

They were a lot more consistent

with the tight "v."

I'm thinking it's a lot harder

to stay in the sweet spot when

you're in the extended "v."

It's harder to find it.

Narrator: And after

10 minutes of data logging,

the mythbusters can bring

this myth in for a landing.

And that will conclude your

in-flight entertainment on

mythbust-air.

We know you have a choice in

travel, so thank you for

traveling with mythbust-air.

All right.

Extended "v" formation.

How'd you guys do?

Well, you know what?

I actually saved fuel.

I mean, even 10 airplane lengths

back, i was able to benefit from

that sweet spot.

In the extended "v," i didn't

see any savings whatsoever.

But, you know, i suspect it's

from being all the way at the

end of the pack.

It's just so hard to keep

compensating and trying to find

that sweet spot.

All right, kari, you as the

plane in the lead... how did you

do?

Well, unlike the really tight

"v" formation, in the loose

formation, i did not actually

get any savings.

But, honestly, i still think

this myth is confirmed for

the loose "v" formation because

if there's even just a little

bit of savings for the following

planes, in a large scale, that

actually translates to a lot

of money.

This might be the way to fly

in the future.

It's confirmed.

Narrator: After the break...

3...

Narrator: It's

rub-a-dub-dub...

2...

Narrator: Will buster

survive in the tub?

1!

Wow.

Narrator: Down on the range,

the mythbusters are prepping for

the bathroom boom.

We are almost there, and

here's how this experiment

is going to play out.

Our bomb will be placed exactly

where it is placed in the

film... directly behind the

toilet on the ground.

Buster will be inside the

cast-iron tub with the exact

same geometry as we in the

movie, and he will be covered

by...

An actual bombproof blanket.

Underneath this blanket are

two pairs of pcb pressure

transducers.

And the signal from the

sensors will be coming through

wires that go into this pipe

and are buried in the ground

for their protection...

And are picked up by this

data-acquisition center, which

will take a signal and send it

through that wire.

And ends up here, where our

trusty David Harding will

receive those electrical signals

as data and tell us once and for

all whether buster and the tub

survive the blast.

Pretty cool, huh?

Narrator: Pretty cool.

And the very last piece of this

"lethal weapon" myth is the

lethal weapon itself.

It might make their outhouse

more out than house, but it's

the same amount of c-4 as the

bomb in the movie.

We are going to try and find

out if buster would survive in

that cast-iron bathtub,

protected by the bomb blanket.

And inside that tub, our pcb

pressure transducers are

actually going to give us some

mighty fine readings.

They should be able to tell us

whether buster's dead or merely

severely injured or maybe just

had his eardrums blown out.

Narrator: This is the last

piece of the mythical puzzle.

Will the bathtub and bomb

blanket protect buster from

the blast?

With everything in position,

the guys retreat to the bunker

for the final countdown.

This is the "lethal weapon 2"

bathtub blast.

Charging.

Ready to go in 3...

2...

1!

Wow.

Oh ho ho!

Oh, oh.

Oh, look... i can see the tub

is still there in one piece.

But nothing else in the room.

No, the room is gone.

Totally gone.

[ Laughs ]

Narrator: There's no doubt

that one kilo of c-4 took out

the room.

However, the cast-iron bathtub

seems to be made of tougher

stuff.

The tub is fine.

Our sensors are also intact,

which is really nice.

There's no sign of the toilet

whatsoever.

I found the toilet seat and

the toilet mechanism, but as far

as the actual toilet...

Yeah, there's, like, little

bits of ceramic.

[ Laughs ]

Well, shall we check with David

and see what the data says?

I don't think there's

anything else left to do here.

[ Chuckling ] No.

[ Both laugh ]

Hey, David?

What have we got?

Well, you can see for

yourselves.

The red and the blue curves are

the sensors that were outside

the tub.

Clearly, right off, you can

see the red line and the blue

line... the pressure spike is

really severe.

180 psi.

Am i correct that the green

line looks pretty minimal?

The maximum pressure inside

the tub was 8 psi.

You're telling me that's

survivable?

Very survivable.

[ Laughs ]

No way!

That is crazy!

Narrator: The difference

between the sensors inside the

tub and the ones on the outside

clearly show that the blast is

survivable.

And, moreover...

Would they have had hearing

damage?

The threshold for a ruptured

eardrum starts around 5 psi, so

there is a chance, and,

according to our research,

it's probably going to be

between 10% and 15% chance

of hearing damage.

That's still pretty low.

That blows my fricking mind.

Narrator: With only a 10%

to 15% chance of hearing damage,

it seems that, amazingly, this

"lethal weapon" leap is

confirmed.

Well, I'm standing on the

only intact part of our bathroom

set, the cast-iron tub, or, as i

plan to refer to it from here on

in, the bombproof survival

vessel.

Buster here is a living being

thanks to the strength of this

bathtub.

And even though i predicted that

that might actually occur, it

doesn't mean I'm completely

blown away looking at the damage

around me and finding out that

it was true.

I am totally astonished.

I mean, first of all, it turns

out that liquid nitrogen will

slow down the detonation of a

bomb, and then it turns out that

a cast-iron tub will totally

protect you from the blast when

it does go off.

Yeah, how often do we

replicate an action sequence

and everything turns out to

be true?

Everything's confirmed.

[ Chuckles ]

Who knew?

Want to know why we did what

we did and didn't do what we

didn't do?

Check out the aftershow.

Log on to

discovery. Com/

mythbustersaftershow.