Original subtitles

Narrator: A SUPER PLANE.

LARGE ENOUGH TO SWALLOW OTHER AIRCRAFT WHOLE...

MAN: We're ready for departure, runway 3-5.

Narrator: ...THE ANTONOV 124

IS THE BIGGEST PRODUCTION CARGO PLANE ON THE PLANET.

THERE'S VERY FEW PLANES IN THE WORLD

THAT CAN TAKE THIS SIZE OF CARGO.

Narrator: THIS 260-TON FLYING GIANT CIRCLES THE GLOBE,

CARRYING MASSIVE CARGO MOST PLANES CAN'T HANDLE.

IT'S AMAZING WHAT THIS PLANE CAN DO.

Narrator: BREAKING THIS MONSTER AIRCRAFT DOWN INTO ITS COMPONENTS,

WE'LL DISCOVER ITS TECHNOLOGICAL SECRETS,

FROM ENGINES WITH MORE COMBINED THRUST

THAN EIGHT F-16 FIGHTER JETS

TO A CARGO BAY WITH A TITANIUM FLOOR,

AND AN INGENIOUS FLIP-UP NOSE.

WE'LL REVEAL

HOW THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND SUPER PLANE EVOLVED

TO BECOME A MEGA MACHINE.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

♪♪

DEEP IN EASTERN EUROPE,

IN WHAT WAS ONCE A SOVIET STRONGHOLD,

LIES AN AIR BASE BUILT TO HOUSE GIANTS.

IT'S HOME TO A FLEET OF SEVEN ANTONOV 124s,

THE BIGGEST PRODUCTION CARGO PLANES ON THE PLANET.

DURING THE COLD WAR,

THESE MONSTERS CARRIED RED ARMY WAR MACHINES.

BUT TODAY, THEIR MISSION IS TO HAUL OVERSIZED CARGO

ACROSS THE WORLD.

EVERYTHING ABOUT THESE MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR PLANES

IS TAILOR-MADE FOR SERIOUSLY HEAVY LIFTING.

THE COCKPIT SITS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER PLANE...

AND CAN HOLD A FLIGHT CREW OF SIX.

BEHIND THEM IS A CARGO BAY WITH A TITANIUM FLOOR

AND ENOUGH SPACE FOR THREE APACHE HELICOPTERS.

WINCH CRANES ON THE CEILING CAN LIFT A 30-TON TRUCK,

AND WINGS WIDER THAN THREE TENNIS COURTS...

CARRY FOUR GIGANTIC JET ENGINES,

BURNING AT OVER 2,300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THIS FLYING GIANT CAN HAUL LARGE LOADS

FASTER AND FURTHER THAN ANY OTHER MACHINE.

♪♪

IN DENVER, COLORADO,

THE WORLD'S LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF WIND TURBINES

HAS A PRESSING SUPER-SIZED PROBLEM.

♪♪

FACTORY MANAGER MIKE KRINGS HAS RECEIVED A LARGE ORDER

FOR A NEW GENERATION OF TURBINE BLADES.

BUT TO BUILD THEM, HE NEEDS SPECIALLY DESIGNED MOLDS.

THE NEW BLADE THAT WE'RE INTRODUCING IS THE V136.

IT'S A LARGER ROTOR SET THAN THE TRADITIONAL BLADE

THAT WE'VE BUILT IN THIS FACTORY.

Narrator: THE NEW BLADES WILL SPAN 220 FEET --

33 FEET LONGER THAN THE BLADES

MIKE'S TEAM IS CURRENTLY HANDLING.

THAT'S PRETTY BIG.

Narrator: THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE MOLDS TO FABRICATE THE NEW BLADES

ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET,

IN SHANGHAI, CHINA,

BUT MIKE NEEDS THEM IN DENVER IN LESS THAN FOUR DAYS,

OR HIS PRODUCTION LINE WILL GRIND TO A HALT.

Krings: A TRANSPORT METHOD

NORMALLY WOULD BE PROBABLY BY OCEAN FREIGHT,

WHICH WOULD NORMALLY TAKE SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS

TO GET TO OUR FACILITY.

Narrator: FOR MIKE'S ORDER, THAT'S NOWHERE NEAR FAST ENOUGH.

Krings: THIS SHIPMENT IS VERY CRITICAL,

SO WE'VE CHOSEN TO AIR-FREIGHT THIS MOLD,

BUT BECAUSE IT'S SO LARGE,

THERE'S VERY FEW PLANES IN THE WORLD

THAT CAN TAKE THIS SIZE OF CARGO.

Narrator: WITH PRESSURE MOUNTING

AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THE LINE,

MIKE CALLS IN THE CAVALRY.

IN MALAYSIA, ONE OF THESE MASSIVE PLANES

BECOMES AVAILABLE.

♪♪

THE MAN IN CHARGE

IS 23-YEAR-OLD CARGO FLIGHT MANAGER DMYTRII DOLHOV.

DMYTRII LEADS AN 18-MAN CREW

THAT TRAVELS ABOARD THEIR SUPER-SIZE AIRCRAFT

WHEREVER THE WORK TAKES THEM.

THE CREW HAS A RAZOR-THIN WINDOW TO COMPLETE THIS MISSION.

THEY MUST GET TO SHANGHAI, LOAD THE MASSIVE CARGO,

FLY NEARLY 7,000 MILES ACROSS THE PACIFIC,

AND UNLOAD THE MOLDS IN DENVER IN JUST 72 HOURS.

THEY HAVE A LANDING SLOT AT SHANGHAI IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS,

SO THEY QUICKLY TIE DOWN THE GEAR

IN THE ENORMOUS CARGO BAY.

THIS SPACE IS BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD FOUR GREYHOUND BUSES.

ITS PIONEERING DESIGN IS ONE THAT WAS BORN OUT OF WAR.

♪♪

IN WORLD WAR II, THE SOVIETS HAD A BIG PROBLEM --

THEIR CARGO PLANES STRUGGLED TO LAND IN ROUGH ENEMY TERRAIN.

SO AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER OLEG ANTONOV DESIGNED THE A-7,

A GLIDER WITH HIGH WINGS THAT FREED UP MORE SPACE IN THE HOLD,

AND STAYED CLEAR OF OBSTACLES WHEN LANDING.

THE RED ARMY BUILT 400 OF THESE WOODEN GLIDERS,

WHICH ALLOWED THEM TO DROP MEN AND SUPPLIES

QUIETLY BEHIND ENEMY LINES.

TODAY OLEG ANTONOV'S GRAND VISION

HAS GROWN INTO THE An-124,

A PLANE THAT CAN CARRY MASSIVE FREIGHT PRACTICALLY ANYWHERE.

THE MISSION TO PICK UP THE TURBINE MOLD IS A GO.

MAN: Alpha-delta-brown, 2-1-4-6. We are ready to taxi.

♪♪

Narrator: WITH ITS CARGO HOLD EMPTY,

THE THRUST FROM ITS FOUR MIGHTY JET ENGINES

POWERS THE 260-TON PLANE OFF THE RUNWAY

FOR ITS 2,000-MILE JOURNEY TO CHINA.

THE MISSION CLOCK IS NOW LESS THAN 60 HOURS AND COUNTING.

AT AN AIRPORT IN SHANGHAI,

THE PACKAGED TURBINE MOLDS ARE ALREADY ROLLING ONTO THE TARMAC.

EVEN DISASSEMBLED FOR SHIPPING,

ONE PIECE IS LONGER THAN A BOEING 737,

AND COMBINED, THEY WEIGH OVER 15 TONS.

ENGINEER BO PAULSEN HAS OVERSEEN THE FABRICATION OF THE MOLDS

AND WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THEIR TRANSPORT ALL THE WAY TO DENVER.

Paulsen: THEY NEED TO PRODUCE THOUSANDS OF BLADES.

WE TAKE CARE OF THEM QUITE DELICATELY,

AND WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY TO KEEP THEM IN SHAPE,

AND GET THEM ON-SITE WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE AT ALL.

Narrator: THE FLYING GIANT IS ON ITS WAY TO SHANGHAI,

AND DMYTRII IS GOING OVER THE CARGO DETAILS.

EVEN WITH THIS MONSTER OF A PLANE,

THE JOB WILL BE A HUGE CHALLENGE.

THE CARGO IS A MERE 6 1/2 FEET SHORTER THAN THE CARGO HOLD,

MAKING IT A TIGHT FIT FOR THE LOAD TEAM.

LOAD MASTER IGOR KOZLOV IS ALSO CONCERNED

ABOUT TYING THE CARGO DOWN IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

IF HE GETS HIS CALCULATIONS WRONG,

THE HUGE TURBINE BLADE MOLDS

COULD END UP UNBALANCING THE WHOLE PLANE.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.

THE TRUCKS IN SHANGHAI MAY NOT BE ABLE

TO DRIVE THE LONG LOAD ONTO THE PLANE.

JUST GETTING THE CARGO ONTO THE PLANE

IS THE FIRST BIG CHALLENGE,

BUT THIS MEGA MACHINE HAS DOORS ON THE REAR THAT OPEN SO WIDE

THEY CAN SWALLOW A BUS.

HYDRAULIC JACKS OPEN AND CLOSE THEM

TO GIVE ACCESS FROM BENEATH THE PLANE.

AND AT THE FRONT, JUST BEHIND THE NOSE CONE,

SITS A PAIR OF SIX-AND-A-HALF FEET LONG HYDRAULIC JACKS.

INSIDE THEM, HYDRAULIC PISTONS PUSH OUT WITH MORE PRESSURE

THAN A CAR CRUSHER TO FLIP OPEN THE ENTIRE NOSE,

AND UNFURL A RAMP THAT A TRUCK CAN DRIVE STRAIGHT ONTO.

WITH THESE TWO SUPER-SIZED, LOADING OPTIONS,

THE MEGA-PLANE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE JOB.

BUT AS THE AIRCRAFT RACES TOWARD SHANGHAI,

DMYTRII IS STILL NOT SURE HOW THEY CAN LOAD A CARGO

THAT IS PRACTICALLY AS LONG AS THE HOLD OF THE PLANE.

THE ISSUE ISN'T JUST SIZE.

THESE MOLDS ARE ALSO EXTREMELY DELICATE.

IF THEY MAKE JUST ONE MISTAKE,

THIS MISSION COULD BE OVER BEFORE IT EVEN STARTS.

[ RADIO CHATTER ]

Narrator: IT'S 3:00 A.M. AT SHANGHAI'S PUDONG AIRPORT.

♪♪

THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCTION CARGO AIRCRAFT

AND ITS CREW TOUCH DOWN.

THEY HAVE JUST 24 HOURS TO PICK UP THE MASSIVE TURBINE MOLDS

AND TAKE OFF FOR DENVER.

BUT THEY FACE YET ANOTHER PROBLEM.

THE CARGO PLANE IS TOO LARGE

TO REACH ITS DESIGNATED PARKING SPOT.

SHANGHAI PUDONG COVERS OVER 15 SQUARE MILES,

AND IS THE THIRD LARGEST CARGO HUB IN THE WORLD.

BUT THE PLANE IS SO WIDE, THE AIRPORT HAS JUST ONE TAXIWAY

BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD IT,

AND RIGHT NOW, THAT ROUTE IS OUT OF ACTION.

THE CREW HAS NO OPTION BUT SIT TIGHT AND WAIT.

IT TAKES FOUR HOURS FOR THE AIRPORT PERSONNEL

TO CLEAR A PATH

AND THEN GUIDE THE AIRPLANE TO ITS PARKING SPACE.

WE'RE FLYING INTO LEVEL 3-5-0-SCORPION-2-1.

♪♪

SOON, DAWN BREAKS, AND THE CREW MUST PREP THE PLANE.

♪♪

FOUR HOURS BEHIND SCHEDULE,

DMYTRII FINALLY GETS TO SIZE UP THE SUPER-LONG CARGO,

AND MEET THE MAN SUPERVISING THEIR TRANSPORT, BO PAULSEN.

WE HAVE TWO SMALLER PARTS,

AND WE SHOULD BASICALLY BE GOOD TO GO TO START LOADING.

WE HAVE, LIKE, A COUPLE OF SOLUTIONS.

WE WILL TRY TO LOAD THIS CARGO FROM THE NOSE CARGO DOOR,

BUT WE WILL SEE HOW IT GOES.

♪♪

IT'S TIME FOR THE FLYING GIANT'S PARTY TRICK -- THE FLIP-UP NOSE.

AS POWERFUL HYDRAULICS

PUSH THE PLANE'S ENTIRE NOSE CONE UPWARDS,

THE COCKPIT IS LEFT HANGING ABOVE THE LOADING BAY.

BUT TO TAKE IN THE CARGO,

THIS GIANT MUST PERFORM ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY FEAT.

IT KNEELS DOWN BY RETRACTING ITS FRONT WHEELS.

MOST PLANES CAN ONLY MOVE THEIR WHEELS DURING FLIGHT.

IF THEY TRIED RETRACTING THEM ON THE GROUND,

THE WEIGHT OF THE PLANE WOULD CRUSH THE WHEELS' HYDRAULICS,

BUT THIS PLANE'S KNEELING CAPABILITY

TAKES INSPIRATION FROM EARLY ELEVATORS.

THE ROPES THEY USE TO HAUL HEAVY LOADS

WERE LIABLE TO SNAP, CATASTROPHICALLY.

SOME ELEVATOR DESIGNS SOLVED THIS PROBLEM

BY USING LARGE, UPRIGHT SCREWS.

SIMPLY TURNING THE SCREWS SHIFTED HEAVY WEIGHTS WITH EASE,

WITH NO RISK OF SNAPPING THE ROPES.

THIS CARGO PLANE USES THE SAME PRINCIPLE.

TWO MASSIVE SCREWS SLOWLY TURN,

JACKING AS MUCH 400 TONS OF PLANE UP AND DOWN

WITHOUT FEAR OF COLLAPSING.

ONCE THE PLANE HAS KNELT DOWN FAR ENOUGH,

THE LOAD CREW DEPLOYS METAL GRATES TO BUILD A SHALLOW RAMP

FROM THE CARGO BAY DOWN TO THE GROUND.

BUT AS THE TRUCKS CARRYING THE MOLDS LINE UP TO THE PLANE,

THE LOADING CREW SPOTS A BIG ISSUE.

ONE OF THE TRAILERS IS TOO LONG.

THERE'S A RISK IT COULD GET STUCK

AT THE TOP OF THE PLANE'S RAMP.

DRIVING THROUGH THE NOSE OF THE PLANE IS NOT POSSIBLE.

BUT THE CREW CAN TRY ANOTHER OPTION.

IF THEY CAN GET THE TRAILERS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE REAR DOOR,

THAT MIGHT JUST BE THE WAY IN.

BUT IT'S A RISKY OPERATION.

THE REAR DOOR IS OVER 6 1/2 FEET OFF THE GROUND,

SO THE TRUCK CAN'T DRIVE THE LOAD IN.

THE SOLUTION...

IS BUILT-IN WINCH CRANES.

INSIDE THE CARGO HOOKS, A BLOCK-AND-TACKLE SYSTEM

HELPS LIFT THE LOAD.

ABOVE THEM, CABLE HOISTS WITH POWERFUL ELECTRIC MOTORS

AND FINELY TUNED GEARS CAN LIFT A STAGGERING TEN TONS EACH.

SLIDING ACROSS METAL RUNNERS,

THE HOISTS CAN MOVE SIDEWAYS TO ADAPT TO THEIR CARGO.

THEY CAN REACH INTO EVERY CORNER,

AND RUN THE LENGTH OF THE CARGO BAY,

DEEP INTO THE TAIL SECTION,

GIVING FULL ACCESS TO THE CARGO BELOW.

USING THE TWIN CRANES INSIDE,

THE CREW RAISES THE FIRST TWO MOLDS OFF THE TRUCKS,

AND CAREFULLY SLIDES THEM INTO THE CARGO BAY.

AT 112 FEET LONG, THE THIRD AND FINAL MOLD

IS THE LONGEST AND WIDEST OF ALL.

WITH THE OTHER PIECES ALREADY ON BOARD,

THERE'S NOT MUCH ROOM TO WORK WITH.

FOR BO, THIS IS CRUNCH TIME.

A PRECISE PRODUCTION LINE DEPENDS ON THE PARTS

UNDER THESE THIN PLASTIC WRAPPINGS.

EVERY SET OF TURBINE BLADES THAT THESE MOLDS PRODUCE

WILL EARN THE FACTORY IN DENVER OVER $2,000,000.

THE SMALLEST DENT OR SCRATCH COULD MAKE THEM WORTHLESS.

IT'S OKAY. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

THE CREW EDGES IN THE FINAL PIECE TO COMPLETE THE LOADING.

NOW THEY MUST FIX THE CARGO IN PRECISELY THE RIGHT POSITION,

DISTRIBUTING THE WEIGHT EVENLY.

THE CREW KNOWS THAT IF THE PLANE'S CENTER OF GRAVITY

SUDDENLY SHIFTS IN FLIGHT,

THE RESULT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC.

IN 2013, THE PAYLOAD ON THIS CARGO PLANE IN AFGHANISTAN

CAME LOOSE DURING TAKEOFF AND UNBALANCED THE AIRCRAFT,

CAUSING IT TO STALL AND CRASH.

NO ONE SURVIVED.

THE MEGA-PLANE'S 15-TON CARGO

CAN'T BUDGE AN INCH DURING THE FLIGHT...

OR ELSE.

Narrator: ON BOARD THE BIGGEST PRODUCTION CARGO PLANE ON THE PLANET,

THE CREW IS GETTING READY TO LOAD

MASSIVELY LONG WIND TURBINE MOLDS

FOR A LONG FLIGHT TO DENVER.

THE CREW FASTENS EACH SECTION OF CARGO WITH HEAVY CHAINS,

EACH ONE CAPABLE OF HOLDING TWO TONS.

THE TITANIUM FLOOR IS ALMOST 50% LIGHTER THAN STEEL

AND COVERED WITH OVER 290 ANCHOR POINTS,

GIVING THE LOAD TEAM NEAR-LIMITLESS FLEXIBILITY.

THIS IS THEIR LAST CHANCE

TO CHECK EVERYTHING IS SAFELY TIED DOWN

BECAUSE THEY CAN'T ACCESS THE CARGO IN FLIGHT.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE PLANE IS SO BIG, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE

TO FULLY PRESSURIZE ITS CAVERNOUS CARGO HOLD.

NORMAL PASSENGER PLANES ARE SEALED

TO KEEP THE CABIN PRESSURIZED, SO PASSENGERS AND CREW

DON'T SUFFOCATE IN THE THIN AIR AT 35,000 FEET.

THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE IS SO GREAT THAT ANY LARGE WINDOWS

OR DOORS WOULD BURST OPEN,

SO THEY MUST BE AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE.

BUT THIS GIANT'S CARGO DOORS ARE 20 FEET ACROSS.

IF THE HOLD WAS PRESSURIZED LIKE THE CABIN,

THE DOORS WOULD BURST OPEN,

SO THE TRICK IS TO SEAL OFF THE CARGO BAY,

AND ONLY PRESSURIZE THE UPPER DECK,

MAKING THE COLD, THIN AIR OF THE CARGO HOLD STRICTLY OFF-LIMITS.

AT 3:00 A.M. THE NEXT DAY,

THE LOAD CREW HAS FINISHED SECURING THE CARGO,

AND THE FLIGHT CREW ARRIVES,

READY FOR THE 6,700-MILE JOURNEY AHEAD.

WITH ONLY 25 HOURS LEFT,

THE PILOTS COMPLETE THEIR PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS BY FLASHLIGHT,

AND DMYTRII PHONES AHEAD TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A RUNWAY

FREE AT THEIR DESTINATION IN DENVER, COLORADO.

DENVER INTERNATIONAL

IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD,

AND ONE OF THE BUSIEST, HANDLING OVER 1,000 PLANES EVERY DAY.

BUT FOR AIRPORT OPERATIONS OFFICER KALEM GUSTAFSON,

ACCOMMODATING THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCTION CARGO PLANE

IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL.

Gustafson: SO FAR, IT IS OUR LARGEST ONE TO COME IN.

I'M PRETTY STOKED TO BE HERE AND GET TO WITNESS IT,

TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE ACTUAL ARRIVAL OF IT IS PRETTY AWESOME.

Narrator: ACCOMMODATING A MONSTER PLANE LIKE THIS WON'T BE EASY.

KALEM NEEDS TO FIND THE WIDEST POSSIBLE ROUTE

THROUGH THE AIRPORT

AND SECURE THE LARGEST POSSIBLE PARKING SPACE.

OP-6 FROM OUTSIDE,

I THINK WE'LL HAVE IT COME LAND ONE ZONE RIGHT.

WE'LL TAXI IT IN ON ALPHA AND THEN TURN IT AROUND

AND PARK IT ON THE DELTA DE-ICE PAD.

LUCKILY FOR KALEM, THE OVERSIZED AREA

WHERE THE PLANES COME TO DE-ICE IS CURRENTLY EMPTY,

WHICH MEANS THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH SPACE FOR UNLOADING.

BACK IN SHANGHAI,

THE FLIGHT CREW HAS COMPLETED THE CHECKLISTS,

AND THE SUPER PLANE IS READY TO FLY,

BUT GETTING A BIRD THIS BIG INTO THE AIR

IS NEVER STRAIGHTFORWARD.

CONTROLLER: Charlie...papa one.

Straight ahead, Charlie...papa one.

Antonov 2-1-4-6.

TO GET ITS MASSIVE ENGINES TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE,

THIS ENORMOUS PLANE TAKES FOUR TIMES LONGER

ON THE RUNWAY THAN A JUMBO JET.

Alpha delta Brown 2-1-4-6 shut off to papa one.

Be advised that we need four minutes

after lining up on the runway to warm up engines,

ready for departure.

BUT THE RADIO OPERATOR GETS THE ALL-CLEAR TO HEAD TO THE RUNWAY.

NOW THE CREW MUST PREPARE FOR THE MOST DANGEROUS MOMENT

OF THE MISSION SO FAR.

Lining up runway 2-5-Left.

We'll call you on whether we're ready for departure

in four minutes, Alpha delta Brown 2-1-4-6.

JUST BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PLANE IS AT ITS ABSOLUTE HEAVIEST,

LOADED DOWN WITH ITS MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR CARGO

AND 66,000 GALLONS OF FUEL.

TO GET ITS 390-TON WEIGHT OFF THE GROUND,

THIS SUPER PLANE MUST SQUEEZE

EVERY LAST BIT OF POWER OUT OF ITS ENGINES.

EACH OF THE MASSIVE TURBO-FAN ENGINES WEIGHS FOUR TONS,

AS MUCH AS A MONSTER TRUCK.

THEIR HUGE FAN BLADES PUSH IN AIR,

AND THREE SETS OF COMPRESSOR BLADES

SQUEEZE IT INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER.

COMBINED WITH FUEL, IT BURNS AT OVER 2,300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

BLASTING OUT THE BACK,

THE SCORCHING GAS SPINS A SET OF TURBINES,

CONNECTED TO THE FANS AT THE FRONT

TO DRAW EVEN MORE AIR INTO THE ENGINE.

AT FULL THROTTLE, THESE MONSTERS GENERATE MORE THRUST

THAN EIGHT F-16 FIGHTER JETS.

AT THE START OF THE RUNWAY,

THE CAPTAIN PUSH THE ENGINES UP TO 3,000 RPM

TO GET THEM TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE.

2-1-4-6... Runway 3.

BUT THE ALLOTTED FOUR MINUTES IS RUNNING DOWN

AND THE ENGINES ARE STILL TOO COLD.

THE PLANE SHAKES AND RATTLES UNDER THE STRAIN OF THE ENGINES.

FINALLY, JUST 10 SECONDS OVER THEIR ALLOTTED TIME,

THEY'RE READY FOR TAKEOFF.

Alpha delta Brown 2-1-4-6 heavy

ready for departure on runway 3.

RUNWAY 3, CLEAR FOR TAKEOFF.

THE PILOT CAN FINALLY RELEASE THE BRAKES,

AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTS MOVING.

HE NEEDS TWO MILES TO TAKE OFF,

WHICH IS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THIS RUNWAY.

LET'S SEE HOW MUCH WE NEED TODAY.

SPEEDING DOWN THE TARMAC,

THE MEGA-PLANE PASSES 130 MILES PER HOUR.

ANY SECOND NOW, THE PILOT WILL PASS THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

IF THEY'RE NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO TAKE OFF,

THEY WILL OVERSHOOT THE RUNWAY.

Narrator: AT SHANGHAI'S PUDONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

THE ANTONOV 124

AND ITS MULTIMILLION LOAD OF TURBINE MOLDS

IS ABOUT TO ATTEMPT ITS MOST DANGEROUS TASK SO FAR --

TAKEOFF.

THE NOW 390-TON PLANE MOVES FORWARD,

LOADED WITH FUEL AND CARGO,

WITH ITS ENGINES STRAINING UNDER THE HEAVY LOAD.

JUST AS THIS SUPER PLANE REACHES THE END OF THE TWO-MILE RUNWAY,

IT LIFTS OFF.

THIS IS THE REAL MOMENT OF TRUTH.

WILL THE PRECIOUS CARGO STAY TIED DOWN?

ON BOARD, THE LOAD TEAM HOLDS THEIR BREATH.

THEY KNOW IF THE LOAD SHIFTS...

...IT COULD END IN CATASTROPHE.

AS THE LOAD CHAINS TAKE THE STRAIN...

♪♪

...THE CARGO HOLDS STEADY.

THE CREW CAN RELAX AS THE SUPER PLANE MAKES ITS WAY TO DENVER.

Climbing 5,700 meters.

Maintain a two-positive.

BUT TO PUSH THIS FLYING GIANT TO CRUISING ALTITUDE,

THE PILOT MUST RELY ON ITS SPECIALLY SHAPED WINGS,

A LEGACY OF NASA.

IN THE 1970s, SOME EXPERIMENTAL JETS HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

WHEN THEY APPROACHED THE SPEED OF SOUND, THEY NOSE-DIVED.

NASA ENGINEERS DISCOVERED THE CURVED WING-SHAPE WAS TO BLAME.

AT HIGH SPEEDS, TURBULENCE OVER THE TOP

PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN.

SO NASA FLATTENED THE TOP OF THE WING

TO SMOOTH OUT THE AIRFLOW,

AND THEY CURVED THE BACK EDGE TO PRODUCE EVEN MORE LIFT.

THE ANTONOV USES THIS REFINED WING SHAPE

TO CREATE MAXIMUM LIFT

AND PUSH ITS MASSIVE WEIGHT UP INTO THE SKY,

EVEN WHEN FULLY LOADED.

10-6-4, 6-1-6-7.

6-1-6-7 on squall.

Alpha delta Brown, 2-1-4-6 maintaining 2-5-0.

THE PILOT LEVELS THE PLANE AT 36,000 FEET,

CRUISING AT 425 MILES AN HOUR.

CARGO SUPERVISOR BO PAULSEN CAN FINALLY RELAX

AFTER A STRESSFUL 24 HOURS.

HIGH OVER JAPAN, THE CREW SOARS PAST MOUNT FUJI.

IT WILL BE THE LAST DRY LAND THE CREW SEES FOR A WHILE,

AS THEY MUST NOW CROSS

5,000 MILES OF OPEN OCEAN IN A SINGLE BOUND.

TO COVER SUCH A DISTANCE, THIS SUPER PLANE MUST DIG DEEP.

HIDDEN UNDER ITS ALUMINUM SKIN

IS THE KEY TO HAULING LARGE LOADS ACROSS THE GLOBE.

STRETCHING THROUGH THE WINGS ARE MASSIVE TANKS

THAT CAN CARRY OVER 200 TONS OF KEROSENE.

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVIDING WALLS

STOP FUEL FROM SLOSHING AROUND THE TANKS IN FLIGHT.

AND VALVES BETWEEN THEM ALLOW THE PILOT

TO ADJUST THE BALANCE OF EACH WING.

COLOSSAL ALUMINUM SPARS CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THE TANKS,

MAKING THE WINGS EXTREMELY STURDY.

CARRYING MORE FUEL THAN ANY OTHER HEAVY-HAULER,

THIS MACHINE CAN FLY OVER 9,000 MILES WITHOUT STOPPING.

IN DENVER, CARGO HANDLER MARK HELTZ AND HIS TEAM

PREPARE TO EXTRACT THE TURBINE MOLDS

ONCE THE MEGA-PLANE HAS LANDED.

TONIGHT WE HAVE THE ANTONOV COMING IN.

PRETTY BIG AIRCRAFT, ONE OF THE BIGGEST IN THE WORLD.

IT'S GOING TO BE A FUN OPERATION.

THE TRUCK CAN HOOK UP...

Narrator: WITH THE TEAM BRIEFED,

THEY HEAD OUT TO GET EVERYTHING IN PLACE.

THE PLANE IS SO HUGE, THERE ISN'T A PARKING SPOT

BESIDE THE TERMINAL BIG ENOUGH FOR IT TO PARK

AND UNLOAD ITS MASSIVE CARGO.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OFF-LOAD

MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF COMPLICATION.

UNTIL I TALK TO THE FLIGHT MANAGER,

YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A BLINDSIDE THING

ON HOW THIS THING WILL GO.

Narrator: THE ONLY SPOT LARGE ENOUGH

IS THE AREA WHERE PLANES COME FOR DE-ICING IN WINTER,

BUT IT'S SO FAR AWAY,

MARK WON'T HAVE EASY ACCESS

TO THE TERMINAL'S UTILITIES, SUCH AS LIGHTING.

THE PLANE AND ITS CARGO WILL BE IN THE DARK

UNLESS HE CAN FIND A SOLUTION.

THE CHALLENGING PART IS HOW DARK IT IS UP THERE,

AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TURNING IT AT THE RIGHT TIME

WHERE IT WILL FIT

FOR THE OFF-LOADING PROCESS TO BE SMOOTH.

Narrator: LUCKILY, THE TEAM HAS FOUND A PORTABLE GENERATOR

AND FLOODLIGHTS.

YEAH, I'M RIGHT BY THE kVa NOW.

WHEN YOU PULL UP, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BACK UP AND HOOK UP TO IT.

Narrator: WITH FLOODLIGHTS AND A GENERATOR IN TOW,

MARK AND HIS TEAM HEAD TO THE DE-ICE PAD

AND WAIT FOR THE PLANE,

WHICH WILL BE LANDING IN JUST THREE HOURS.

I'LL MEET YOU GUYS UP THERE AND...

WE'LL GET THE LIGHT RIGGED UP.

ALRIGHT, YEAH.

OVER A THOUSAND MILES AWAY, THE FLYING GIANT IS IN CRUISE MODE.

AT 36,000 FEET, THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE CAN BE

A FROSTY MINUS-60 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

BUT INSIDE THE PLANE'S ENGINES, IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.

FOUR TURBO-FANNED POWER PLANTS HAVE BEEN RUNNING FOR 10 HOURS,

PUSHING THIS MASSIVE PLANE HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD.

THE FUEL INSIDE THE ENGINES

BURNS AT OVER 2,300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

SO AN ENGINE FIRE IS A VERY REAL RISK

THAT THE CREW WOULD BE POWERLESS TO FIGHT.

SO, THIS IS SOMETHING THE PLANE ITSELF MUST MANAGE.

SENSORS INSIDE ITS ENGINES CAN DETECT SIGNS OF FIRE EARLY ON.

THEY TRIGGER AN ALARM AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL

AND POWER IN MILLISECONDS.

IF THAT DOESN'T STOP THE FIRE,

A BANK OF SIX HIGH-PRESSURE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS...

CAN BE TRIGGERED REMOTELY.

THEY RELEASE A BURST OF FIRE-KILLING HALON GAS

DIRECTLY INTO THE ENGINE

AND SUFFOCATE THE FLAMES IN SECONDS.

THIS SYSTEM FIGHTS THE FIRE IN THE AIR,

KEEPING THE MEGA-PLANE AND ITS CREW SAFE.

WITH ONLY 12 HOURS LEFT TO DELIVER THE CARGO,

THE PILOT IS FLYING AT MAXIMUM CRUISE SPEED

OF 450 MILES AN HOUR TOWARDS DENVER.

THE CREW IS ALREADY ANTICIPATING THE CHALLENGE OF LANDING

IN A CITY THAT SITS A MILE ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

FOR PILOT OLEKSANDR BOIKO, WITH A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR CARGO

STRAPPED IN BEHIND HIM,

TOUCHING DOWN IN THE THIN AIR OF THE MILE-HIGH CITY

WILL MAKE THE NEXT LANDING

ONE OF THE TOUGHEST HE'S EVER ATTEMPTED.

Narrator: THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCTION CARGO PLANE

IS CLOSING IN ON THE MILE-HIGH CITY OF DENVER

TO DELIVER ITS RECORD-BREAKING LOAD ON TIME.

AS LIGHT FADES OVER THE ROCKIES,

THIS 260-TON PLANE BEGINS ITS DESCENT.

DOWN IN DENVER, THE SUN HAS ALREADY SET,

AND THE AIRPORT CREW SWINGS INTO ACTION.

CARGO HANDLER MARK HELTZ AND HIS TEAM RACE OUT

TO THE ONLY SPOT AT THE AIRPORT BIG ENOUGH TO PARK THE PLANE.

Heltz: IT'S A BIG AIRPLANE.

THEY CONSIDER IT THE BIGGEST ONE IN THE WORLD.

I MEAN, WE -- WE HANDLE SOME BIG AIRCRAFT SUCH AS THE BOEING 747,

BUT IT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO THE SIZE OF THE ANTONOV.

Narrator: TEN MINUTES TO TOUCHDOWN,

AIRPORT OPERATIONS OFFICER KALEM GUSTAFSON

HEADS OUT TO THE RUNWAY.

Man: ROCK 'N' ROLL. I'M GOING TO HEAD ON UP,

I'M JUST STANDING BY FOR THESE THINGS.

THANKS, BUD.

LANDING A PLANE THIS LARGE POSES MANY RISKS.

ITS WINGSPAN IS 90 FEET WIDER

THAN THE EDGES OF DENVER'S LANDING STRIP.

KALEM MUST MAKE SURE THE COLOSSAL AIRCRAFT

DOESN'T DESTROY THE RUNWAY OR GET DAMAGED.

SO, THESE ARE ONE OF THE PRIMARY CONCERNS WE HAVE,

IS THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY EDGE LIGHTS,

'CAUSE THEY SIT OFF THE GROUND,

AND WITH THE WINGS AND THE ENGINES PASSING OVER THEM --

ENOUGH WIND, THESE WILL JUST BREAK RIGHT OFF,

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T CAUSE

DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, IT DOESN'T KNOCK ANY OVER.

IF ANY ARE KNOCKED OVER,

THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL ISSUE FOR THE ENGINE.

Narrator: EVEN A SMALL IMPACT BY THE PLANE'S WINGS

COULD COST THE AIRPORT MILLIONS

AND SPELL THE END OF THIS MISSION.

[ RADIO CHATTER ]

ALREADY, THE HUGE PLANE IS CAUSING A TRAFFIC JAM

BEFORE IT HAS EVEN TOUCHED THE GROUND.

ALL THESE GUYS ARE LINING UP TO TAKE OFF FROM THIS RUNWAY,

BUT THEY WON'T BE ALLOWED TO DEPART

UNTIL WE'VE PERFORMED AN INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY

AFTER THE ANTONOV HAS LANDED.

♪♪

Narrator: NOW LESS THAN 20 MILES AWAY AND CLOSING IN FAST,

THE COCKPIT CREW PREPARES FOR LANDING.

Count toward that weather, about 60 miles.

Denver...

21-46 heavy...

3-5-0.

SAFELY BRINGING DOWN A PLANE THIS HEAVY

IS CHALLENGING IN THE BEST OF TIMES,

BUT LANDING IT IN A CITY AT SUCH A HIGH ALTITUDE

ADDS EVEN MORE PROBLEMS.

DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SITS AT THE FOOT

OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

TURBULENT AIR ROLLS ONTO THE RUNWAYS BELOW,

BATTERING INCOMING PLANES.

ON TOP OF THAT, THE AIRPORT IS A MILE ABOVE SEA LEVEL,

SO THE AIR IS VERY THIN,

WHICH MEANS THE WINGS GENERATE LESS LIFT.

APPROACHING AT NORMAL SPEED, THE PLANE COULD DROP TOO FAST,

SO PILOT OLEKSANDR MUST SPEED UP TO COMPENSATE.

HE'LL HAVE LESS TIME TO LINE UP THE PLANE

TO MAKE A CLEAN LANDING,

AND THERE'S ALSO A RISK HE COULD OVERSHOOT THE RUNWAY.

HURTLING TOWARDS DENVER AIRPORT AT 200 MILES AN HOUR,

THE FLYING GIANT IS NOW IN SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY,

BUT THERE'S YET ANOTHER LOGISTICAL ISSUE.

DOWN ON THE GROUND, THE TAXIWAY HAS BECOME TOO FULL,

AND AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL

LETS ONE OF THE WAITING PLANES TAKE OFF EARLY,

JUST AS THE MEGA-PLANE NEARS THE FINAL STAGES OF APPROACH.

21-46 is going to maintain flight level 2-7-0.

Maintain flight-level 2-7-0, 21-46.

INSTEAD OF HOLDING THAT PLANE

AND WAITING FOR US TO DO THE INSPECTION,

THEY GOT HIM TO TAKE OFF,

SO THE ANTONOV 124 IS GOING TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT,

AND THEN HE SHOULD COME IN AND LAND

IN THE NEXT MINUTE TO 30 SECONDS.

Narrator: THIS ALREADY TRICKY LANDING IS NOW A WHOLE LOT HARDER.

CAPTAIN OLEKSANDR IS FORCED TO SLOW DOWN AND DELAY HIS DESCENT,

GIVING HIM EVEN LESS TIME TO BRING THE PLANE DOWN.

[ RADIO CHATTER ]

21-46 heavy, maintain...

Keep track of the 737 holding its position.

21-46.

THE CREW COULD BE HEADING TO A HARD AND SUDDEN LANDING,

WHICH COULD SPELL DISASTER

FOR THEIR VALUABLE AND HIGHLY DELICATE CARGO.

46 heavy can resume normal speed.

Normal speed, 21-46.

NOW THE CREW MUST RELY ON AN ASSET

FROM THE MACHINE'S MILITARY HERITAGE...

...ITS SUPER-SIZED LANDING GEAR.

THIS PLANE HAS 24 MASSIVE WHEELS

AND 12 SHOCK ABSORBERS THAT SOFTEN THE LANDING.

INSIDE EACH ONE, A POCKET OF COMPRESSED GAS

CUSHIONS THE IMPACT OF TOUCHDOWN,

AND VISCOUS OIL, SQUEEZING THROUGH A SMALL GAP,

STOPS THE PLANE FROM BOUNCING BACK UP.

HEAVY-DUTY CARBON DISC BRAKES

HEAT UP TO NEARLY 600 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

CONSTANTLY PULSING ON AND OFF

TO STOP THE WHEELS FROM SKIDDING,

AND REINFORCED NITROGEN-FILLED TIRES

CAN SURVIVE EVEN THE ROUGHEST SURFACE

TO LET THIS JUGGERNAUT LAND PRACTICALLY ANYWHERE.

SO, THIS WILL BE HIM, THIS SET OF LIGHTS.

AND THERE HE GOES, TURN ON THOSE LANDING LIGHTS.

THAT'S HIM.

Narrator: WITH THE LANDING GEAR LOWERED,

THE MASSIVE PLANE FLIES TOWARDS THE RUNWAY,

AND THE CREW BRACES FOR IMPACT.

Narrator: AFTER NEARLY 7,000 MILES,

THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCTION CARGO PLANE

IS PREPARING TO LAND IN DENVER

WITH ITS MILLION-DOLLAR CARGO OF WIND TURBINE MOLDS IN TOW.

TOUCHDOWN.

THE PLANE LANDS WITH A BIG BANG.

BUT IT'S STILL TRAVELING AT OVER 100 MILES AN HOUR,

AND IT'S RUNNING OUT OF RUNWAY.

PILOT OLEKSANDR REVERSES THE ENGINE THRUST

AND SLAMS ON THE BRAKES

AND WRESTLES THIS FLYING GIANT TO A STOP.

THAT WAS THE LANDING OF THE ANTONOV 124!

WHOO!

THE MEGA-PLANE HAS GONE ACROSS NEARLY ALL TWO MILES OF RUNWAY.

NOW KALEM MUST CATCH UP. -ALRIGHT, HOLD ON.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET DOWN TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY

TO PROVIDE IT WITH THE FOLLOWING SERVICE TO HIS PARKING SPOT.

BUT WE'VE GOT TO MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY,

BECAUSE WE'VE GOT 12,000 FEET TO COVER,

AND HE'S ALREADY NEARLY AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

Narrator: KALEM RACES TO CATCH THE CARGO PLANE,

JUST AS IT COMES OFF THE RUNWAY,

FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND TO MAKE SURE THIS MASSIVE AIRCRAFT

DOESN'T BREAK ANYTHING.

CONTROLLER: Antonov 2146, taxi on Alpha,

And then you're going to make the left 180

into the delta de-ice pad

there off to your left side for parking.

BLUE-2 AND C... YOU CAN JUST TAXI WAY INTO THE ICE PAD.

IT'S DESIGNED FOR SMALLER AIRCRAFT,

SO HIS WING AND ENGINE ARE ACTUALLY HANGING OVER

THESE ELEVATED TAXIWAY LIGHTS AND EDGE BLUE ONES.

THE DENVER GROUND CREW GUIDES THE PLANE

INTO ITS DARK PARKING SPOT.

AFTER 62 HOURS, THE MIGHTY PLANE HAS FINALLY ARRIVED

WITH ITS CARGO STILL IN ONE PIECE.

BUT WITH ONLY 10 HOURS TO GO, THE CREW FACES A BIG PROBLEM.

DMYTRII FEARS THE HARD LANDING HAS DAMAGED THE PLANE.

IT MUST ALWAYS BE READY TO FLY,

SO INSTEAD OF LETTING HIS TECHNICIANS GET SOME REST,

DMYTRII DIRECTS THEM TO DO A FULL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.

WELL, HOW MUCH WORK DO THEY GOT TO DO?

I MEAN, IS IT ALL WORK ALL NIGHT LONG OR...

AND THEN THEY LEAVE?

OH, AND THEN THEY OFFLOAD IT.

OKAY.

♪♪

MARK AND HIS TEAM CRANK UP THE FLOODLIGHTS.

WE'RE SETTING THIS UP FOR THE TECHNICIANS

SINCE THEY GOT TO WORK ON THE AIRPLANE TONIGHT.

AND THE TECHNICIANS START WORK ON AN ALL-NIGHTER,

CHECKING FLIGHT SYSTEMS

AND RUNNING A FINE-TOOTHED COMB OVER THE BATTERED LANDING GEAR.

AS THE SUN RISES OVER DENVER AIRPORT,

THE CARGO PLANE PASSES ALL ITS CHECKS

AND THE TECHNICIANS GET READY FOR THEIR NEXT TASK --

UNLOADING THE LONGEST CARGO THEY'VE EVER CARRIED.

IT'S AMAZING WHAT THIS PLANE CAN DO.

♪♪

THREE MASSIVE TRUCKS STAND BY

TO TAKE THE MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR MOLDS TO THE FACTORY,

BUT GETTING THE PIECES OUT WON'T BE EASY.

BEEN ASKING DMYTRII SINCE LAST NIGHT.

I'M LIKE, "DMYTRII, HOW ARE WE OFF-LOADING THIS, MAN?"

ON PAPER, THE OFF-LOAD PROCESS

IS SIMPLY THE REVERSE OF THE ON-LOAD,

BUT THE LOAD CREW IS EXHAUSTED.

THE ANTONOV TECHNICIANS HAVE BEEN HERE ALL NIGHT

WORKING WITH THE AIRCRAFT,

AND WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE TECHNICIANS

TO HOOK THE CRANE UP TO THE CARGO,

AND GET THE CARGO OFF-LOADED.

USING THE HEAVY-DUTY HOISTS,

THE TEAM INCHES THE MAMMOTH MOLD SECTIONS

OFF THE AIRCRAFT ONE AT A TIME.

THE PIECE IS SO LONG, THEY'RE GOING TO OFFLOAD

THAT MIDDLE PIECE OUT WITH THEIR CRANE,

AND THEY'LL GET IT AS FAR OUT AS POSSIBLE...

♪♪

...WHILE ME AND CHRIS, WE'LL USE THE FORKLIFTS TO COME IN,

TO STABILIZE THE PIECE.

THE TRUCK IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BACK UP

UNDERNEATH THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT,

AS FAR BACK AS THEY CAN POSSIBLY GO.

THEN THEY'LL DROP THE PIECE ONTO THE FLATBED TRUCK.

NO. NO, FURTHER THAT WAY.

ANY MISTAKE AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR COULD COST THE CLIENT MILLIONS.

♪♪

WITH THE LAST PIECE OFF-LOADED, BO CHECKS FOR ANY DAMAGE.

-HOW'S THAT? -PERFECT.

ALRIGHT, PERFECT.

Narrator: NOT A SCRATCH.

6,700 MILES FROM SHANGHAI, BO FINALLY SIGNS ON THE DOTTED LINE

FOR HIS SUPER-SIZED DELIVERY.

-OKAY. THERE YOU GO. -OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. -THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Narrator: THE MOLDS HEAD STRAIGHT

TO THE WIND-TURBINE FACTORY OUTSIDE OF DENVER.

JUST 72 HOURS AFTER MIKE KRINGS CALLED IN THIS FLYING GIANT,

THE CARGO ARRIVES ON HIS DOORSTEP.

-GREAT JOB. -YES.

Narrator: HE'S BACK ON TRACK TO MEET HIS ORDER

FOR THE NEW HUGE WIND TURBINES.

AT THE AIRPORT, THE CREW PACKS UP,

BUT THEY WON'T GET TO REST FOR LONG.

SO, WE JUST GOT A NEW JOB.

WE ARE GOING TO DETROIT TO -- WE WILL HAVE A CARGO THERE.

SO, IT'S OUR LIFE.

WE ARE FLYING LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME.

IT'S OUR JOB.

Narrator: THIS HARD-WORKING CREW IS ALWAYS IN DEMAND,

BECAUSE THEY'RE FLYING THE ANTONOV 124,

THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCTION CARGO PLANE

THAT CAN HAUL PRACTICALLY ANYTHING.

♪♪

IT'S ALL THANKS TO A NOSE THAT FLIPS OPEN

TO SWALLOW LARGE CARGO,

MOBILE CRANES THAT TACKLE ANY LOAD,

230-FOOT LONG WINGS THAT DOUBLE-UP AS FUEL TANKS,

AND ENGINES WITH MORE POWER THAN EIGHT FIGHTER JETS.

IT'S THESE TECHNOLOGICAL SECRETS

THAT HAVE HELPED THIS FLYING GIANT EVOLVE

TO BECOME A MEGA MACHINE.